Crafting a living tradition for a modern metropolis: a study of a Taoist education scheme in Hong Kong

Abstract

Taoism is an ancient, indigenous Chinese religion, which has been rooted in Hong Kong for more than a century. The Taoist tradition undergoes constant revision to ensure its persistence and development. Inspired by Raymond Williams, this article examines how Taoism is represented and applied in a school curriculum in three ways: selection and organisation of materials by connecting Taoism with a broader scope of teenagers’ daily lives, such as the environment, mass media, sexuality, a healthy lifestyle and emotion management; selection of pedagogies by blending of Taoist doctrines with Western learning theories to echo the local official curriculum reform; and focusing on cultural nationalism and life education rather than religious preaching, and emphasising Taoism’s vital personal and social contributions, together with modern interpretations and elaborations. The article also discusses the factors that have contributed to the crafting of a living religious tradition for pedagogical uses. This example in Hong Kong highlights the possibility of Taoist religious education and demonstrates how agents of the tradition have re-positioned the learning of religion in a secular world in response to various social changes. It also points to life education and values education as viable options for developing religious education.