ABSTRACT
Important as it is to analyze Chinese religion in terms of the great systems of thought, such analysis can only be of limited assistance in the study of popular and corrupted religious practices such as are found in Singapore. In name at least it holds a strong institutional position. Few Chinese concur with the tripartite division of their national religion into Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. By the latter they mean this very tradition of shen-worship which forms main background to accounts of spirit mediumship. The religious life of most Chinese in Singapore weaves itself into vague and variable pattern in which the motif is a generalised belief in the ways of ancient Chinese religion as conditioned by the stories and experiences of early upbringing. It will be readily apparent that it is only a short step from a practice such as this to spirit mediumship which is, after all, only extreme form of divination when used in the Chinese manner.
