The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia
The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia

Author: Ishtiaq Ahmed

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2011-05-04

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 1136727027

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The notion of a ‘politics of religion’ refers to the increasing role that religion plays in the politics of the contemporary world. This book presents comparative country case studies on the politics of religion in South and South Asia, including India, Pakistan and Indonesia. The politics of religion calls into question the relevance of modernist notions of secularism and democracy, with the emphasis instead on going back to indigenous roots in search of authentic ideologies and models of state and nation building. Within the context of the individual countries, chapters focus on the consequences that politics of religion has on inclusive nation-building, democracy and the rights of individuals, minorities and women. The book makes a contribution to both the theoretical and conceptual literature on the politics of religion as well as shed light on the implications and ramifications of the politics of religion on contemporary South Asian and South East Asian countries. It is of interest to students and scholars of South and South East Asian Studies, as well as Comparative Politics.

Spirited Politics
Spirited Politics

Author: Kenneth M. George

Publisher: SEAP Publications

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9780877277378

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Introduction : Religion, the nation, and the predicaments of public life in Southeast Asia / Kenneth M. George and Andrew C. Willford -- The priestess and the politician : enunciating Filipino cultural nationalism through Mt. Banahaw / Smita Lahiri -- The modernist vision from below : Malaysian Hinduism and the "way of prayers" / Andrew C. Willford -- Fraudulent and dangerous popular religiosity in the public sphere : moral campaigns to prohibit, reform, and demystify Thai spirit mediums / Erick White -- Islam and gender politics in late New Order Indonesia / Suzanne Brenner -- A sixth religion? : Confucianism and the negotiation of Indonesian-Chinese identity under the Pancasila state / Andrew J. Abalahin -- Relocating reciprocity : politics and the transformation of Thai funerals / Thamora Fishel -- Immaterial culture : "idolatry" in the lowland Philippines / Fenella Cannell -- Picturing Aceh : violence, religion, and a painter's tale / Kenneth M. George.

Culture, Religion and Conflict in Muslim Southeast Asia
Culture, Religion and Conflict in Muslim Southeast Asia

Author: Joseph A. Camilleri

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 0415625262

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By examining the sometimes surprising and unexpected roles that culture and religion have played in mitigating or exacerbating conflicts, this book explores the cultural repertoires from which Southeast Asian political actors have drawn to negotiate the pluralism that has so long been characteristic of the region. Focusing on the dynamics of identity politics and the range of responses to the socio-political challenges of religious and ethnic pluralism, the authors assembled in this book illuminate the principal regional discourses that attempt to make sense of conflict and tensions. They examine local notions of "dialogue," "reconciliation," "civility" and "conflict resolution" and show how varying interpretations of these terms have informed the responses of different social actors across Southeast Asia to the challenges of conflict, culture and religion. The book demonstrates how stumbling blocks to dialogue and reconciliation can and have been overcome in different parts of Southeast Asia and identifies a range of actors who might be well placed to make useful contributions, propose remedies, and initiate action towards negotiating the region's pluralism. This book provides a much needed regional and comparative analysis that makes a significant contribution to a better understanding of the interfaces between region and politics in Southeast Asia.

Religion and Nationalism in Southeast Asia
Religion and Nationalism in Southeast Asia

Author: Joseph Chinyong Liow

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2016-08-19

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781316618097

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Religion and nationalism are two of the most potent and enduring forces that have shaped the modern world. Yet, there has been little systematic study of how these two forces have interacted to provide powerful impetus for mobilization in Southeast Asia, a region where religious identities are as strong as nationalist impulses. At the heart of many religious conflicts in Southeast Asia lies competing conceptions of nation and nationhood, identity and belonging, and loyalty and legitimacy. In this accessible and timely study, Joseph Liow examines the ways in which religious identity nourishes collective consciousness of a people who see themselves as a nation, perhaps even as a constituent part of a nation, but anchored in shared faith. Drawing on case studies from across the region, Liow argues that this serves both as a vital element of identity and a means through which issues of rights and legitimacy are understood.

Religion and Conflict in South and Southeast Asia
Religion and Conflict in South and Southeast Asia

Author: Linell E. Cady

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2006-09-27

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 1134153058

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A major new contribution to comparative and multidisciplinary scholarship on the alignment of religion and violence in the contemporary world, with a special focus on South and Southeast Asia. Religion and Conflict in South and Southeast Asia shows how this region is the site of recent and emerging democracies, a high degree of religious pluralism, the largest Muslim populations in the world, and several well-organized terrorist groups, making understanding of the dynamics of religious conflict and violence particularly urgent. By bringing scholars from religious studies, political science, sociology, anthropology and international relations into conversation with each other, this volume brings much needed attention to the role of religion in fostering violence in the region and addresses strategies for its containment or resolution. The dearth of other literature on the intersection of religion, politics and violence in contemporary South and Southeast Asia makes the timing of this book particularly relevant. This book will of great interest to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of Asian politics, security studies and conflict studies.

The Politics of Religion in Indonesia
The Politics of Religion in Indonesia

Author: Michel Picard

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2011-05-13

Total Pages: 253

ISBN-13: 1136726403

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Indonesia is a remarkable case study for religious politics. While not being a theocratic country, it is not secular either, with the Indonesian state officially defining what constitutes religion, and every citizen needing to be affiliated to one of them. This book focuses on Java and Bali, and the interesting comparison of two neighbouring societies shaped by two different religions - Islam and Hinduism. The book examines the appropriation by the peoples of Java and Bali of the idea of religion, through a dialogic process of indigenization of universalist religions and universalization of indigenous religions. It looks at the tension that exists between proponents of local world-views and indigenous belief systems, and those who deny those local traditions as qualifying as a religion. This tension plays a leading part in the construction of an Indonesian religious identity recognized by the state. The book is of interest to students and scholars of Southeast Asia, religious studies and the anthropology and sociology of religion.

The Politics of Religion, Nationalism, and Identity in Asia
The Politics of Religion, Nationalism, and Identity in Asia

Author: Jeff Kingston

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2019-07-30

Total Pages: 309

ISBN-13: 1442276886

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This comprehensive book provides a comparative analysis of religious nationalism in contemporary, globalized Asia. Exploring the nexus of religion, identity, and nationalism, Jeff Kingston assesses similarities and differences across the region, focusing on how religious sentiments influence how people embrace nationalism and with what consequences. Kingston shows that in the age of the internet this has become an especially volatile mix that breeds violence and poses a significant risk to secularism, diversity, civil liberties, democracy, and political stability. This extremist tide has swept across Asia with tragic results, as witnessed by 730,000 Rohingya Muslims driven out of Myanmar, 70,000 Kashmiris slaughtered in India, and Islamic State affiliates terrorizing Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Who could have imagined Buddhist monks inciting violence and intolerance or setting themselves on fire? Or pious vigilantes beheading atheist bloggers? Or clerics defeating and jailing powerful politicians on blasphemy allegations? And, what explains why one million Uighur Muslims are locked up in China? Examining the causes and consequences of these varied phenomena and what they portend, Kingston casts a sobering light on the prospects of the Asian Century.

The Secular in South, East, and Southeast Asia
The Secular in South, East, and Southeast Asia

Author: Kenneth Dean

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Published: 2018-06-29

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9783319893686

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This innovative edited collection provides a comprehensive analysis of modern secularism across Asia which contests and expands prevailing accounts that have predominantly focused on the West. Its authors highlight that terms like ‘secular’, ‘secularization’, and ‘secularism’ do not carry the same meanings in the very different historical and cultural contexts of Asia. Critiquing Charles Taylor’s account of secularism, this book examines what travelled and what not in ‘the imperial encounter’ between Western secular modernity and other traditions outside of the West. Throughout the book, state responses to religion at different points in Chinese and South-East Asian history are carefully considered, providing a nuanced and in-depth understanding of post-secular strategies and relations in these areas. Particular attention is given to Catholicism in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Singapore, and Hinduism and Chinese religion in Malaysia, Singapore, and India. This theoretically engaged work will appeal to students and scholars of Asian studies, anthropology, religious studies, history, sociology, and political science.

Religious Diversity in Southeast Asia and the Pacific
Religious Diversity in Southeast Asia and the Pacific

Author: Gary D. Bouma

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2009-12-04

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 9048133890

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Religious diversity is now a social fact in most countries of the world. While reports of the impact of religious diversity on Europe and North America are reasonably well-known, the ways in which Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific are religiously diverse and the ways this diversity has been managed are not. This book addresses this lack of information about one of the largest and most diverse regions of the world. It describes the religious diversity of 27 nations, as large and complex as Indonesia and as small as Tuvalu, outlining the current issues and the basic policy approaches to religious diversity. Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands are portrayed as a living laboratory of various religious blends, with a wide variance of histories and many different approaches to managing religious diversity. While interesting in their own right, a study of these nations provides a wealth of case studies of diversity management – most of them stories of success and inclusion.

The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia
The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia

Author: Felix Wilfred

Publisher:

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 685

ISBN-13: 0199329060

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Named by the International Bulletin of Missionary Studies as an Outstanding Book of 2014 for Mission Studies Despite the ongoing global expansion of Christianity, there remains a lack of comprehensive scholarship on its development in Asia. This volume fills the gap by exploring the world of Asian Christianity and its manifold expressions, including worship, theology, spirituality, inter-religious relations, interventions in society, and mission. The contributors, from over twenty countries, deconstruct many of the widespread misconceptions and interpretations of Christianity in Asia. They analyze how the growth of Christian beliefs throughout the continent is linked with the socio-political and cultural processes of colonization, decolonization, modernization, democratization, identity construction of social groups, and various social movements. With a particular focus on inter-religious encounters and emerging theological and spiritual paradigms, the volume provides alternative frames for understanding the phenomenon of conversion and studies how the scriptures of other religious traditions are used in the practice of Christianity within Asia.