ABSTRACT
The Confucian Classics have in recent years rekindled the interest of scholars of religious studies. Han Wu-ti's canonization of the Five Classics, an epoch-making event that decidedly shaped Chinese scriptural and intellectual traditions, will form the center of our discussion. Later Chinese intellectuals would always refer to Confucius the founder as the ultimate authority, but at the same time they would be expected to carry, expand, and even defend this scriptural tradition. The interpretation of authority seems to imply two different communities in the early Han, one linked to the Confucians and the other associated with Han Wu-ti and his ruling class. The Confucian community, with the ancient sages and Confucius as its authority, encountered the ruling authority and its state mechanism when Han Wu-ti canonized the Five Classics. The emperor's political involvement brought a new dimension to the Confucian scriptural tradition, and the political dimension has stood as a peculiar feature ever since.
