Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Gods and Society in China Personal Relations and Bureaucratic Hierarchy in Chinese Religion: Evidence from the Song Dynasty Enlightened Alchemist or Immoral Immortal? The Growth of Lü Dongbin’s Cult in Late Imperial China The Lady Linshui: How a Woman Became a Goddess Myths, Gods, and Family Relations Vernacular Fiction and the Transmission of Gods’ Cults in Late Imperial China Transmission in Popular Religion: The Jiajiang Festival Troupe of Southern Taiwan Matricidal Magistrates and Gambling Gods: Weak States and Strong Spirits in China Glossary Index Contributors