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The Way of the Gods according to the Confucian Tradition (Chinese: 儒宗神教 Rúzōng Shénjiào), also called the Luandao (鸾道 "Phoenix Way" or 鸾门 Luánmén, "Phoenix Gate")[1] or Luanism (鸾教 Luánjiào)[2] or—from the name of its cell congregations—the phoenix halls or phoenix churches (鸾堂 luántáng), is a Confucian congregational religious movement of the Chinese traditional beliefs.[3]
The first phoenix hall was established in Magong, the capital of the Penghu Islands, in 1853, and from there the movement spread throughout mainland China and Taiwan.[4] Other names of the movement are Rumen (儒门 "Confucian Gate[way]) or Holy Church of the Confucian Tradition (儒宗圣教 Rúzōng Shèngjiào).[2]
The aim of the phoenix halls is to honour the gods through Confucian orthopraxy (rú 儒 style),[5][6][7] spreading morality through public lectures and divinely-inspired books (善书 shànshū).[8] The Confucian Way of the Gods is defined as Houtiandao (后天道 "Way of Later Heaven" or "Way of the Manifested") by the antagonistic Xiantiandao (先天道 "Way of Former Heaven" or "Way of the Primordial") traditions, which claim to be closer to the God of the universe.[9]
- ^ Clart 2003, pp. 27-30
- ^ a b Clart, Jones. 2003. p. 72
- ^ Clart 2003, p. 5
- ^ Clart 2003, p. 6
- ^ Clart, Jones. 2003. p. 72. Quote: «[...] ru, perhaps best rendered in English as "literati", connects one with the literary style of religious activity in which these groups specialize.»
- ^ Clart 2003, p. 24; quote from the statute of the Shenxian Tang (one of the leading phoenix halls): «That this is called a "phoenix hall" means that it adheres to the Confucian tradition and the teachings of the gods. Therefore it is called "Divine Teachings of the Confucian Tradition". [...]»
- ^ Clart 2003, p. 27; quote from the statute of the Wumiao Mingzheng Tang: «The Phoenix School carries on [the work of] Heaven in response to the cyclical movement [of the ages]. Taking Confucianism as its tradition and the gods as [the source of] its teachings.»
- ^ Clart 2003, p. 7
- ^ Clart, 1997. p. 12