Religions, Regionalism, and Globalization in Asia

In provocative ways, the six papers in this volume reveal different tangents for considering how religious consciousness motivates the history of individuals and societies. The ritual attractions of religions, their sense of gods and monsters, their compelling ethos in recognizing what is good and commanding quest to live it, and their age-old narratives about how the world came to be and the doomsday event for which we must be constantly ready are in no way inert. These are vigorous constructs, working devices as it were that help cultures everywhere to grapple with everyday realities reflecting our social struggles, the world’s restless political powerplay, our artistic aspirations, and the everyday disposition of men and women at work, the currency of their labor, and their never-ending efforts towards self-definition, interaction, and understanding.