“The Last Confucian” in the Rice Paddy of Java

Abstract

Abstract This article engages in theoretical reflections on an anthropology of Confucianism by tackling two critical issues: the visibility of the Confucian tradition in modern times and the conceptualization of “popular Confucianism” in anthropological terms. Through a case study of an ethnographic document about Agama Khonghucu, as the Confucian religion is known in Indonesia, the article argues that, via the construction of an anthropology of Confucianism, scholars can better understand the customs, behaviors, and values of Chinese communities under their specific sociopolitical and cultural conditions across the globe.