In recent years, the study of modern Chinese religions has developed into a highly innovative yet challenging field. One of the main reasons for this involves an ongoing (and largely unresolved) debate regarding what methods and theories are appropriate for analyzing the wide range of beliefs and practices we encounter. This series of three volumes is based on the conviction that, in this critical period of research on modern Chinese religions, it is time for scholars to review the development of our field, reconsider its present state of theories and analytical models, and open a new chapter in the understanding of methodologies we employ. Our research is grounded on the need to re-evaluate concepts and practices that inform both the religious sphere and contemporary scholarship, including endogenous Chinese concepts and exogenous ideas from the West and Japan that have been foundational in shaping our knowledge of the Chinese religious landscape. In this third volume of our series, we examine a variety of key concepts through their praxis in modern Chinese lived religions.

《中國宗教歷史文獻集成》由中國社會科學院和天津市社會科學院長期 從事宗教研究的專家學者聯合編纂。《中國宗教歷史文獻集成》分爲<藏外佛經>、<三洞拾遺>、<清真大典>、<東傳福音>、<民間寶卷>5部，共收錄中國歷代有關佛教、道教、伊斯蘭教、基督教（包括天主教和新教）以及民間宗教的珍貴文獻1100餘種，其中伊斯蘭教、基督教和民間宗教三部均为首次 出版, 佛教、道教二部所收亦与此前同类出版物绝不重复,堪稱研究中國各主要宗教的資料寶庫。

商朝是有可靠史料记载的最古老国家。所有国家 都有自己的治国方略，商朝的治国方略系通过神灵崇 拜而得到。崇拜的形式是“祭祀”，即通过祭祀讨好 “神灵”。然而，祭祀本身并非由殷商统治阶级创造 出来，而是从远古时代流传下来的，即由远古时代的 各种神灵崇拜演变而来。甲骨卜辞所见的各种各样的 自然神，表明了这一事实。殷商时代的统治阶级系由 几个强大的氏族或部落联合而成。各氏族或部落有自 己崇拜的神灵即图腾。图腾的最大社会功能是区别“ 我”和“非我”。商朝统治阶级信奉较多的自然神， 同时也重视祖先神灵的崇拜。从甲骨卜辞记录来看， 随着社会的变化祭祀制度也有变化。到殷商末期，对 自然神举行祭祀的记录已几乎没有，而对祖先神灵举 行祭祀的记录却很多，祭祀制度越来越严格化、简单 化，祭祀所使用的牺牲也愈来愈少。这些变化，表明 殷商晚期已走向奴隶制社会。