Laurence G. Thompson, 85; Chinese Religion Expert

Laurence G. Thompson, professor emeritus of East Asian languages and cultures at USC and a leading expert on Chinese religion, has died. He was 85.

Thompson, who had been in failing health, died July 10 in Ventura, former colleagues reported. The cause of death was not announced.

The Sinologist was born in China’s Shandong province and lived there the first 14 years of his life. He earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 1942. During World War II, he served in the Marine Corps as a Japanese-language interpreter. After the war, he received master’s and doctoral degrees from the Claremont Graduate School, now Claremont Graduate University.

Thompson served in the U.S. Foreign Service in Taipei, Taiwan; Tokyo; Manila; and Hong Kong and on the staff of the Asia Foundation in Seoul and Taipei.

An accomplished classical violinist, he started his teaching career at Taiwan Normal University, where he taught music from 1959 to 1962. He taught at Pomona College for three years before joining the faculty at USC in 1965.

At USC, he was chairman of the East Asian department from 1968 to 1970 and 1972 to 1976. From 1972 to 1974, he was also the first director of the USC East Asian Studies Center.

Thompson is credited with being a pioneer in the study of Chinese religion. Colleagues said that his books, “Chinese Religion: An Introduction” and “The Chinese Way in Religion,” were considered models of many-sided and astute analysis.

His bibliography of studies of Chinese religion in Western languages, which he continued to update in retirement, is considered a basic resource in the field. He also wrote the entry on Chinese religion for Encyclopaedia Britannica’s 15th edition.

Thompson is survived by Grace, his wife of 62 years; five children; eight grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.