Kanonisierung und Kanonbildung in der asiatischen Religionsgeschichte

This volume discusses processes of canonization and canon formation in several religious traditions of Asia, the applicability of the concept of "canon," and its value for the study of these religions. It questions conventional Western classifications, suggests new and refined categories, and reexamines existing sources in light of these considerations. The fifteen chapters in this volume analyze particular instances of canonization and canon formation in the history of Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto. They show that questions of that sort can be fruitfully discussed only on the basis of thorough historical research. With their studies the authors, all well-published scholars in their fields, contribute substantially to scholarship on the respective religious traditions. At the same time, the volume as a whole offers new methodological and theoretical perspectives for religious studies that can prove useful also for the study of other contexts in the general history of religions.