prevail, there is both a loss of faith in the cult of Heaven and Earth as well as confidence in the government.
According to Yang, institutional religion can be observed in at least three different dimensions: ancient classical religion carried on by magicians and sorcerers (wu); religions of universal salvation, such as the predominant Buddhist and Taoist sects; and in syncretic religious societies. In contrast to the role of diffused religion's importance for a particular group, institutional religion serves the needs of individuals. Accordingly, diffused religion takes on a finite structure with regard to its view of the world, whereas personalized, institutional religion seeks to understand and offer devotion to the world beyond. As Yang posits, "The development of diffused religion in China . . . would not have been possible without contributions from institutional religion."
Lancaster, however, contends that the religious life of East Asian societies "cannot be described as any syncretic unitary entity." Instead, there are elements o
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