International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.3, 2020

Reconciliation between politics and religions in Lin’an in the Southern Song Dynasty

(Abstract)

WU, Jing and ZHOU, Ying

In the Song Dynasties, the policies of both utilising and restricting religions were adopted simultaneously, and the growth of various religions was relatively balanced. In Lin’an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) and an important city of religion, due to the reconciliation between politics and religions, and proper expansion of religions, the spiritual beliefs had played more role in the construction of heavenly beliefs, disaster relief, spiritual cultivation and meditation, and the academic reform, which had positive effects on consolidation of the regime, social stability and cultural progress. The expansion of religions in Lin’an had a significant tendency toward secularisation, and the regime’s control over religions was mainly to implement secular management. The management had resulted in such problems as changes of religious values, but it had positive effects on the communication between Loka and Lokuttara, and regulating the management of different religious sects.