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201817 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.201817 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ All Rights Reserved 2025 2027-08-01T10:22:25 318 pages Doctoral Dissertation Academic theses en Wu, Wei Bokenkamp, Stephen Chen, Huaiyu Oh, Young Ling, Xiaoqiao Raz, Gil Arizona State University Partial requirement for: Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2025 Field of study: East Asian Languages and Civilizations This dissertation investigates the intricate relationship between religion, politics, and everyday life in Mid-to-Late Tang China through a case study of Li Deyu 李德裕 (787–850), a prominent scholar-official. It explores how religious beliefs and practices shaped his hybrid identity and informed his strategies for self-construction and political advancement. Building on Michael Höckelmann’s insight that the boundaries between religious and political spheres in premodern China were fluid, the study argues that religiosity in this context need not be defined by overt devotion or ritual performance. Instead, it could be mundane, pragmatic, habitual, socially embedded, or tied to political and personal identity.The dissertation is divided into two main parts. Part I (Chapter One) traces Li Deyu’s familial traditions, which were inclined toward eremitism and Daoism, and his connection to the Upper Clarity (Shangqing 上清) Daoist tradition at Mount Mao 茅山. It demonstrates that Li Deyu’s engagement with Daoism was not solely a reflection of personal piety or inherited belief. Rather, it also served as a strategic means to cultivate relationships with influential Daoist figures—such as Sun Zhiqing 孫智清 (fl. 832–833)—in order to bolster his political aspirations and enhance his social prestige. Part II (Chapters Two, Three, and Four) presents close readings of Li Deyu’s villa design, a mourning poem for a deceased friend, and an epitaph composed for his chief concubine. These case studies reveal how religious thought and imagery were embedded in architectural, literary, and commemorative practices. Through this analysis, the dissertation provides a more effective lens for understanding Tang elite religiosity—highlighting how religion could be used strategically to expand social networks, maintain imperial favor, and challenge political rivals. By emphasizing the porous boundaries between religion, mundane life, and politics, this dissertation offers a more nuanced view of Tang religiopolitical culture. It demonstrates how religious ideas and affiliations were not only spiritually significant but also instrumental in shaping elite identity and navigating the complexities of political life. Asian studies Religion Asian History Daoism Li Deyu Muzhiming Pingquan Villa Reincarnation framework Self-fashioning The Visible and the Invisible: Li Deyu (787–849) as Scholar-Official and Daoist Priest