The East Asian Public Sphere: Concluding Remarks and Theoretical Considerations

Abstract

Whilevarious book series on Religion and Society already exist, most tend to beEuro-centric or have a North American focus. The proposed series would promotecontemporary scholarship on the Asia-Pacific Region, particularly studies thatgive attention to the interaction and mutual transformation of religions acrossnational boundaries and beyond their country of origin. This would be amultidisciplinary series that includes both historical and contemporaryethnographic studies, which would contribute to our understanding of thetraditional and changing roles of religion in multiple socio-political contextsin the region. Especially welcome would be comparative studies that expand theframe of analysis beyond the nation-state and those that address emergingissues and trends related to globalization, such as religious pluralism andsocial conflict over the re-emerging public role of religion, transnationalreligious movements, and Asian religions in diaspora communities.