IHSS is pleased to invite Professor Ge Zhaoguang (FDU) as the speaker of the Distinguished Lecture Series of 2023. Between September 21 and September 28, Professor Ge delivered four lectures on the theme of Lingering Sound–Continuation of Studies on History of Religions. This is the third year of the IHSS Distinguished Lecture Series, and we are honored to have Professor Ge give the first talk of the year on our seventh anniversary. As a close friend to IHSS and a visiting professor, Professor Ge has been actively engaged in various events, including the founding ceremony of IHSS, the seminar on “Chinese Civilization and the World”, the lecture series “Legacies: Our Peking University Stories” and the roundtable on “Dialogue between Intellectual History and Art History” during IHSS third anniversary.
The first two lectures focused on medieval Taoism, taking both the visible historical context and the hidden “uncivilized” religious practices into consideration. The last two lectures revisited former studies on Buddhism, suggesting alternative perspectives for understanding the history of Buddhism and for academic innovation. The four lectures all commenced with renowned scholars of the 1930s and 1940s, unfolding a fascinating re-examination of ideology, politics, religions, ethnicity, and other issues.
Each lecture also invited scholars from different fields, such as anthropology, history, philosophy, and ancient literature, to discuss and comment on the lecture content, offering inspiring exchanges of ideas.
Through the Distinguished Lecture Series, IHSS brings together the achievements of leading scholars, broadens the channels of scholarly exchange, and promotes interdisciplinary integration. This series of lectures was also broadcast live online, allowing scholars and audiences to meet both in person and in the cloud.
Lecture Agenda
September 21
Exploring the Historical Context of Medieval Chinese Religion: Reading Mr. Deng Guangming's Notes on Chen Yinke's "Heavenly Masters Sect" Lesson
September 23
The Shadow of Cultural History: From the Correspondence of Hu Shih and Yang Liansheng on Medieval Religious Practices of Self-Harm
September 26
International Academic Competition on New Sources and New Questions: Starting from Paul Demiéville’s Le Concile de Lhasa
September 28
Between Politics and Religion: Following Mr. Chen Yuan's Discussion of Buddhism in Early Qing Dynasty
About Ge Zhaoguang
Ge Zhaoguang, professor of Department of History and National Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies (IAHS) at Fudan University, member of IHSS Academic Committee. His research covers the history of religion, intellect, and culture in China and East Asia. He has published a number of books and numerous research articles, including An Intellectual History of China (《中国思想史》), Here in 'China' I Dwell: Reconstructing Historical Discourses of China for Our Time (《宅兹中国：重建有关中国的历史论述》) and What Is China? Territory, Ethnicity, Culture, and History (《何为中国：疆域、民族、文化与历史》).
