New Paradigms for the Study of Yao Religion and Culture
專題徵稿啟事
專題摘要投稿截止日期2023年11月30日
專題論文截稿日期2024年6月30日
The Mienic-speaking peoples, commonly referred to as “Pan
Yao” (盤瑤) and “Lan Dian Yao” (藍靛瑤) in Chinese, belong to the Hmong-Mien
linguistic family, residing in southern China, the highlands of Southeast Asia,
and some Western countries. Their religion is characterized by communal
ordination (for males), ritual manuscripts written in Chinese characters, and
various ritual elements arguably adopted from southern Daoist schools such as
Tianxin Zhengfa, Lingbao, and Qingwei. The term “Yao Daoism” is thus designed
to describe Yao religious culture. Since the 1970s, “Yao Daoism” has generated
significant interest among scholars in sinology, Daoist studies, and manuscript
cultures worldwide. In the past decade, international collaborations on
digitalization and research of Yao manuscripts have further propelled the study
of Yao religion and culture onto the global stage. The “Yao Studies” have
emerged as a prominent field that intersects various important disciplines.
Michel Strickmann (1982: 23-30) once suggested that the Yao religion underwent
“Daoization” because of the implementation of imperial civilizing projects.
Subsequent research, investigating different themes of ritual manuscripts and
conducting ethnographic studies in many Yao communities of distinct regions and
locations, discovered elements of shamanistic beliefs, esoteric Buddhism,
Confucianism, regional culture, and local worship within the Yao religion.
Furthermore, the Yao, who migrated to the highlands of present-day Southeast
Asian countries since the Ming and Qing dynasties, often adjusted their
religious practices in response to political, economic, and inter-ethnic
contexts. In other words, the applicability of the term “Yao Daoism” needs to
be re-examined, and the variations in “Yao Daoism” created and adjusted by the
Yao in different cultural contexts also require more in-depth investigation.
The primary focus of this special issue is on the religion
and culture of the Mienic-speaking peoples, Mien and Mun (autonyms). However,
research on other Yao subgroups, such as those referred to as “Chashan Yao” (茶山瑤) from the Kam-Sui speaking groups or “Baiku
Yao” (白褲瑤) from the Hmongic-speaking groups (in China,
the ethnic label of “Yao” also includes speakers of Hmongic-speaking groups,
Kam-Sui speaking groups, and Chinese dialect-speaking groups) is also welcomed.
Under this overarching theme, the special issue will cover at least the
following sub-topics:
1. Study of Yao
religion and rituals.
2. Research on
the content and materiality of Yao manuscripts.
3. Study of Yao
history, migration, and inter-ethnic interaction.
4. Research on
the digitalization of Yao manuscripts and its outcomes.
5. Study of Yao
literature and folksong.
6. Research on
the historical interactions between the Yao religion and various southern
Daoist schools.
7. Other research
topics related to Yao religion and culture.
This special issue on “New Paradigms for
the Study of Yao Religion and Culture” will be co-edited by Assistant Professor
Chen Meiwen and Associate Professor Chang Chaojan from the Department of
Religious Studies, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan. We cordially invite
submissions on the topics mentioned above. Please first submit the title and abstract of
your proposed paper, approximately 500 words, to the Journal of Ritual,
Theatre
and Folklore (shihhoch@ms6.hinet.net) by Nov. 30, 2023. Please include your name, email address, mailing address and phone
number. Once the abstract is accepted, the complete paper will be due on June 30, 2024, for a double-blind review process. For
the Journal’s “Submission Guidelines,” please consult
https://ritualtheatreandfolkloreat.blogspot.com/p/submissions.html.
現居住於中國南方、高地東南亞與部分歐美國家屬於苗瑤語系瑤語支的人群（普遍他稱為「盤瑤」、「藍靛瑤」等），因其宗教具有「全民度戒」的特色、大量以漢字傳抄的儀式文書，以及各種南方道派（天心正法、靈寶、清微等）的儀式要素，而被稱為「瑤傳道教」（Yao Daoism），自上世紀七〇年代起便備受國際漢學界、道教學界，以及手抄本文化研究學者的關注。近十幾年來，國際間針對瑤族儀式文書所進行的各種跨國合作的數位化與調查計畫，更進一步促使瑤族宗教與文化的研究登上國際舞臺。「瑤學」儼然成為一門國際間新興的顯學。針對「瑤傳道教」的內涵及其複雜性，早期有司馬虛（Michel Strickmann）從王朝教化的角度提出瑤族宗教之所以「道教化」的假說，後續研究則根據不同類型的儀式文書以及不同區域與地點的田野考察，提出瑤族宗教中所包含的巫信仰、密教、儒學、區域文化與在地崇拜的要素。此外，瑤族作為一個自明清後便陸續往現今的東南亞國家高地遷徙的人群，在歷史過程中，其宗教實踐也常因應著所處之政治、經濟與族群互動情境做出調整與改變。換言之，「瑤傳道教」作為一個理論概念的適用性需要重新檢視，各地瑤族在不同文化處境中所創發和調適的宗教差異也需要得到更多關注。
本次專題的徵稿對象主要以針對瑤語支瑤族的宗教與文化研究為主，但也歡迎對於其他瑤族支系（如侗水語支中他稱為「茶山瑤」、苗語支中他稱為「白褲瑤」等人群）的研究（在中國政府的分類下，中國境內的瑤族還包括苗語支、侗水語支和說漢語方言的人群）。在這個大主題下，本專號將至少包括以下幾個次主題：1.瑤族宗教與儀式的研究；2.瑤族手抄本內容與手抄本物質性的研究；3.瑤族歷史、遷徙與文化接觸的研究；4.瑤族手抄本數位化及其成果的研究；5.瑤族文學、文化與民間文獻的研究；6.瑤族宗教與不同南方道派的歷史互動與接觸研究；7.其他與瑤族宗教與文化相關的議題研究。
「瑤族宗教與文化研究的新典範」專題由天主教輔仁大學宗教學系張超然副教授與陳玫妏助理教授共同策畫、主編，竭誠歡迎探討上述主題的論文。有意投稿者請於2023年11月30日前將論文題目及摘要 （300-500 字，中文或英文撰寫均可），email 至《民俗曲藝》編輯委員會收（shihhoch@ms6.hinet.net），編委會將回覆是否合乎專題徵求。投稿信請註明姓名、電子郵件信箱、通訊地址、手機/電話等資訊，以便連絡。「瑤族宗教與文化研究的新典範」專題論文截稿日期為2024年6月30日。論文撰述格式請參見《民俗曲藝》「稿約」、「撰稿體例」,“Submission Guidelines”。