MWR-107 - Taoism

MWR-107 — Taoism continues the Remnant Bible Academy’s Major World Religions courses with a thorough, Scripture-grounded examination of one of China’s oldest and most influential belief systems. The course opens with Taoism’s origins and the lives of Laozi and Zhang Daoling, then surveys its foundational texts — the Tao Te Ching, the Zhuangzi, and the wider Daozang — along with Taoism’s deities and its cosmology of Tao, wuji, taiji, and yin and yang. It works through the major sects of Taoism, including Quanzhen and Zhengyi, and gives real attention to the Taoist calendar, its holy days and festivals, and the structure of Taoist religious leadership and its followers. A substantial section examines core Taoist doctrines and beliefs in real depth — philosophical and religious Taoism, wu wei, the Three Jewels, and more — followed by Taoism’s notable influence on the martial arts, from Taijiquan to Baguazhang. The course then traces a concise history of Taoism from ancient China to the present day, surveys its current global status, and closes with a sober examination of Taoist persecution of Christians before affirming the exclusive truth of Jesus Christ. Extensive photography and 117 cited sources support the material throughout. Required coursework for the Ministerial Ordination Program’s Major World Religions requirement, and valuable to any student who wants a thorough, honest, Scripturally grounded understanding of Taoism — its beliefs, its practices, and its history.