Correspondence

GUIDELINES FOR CORRESPONDENCE

This is an academic website dedicated to providing accurate and reliable information on Daoism as a religious tradition. Beyond popular constructions, appropriations and distortions, there is no other form of Daoism.

We welcome correspondence and suggestions from individuals committed to understanding and teaching Daoism from an accurate and informed perspective. This means recognizing and respecting Daoism as an indigenous Chinese religious tradition with deep connections with traditional Chinese culture.

We only respond to letter and email correspondence that is respectful in tone and content. Other forms of correspondence are either returned unread or recycled upon receipt.

Self-identified Daoists should read through this website in its entirety before making requests or suggestions. We will not create links with popular websites or alter content for personal promotion. We are not interested in and do not support popular fictions about Daoism or appropriative agendas based in colonialist, missionary and Orientalist legacies. As we have academic training, the rhetoric of “tradition” and “lineage” also will not be accepted without historical inquiry and critical analysis.

By using the resources provided on this site, individuals may determine the extent to which they have been influenced by and are perpetuating popular misconceptions of Daoism, misconceptions which unfortunately are being increasingly accepted by Western “seekers of the Way,” scholars of American religion and culture, and non-specialist educators. Critical and historical study of Daoism has the potential to rectify ignorance and misunderstanding.