This study investigates the mechanisms behind the revival of Chan Buddhism during the seventeenth-century Ming-Qing transition in China. Author Jiang Wu, a scholar of East Asian religions, utilizes primary source materials and historical records to analyze how internal controversies regarding lineage and practice facilitated the institutional dominance of Chan Buddhism. The work argues that the evolution of these religious disputes was inextricably linked to the broader social and political instability of the era.

Scholars frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the institutional history of late imperial Chinese Buddhism. Experts highlight the author's meticulous use of primary sources to clarify complex sectarian developments during a period of significant political upheaval.