[2] The Chinese idea of "Shendao" arose in the early Western Zhou and later became a strategy and method of character education in the Confucianism ideological system, for strengthening integrity or virtue (德, dé) and other socially desirable traits.
As it developed, concepts of gods, ghosts and demons were used as a means of character, or moral, education; such training included theories about the effect of fate or fortune, heaven or hell.
[4][5][6] In contrast to the primitive polytheism of the Yin (Shang), the Zhou strengthened the divinity of the Shangdi and weakened the many ancestral and nature gods.
King Li of Zhou believed that the emperor could send down "a great Lu order to protect my house, my position, and the body of Hu".
"[This quote needs a citation] Shendao is a religion based on the way of ghosts and gods, which is from the Tuan Chuan of the Zhou Yi (I Ching).
It is said that Shendao "can govern the country, compel the people, and change the customs",[This quote needs a citation] and is thus able to eliminate the less desirable behaviours in a society, and encourage beneficial ones.