Gods of Mount Tai: Familiarity and the Material Culture of North China, 1000–2000 by Susan Naquin (review)

A monumental study reveals the evolution of the Jade Maiden, a deity worshipped at Mount Taishan (Tai Shan), from her modest origins to widespread cult status across North China between 1000 and 2000 CE. Susan Naquin's work demonstrates that the goddess's success stemmed not from bold innovation but from gradual adaptation to local material conditions, ensuring her familiarity through varied representations in stone, wood, clay, bronze, and iron. Naquin's meticulous analysis of temple architecture, material sources, and technical skills offers a novel framework for understanding religious change over time. The study challenges conventional narratives by emphasizing the role of material culture in shaping divine familiarity, providing a methodologically rigorous approach to studying religious diffusion.

(Ed.). (2023). Gods of Mount Tai: Familiarity and the Material Culture of North China, 1000–2000 by Susan Naquin (review). Journal of Chinese Religions, 51(1), 162–166. https://doi.org/10.1353/jcr.2023.a899646