Jinyu Liu, Emory University
The occupational associations in both the Roman Empire and Tang Dynasty of Ancient China were multi-dimensional and multi-functional organizations. Based on a close analysis of the primary sources, this paper compares the interactions between the occupational associations and religion in Rome and Tang. The comparison is carried out by looking into six specific and interconnected areas: 1) the types of religious activities in which the occupational associations were involved; 2) the sources of funding for these activities; 3) the interaction between the religious dimensions of the occupational associations and their other functions; 4) the regulation, if any, of religious activities; 5) the relationship between the religious activities of the occupational associations and the religious landscape of the cities; 6) the meaning of the religious activities for the occupational associations especially in terms of how they may help articulate, display, and strengthen group identity (Van Haeperen 2017). The outcomes of this comparative exercise contribute to unfolding some of the common features of the experiences of the lower classes with respect to how they were organized, what were the acceptable ways for self-representations, and how they inserted themselves into the urban fabric, against the differing organizational structures of the Roman and Tang empires.