Abstract
How does a diasporic religion extend beyond the ethnic enclave marked by the pluralism in the host society? Drawing from my fieldwork in Malacca, Malaysia, this chapter shows how Tzu Chi, a Buddhist charitable group from Taiwan, developed locally by simultaneously tapping into and reaching beyond the Chinese diaspora. The importance of proselytizing and volunteering for the relief work, I will argue that Tzu Chi, in the specific setting of religious pluralism in Malaysia, presents an anomaly between diasporic and ecumenical religion. Proselytizing makes local development gravitate towards the diasporic framework. The secular operation of relief work allows Tzu Chi to draw in non-Buddhist participants. The limits of religious pluralism nevertheless keep Tzu Chi’s proselytizing and its ecumenical tendencies at bay. In conclusion, I will argue that the shift of a religious movement from diasporic to ecumenical is highly contingent on local social networks and legal frameworks.
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