Textual Patterns and Cosmic Designs in Early China

Benoît Vermander is professor of religious anthropology at Fudan University (Shanghai), where he also teaches the hermeneutic of Chinese Classics. He heads the Xu-Ricci Dialogue Institute in the same university. His research interests and publications focus on cross-cultural hermeneutic, comparative classics, and Chinese religiosities.

“As a fine connoisseur of China’s scriptural and spiritual traditions, Benoît Vermander possesses the magic art of making them come alive aurally through their rhythms and visually in their ‘textual patterns and cosmic designs’ – read it to believe it !”Anne Cheng, Chair of Chinese intellectual history, Collège de France, Paris“Few people can match Benoit Vermander’s understanding of Chinese culture, especially its literary and philosophical dimensions. In this book he once again illustrates that he can be confidently relied on to propose innovative approaches to whatever subject he touches on.”John Lagerwey. Emeritus Professor at Hong Kong Chinese University and EPHE (Ecole Pratique des Hautes etudes, Paris). Director of Paris Ricci Institute.

• 1: Shaping and Numbering 2: Orbiting the Huainanzi 3: The Zhuangzi’s Inner Chapters: Thinking within and outside Circles 4: Confucius and the Hen-Pheasant 5: The Laozi as a Topological Space