Overview

This book offers a cross-cultural and inter-religious understanding of the ways social transformation in Asia is related to Asian spiritualities. Bringing together scholars and practitioners from different cultures and fields of study, it collates cutting-edge research and applies it to the role of Asian spiritualities in social transformation. Spirituality has garnered increasing attention in recent years across diverse fields of research and practice, from psychology and healthcare, to anthropology, education, sociology, political sciences, social work, feminist studies, cultural studies, religious studies, theology, philosophy, and so on. However, the term means different things within these different disciplines. Spirituality can be understood to be private and personal, but also public and societal, not only as a force that brings about change but also one that helps maintain the status quo – not only as a core element in religion but also as something disconnected from it. This book poses that to gain a firm grasp of spirituality, one needs to traverse these different terrains. Disbarring the orientalist understanding of spirituality that is often found embedded in stereotypes of the East as mystical, esoteric, and spiritual, in contrast to the West as scientific and rational, this book deconstructs this binarism to enable a sophisticated understanding of the diversity within Eastern and Western spiritualities. It presents “Asian spirituality” as a misnomer, focusing on the plurality of spiritualties and the region’s multifaceted religiosity, and it also excavates interfaith terrains. It is of interest to social scientists, theologians and religious scholars, and students and researchers interested in Asian spiritualties and social movements 

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9789819926404

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Simon Shui-Man KWAN is professor and associate director (academic affairs) at the Divinity School of Chung Chi College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is also president of the Asia Academy of Practical Theology (Hong Kong) and was associate dean of the Institute for Advanced Study in Asian Cultures and Theologies, and Chair of the Programme for Theology and Cultures in Asia. Simon is both a Christian theologian and a practicing spiritual/pastoral counselor. His major research interests include Asia theology and postcolonialism, practical theology, and cross-cultural and interfaith spiritual care. He publishes widely in these areas including books, monographs, book chapters, journal articles, and conference papers, both locally and globally. Currently, he is also editor of an open-access academic journal entitled QUEST: Study on Religious & Cultures in Asia and serves on the editorial boards of various peer-reviewed journals. His recent monographs include Postcolonial Resistance and Asian Theology (Routledge, 2014) and Negotiating a Presence-Centred Christian Counselling: Towards a Theologically Informed and Culturally Sensitive Approach (New Castle: CSP, 2016). Wai-Yin CHOW is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She also serves as the Director of the Bachelor of Religious Studies Programme there. CHOW takes an interdisciplinary approach to her research and is interested in the role of religion in human and social change from psychological perspectives. She has previously served as the editor of the international peer-reviewed journal, Ching Feng: A Journal on Christianity and Chinese Religion and Culture. She is launching a pioneering peace-making project that aims to harness the power of narrative to nurture inner calm among youth and bridge polarizations.

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