Chinese Spirit-medium Cults in Singapore

Cover
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Preface
Foreword
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
I. Introduction
	The Singapore Background
	Chinese Social Organisation in Singapore
	The Significance of Spirit-Medium Cults
II. The Position of Spirit Mediumship in Chinese Religion
	The Background of Traditional Religious Systems
		The Traditional Systems of Thought
		Folk Religion and Occultism
		Shenism and the Idea of the Soul
	Contemporary Institutions in Singapore
		Christianity and other Religious Influences
		Legends and the Theatre
		The Calendar and Festivals
		Household Religion and Ancestor Worship
		Fortune Telling and Divination
	The Organisation of Temple Worship
		Types of Temple Worship
		Promoters
		Professional Specialists
		The Position of the Spirit Mediums
III. The Theory and Practice of Spirit Mediumship
	Theory and Equipment
		Mediums
		The Meaning of Dang-ki
		Assistants and Worshippers
		Spirit-Medium Temples
		Temple Equipment
		Processional Equipment
		Charm Papers
		Miscellaneous Equipment
	The Dang-ki's Role
		Training Ceremonies
		The Stages of Development
		Trance Phenomena
	Cult Organisation
		Enumeration and Classification of Cults
		Ritual Office Holders
		Promotion of Spirit-Medium Cults
		The Worshippers
		Cult Affiliations and Rivalries
	The Shen of Spirit Mediumship
		The Legend of the 'Great Saint'
		The 'Third Prince', Kuan Yin and Kuan Ti
		Other Shen
IV. The Cult of the 'Great Saint'
	The Sunday Morning Ceremony
	Week-Day Performances
	Exorcism in a Private House
	The 'Great Saint's' Birthday
	The Second 'Great Saint's' Birthday
	'General Chao's' Birthday
V. Comparison of Spirit-Medium Cults
	A Buddhist Cult
	A Sino-Malay Cult
	Other Tendencies and Comparisons
	Urban Cults
	Rural Cults
	Suburban Cults
	The Life Cycle of Spirit-Medium Cults
VI. Specialised Branches of Shenism
	The Raising of Souls
	Automatic Writing
	Basket Rapping and Plate Turning
VII. Spirit-Medium Festivals
	Processions
	Knife Beds
	Sword Ladders
	Sword Bridges
	Fire Walking
	Other Displays
VIII. Conclusions
	Factual Aspects of Spirit Mediumship
	Chinese Religious Faith
	Historical and Economic Factors
	Sociological Factors
	The Decline of Spirit Mediumship
Appendices
	I. Examples of Invocations
	II. Statements of a Shen Written by a Possessed Dang-Ki
Glossary
Bibliography