John Lagerwey received his Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University. A member of the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO) from 1977 to 2000, he is currently Professor of the history of Taoism and Chinese religion at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE, Sorbonne). His principal publications include: Le Wu-shangpi-yao: somme taoiste du VIe siecle (Paris: EFEO, 1981); Taoist Ritual in Chinese Society and History (New York: Macmillan, 1987) and Le continent des esprits: la Chine dans le miroir du taoisme (Brussels: La Renaissance du Livre, 1991).