mully_and_sculder t1_je2rv6l wrote on March 29, 2023 at 12:05 AM

Reply to comment by FrostyTheSasquatch in TIL that in Chinese Folk Religion, a mortal human being could ascend into godhood not through the decisions of a clergy/church, but by the sheer number of people who believe that their extraordinary achievements led to apotheosis, which forced Confucian/Taoists clerics to canonize a person as a God. by Khysamgathys

So what's the difference with the terminology?

adankgoon t1_je2vm92 wrote on March 29, 2023 at 12:32 AM

There’s no church (thus no clergy) centralized in China. The only thing close enough was maybe Buddhism in some eras but historically I don’t believe those were interested in turning heroes into ‘Gods’. The concept of a ‘God’ in Chinese folklore is also more similar to Greek/Roman mythology where they’re in charge of some aspect of daily life. There are also unkind divinities/gods worshipped in different local cultures.