Handbook of the History of Religions in China I

Zhongjian Mou, an accomplished philosophical historian and religious scholar of China, has pioneered Chinese contemporary religious studies. He was born in Yantai city of Shandong province in May, 1939. From 1957 to 1965, he studied with Feng Youlan, Ren Jiyu, Zhu Bokun at the Philosophy Department of Peking University. From April 1966 to November 1987, he worked at the World Religion Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (the former Philosophy and Social Sciences Department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences). Starting from 1987, he has been serving as professor and doctoral tutor of the Philosophy and Religion Department of Minzu University of China, once serving as the director of the Research Center of the “985 Project” on Contemporary Major National Religious Issues. He also serves as consultant of the International Confucian Association, consultant of the Chinese Religious Society, academic consultant of the China Confucius Foundation, national condition expert of the Chinese National Library; he is professor of the Chinese National School of Administration, professor of the Training Center of the State Bureau of Religious Affairs, member of the expert committee of the World Confucian Conference, and dean of Nishan Shengyuan Academy.

Jian Zhang, a graduate from the School of Philosophy of Renmin University of China (1982), is now Professor of the School of Continuing Education of Renmin University of China. He has been engaged in the study of the history of Chinese religion and philosophy for a long time. At present, he is also a researcher of the Buddhist and religious teaching research base of the Ministry of Education, a visiting professor of Minzu University of China, member of International Confucian Association, and Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Society of Shixue.