Advertisement
| democracy's dharma: Democracy’s Dharma Richard Madsen, 2007-11-13 This title explores the remarkable religious renaissance that has reformed, revitalized and renewed the practices of Buddhism and Daoism in Taiwan. Madsen connects these developments to Taiwan's transition to democracy and the burgeoning needs of its new middle classes. |
| democracy's dharma: Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan Gunter Schubert, 2024-12-31 This fully revised 2nd edition of the Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan provides a comprehensive overview of both contemporary Taiwan and the Taiwan studies field. Written by an international team of Taiwan experts, the Handbook includes major topics in Taiwanese history, domestic politics, political economy, society, culture, and international relations. Each chapter summarises the major findings in the field and highlights long-term trends, recent observations, and potential future developments in Taiwan, revealing its long journey from a frontier island to a highly industrialised country struggling for international recognition. Up-to-date, interdisciplinary, and academically rigorous, the Handbook offers the reader an accessible and fascinating insight into contemporary Taiwan and will be of interest to students, academics, and policymakers with an interest in all things Taiwan. |
| democracy's dharma: Reading the New Global Order Kirrily Freeman, John Munro, 2022-10-06 1989 bore witness to a number of seismic events; The fall of the Berlin Wall, protests at Tiananmen Square, the US invasion of Panama, and many more. These notable moments inspired an array of visual, sonic and literary texts that can tell us much about this watershed moment. This edited collection examines these products of 1989 to explore the sense of transformative immediacy, which defined this memorable year, and show how the events of 1989 set the path for the 21st century. Gathering together scholars across a range of disciplines, Reading the New Global Order examines specific texts to reveal key transnational issues of that year, and to highlight fundamental questions about the nature and significance of 1989 as a global moment. From speeches, manifestos and novellas, to a pop album, this book raises questions about what constitutes a 'text' in the study of history and what they can reveal about their point in time. Taken together, these chapters highlight 1989 as a cultural, intellectual and political landmark of the 20th century through the global events it saw and the texts it produced. |
| democracy's dharma: The Oxford Handbook of Buddhist Practice Paula Kane Robinson Arai, Kevin Trainor, 2022 Foregrounds the impact of embodiment in Buddhism, Highlights the diversity and fluidity of Buddhist identities, The most comprehensive available volume on Buddhist practice Book jacket. |
| democracy's dharma: Routledge International Handbook of Religion in Global Society Jayeel Cornelio, François Gauthier, Tuomas Martikainen, Linda Woodhead, 2020-11-29 Like any other subject, the study of religion is a child of its time. Shaped and forged over the course of the twentieth century, it has reflected the interests and political situation of the world at the time. As the twenty-first century unfolds, it is undergoing a major transition along with religion itself. This volume showcases new work and new approaches to religion which work across boundaries of religious tradition, academic discipline and region. The influence of globalizing processes has been evident in social and cultural networking by way of new media like the internet, in the extensive power of global capitalism and in the increasing influence of international bodies and legal instruments. Religion has been changing and adapting too. This handbook offers fresh insights on the dynamic reality of religion in global societies today by underscoring transformations in eight key areas: Market and Branding; Contemporary Ethics and Virtues; Intimate Identities; Transnational Movements; Diasporic Communities; Responses to Diversity; National Tensions; and Reflections on ‘Religion’. These themes demonstrate the handbook’s new topics and approaches that move beyond existing agendas. Bringing together scholars of all ages and stages of career from around the world, the handbook showcases the dynamism of religion in global societies. It is an accessible introduction to new ways of approaching the study of religion practically, theoretically and geographically. |
| democracy's dharma: Taiwan's Impact on China Steve Tsang, 2017-01-24 This book is about the basis and scope of impact that Taiwan – a democracy with a population of around 23 million – has on China, the most powerful remaining Leninist state which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has a population of over 1.3 billion. It examines how Taiwan has helped China in its economic transformation, but argues that the former exercises greatest influence through its soft power. The expert and timely contributions in this book demonstrate how Taiwan exerts real influence in China through admiration of its popular culture, be it in music or literature, as well as its reach into politics and economics. As mainland Chinese visit Taiwan, they are most impressed with civility in everyday living based on a modernized version of the traditional Chinese culture. However, discussions in the book also reveal the limits of Taiwan’s impact, as the Chinese government tightly controls the narrative about Taiwan and does not tolerate any Taiwanese posing a threat to its monopoly of power. |
| democracy's dharma: Religion and Regimes Mehran Tamadonfar, Ted G. Jelen, 2013-11-26 Religion and Regimes: Support, Separation, and Opposition emphasizes the changing political role of religion in various nations of the world. The approach is based on market models of religion, and connects the style of religious politics in a given nation to the nature of competition among dominant religious traditions and their alternatives. |
| democracy's dharma: Religion, Ethnicity, and Gender in Western Hunan during the Modern Era Paul R. Katz, 2021-08-20 This book explores how beliefs and practices have shaped the interactions between different ethnic groups in Western Hunan, as well as considering how religious life has adapted to the challenges of modern Chinese history. Combining historical and ethnographic methodologies, chapters in this book are structured around changes that occurred during the interaction between Miao ritual traditions and religions such as Daoism, with particular focus on the commonalities and differences seen between Western Hunan and other areas of Southwest China. In addition, investigation is made into how gender and ethnicity have shaped such processes, and what these phenomena can teach about larger questions of modern Chinese history. As such, this study transcends existing scholarship on Western Hunan – which has stressed the impact of state policies and elite agendas – by focusing instead on the roles played by ritual specialists. Such findings call into question conventional wisdom about the ‘standardization’ of Chinese culture, as well as the integration of local society into the state by means of written texts. Religion, Ethnicity, and Gender in Western Hunan during the Modern Era will prove valuable to students and scholars of history, ethnography, anthropology, ethnic studies, and Asian studies more broadly. |
| democracy's dharma: The Secular in South, East, and Southeast Asia Kenneth Dean, Peter van der Veer, 2018-06-13 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. |
| democracy's dharma: Becoming Taiwan Ann Heylen, Scott Sommers, 2010 One of the most important aspects of democracy has been the transition from colonialism. In Taiwan this discussion is typically framed in political discourse that focuses on theoretical issues. Becoming Taiwan departs from this well-traveled route to describe the cultural, historical and social origins of Taiwan's thriving democracy. Contributors were specifically chosen to represent both Taiwanese and non-Taiwanese researchers, as well as a diverse range of academic fields, from Literature and Linguistics to History, Archeology, Sinology and Sociology. The result represents a mixture of well-known scholars and young researchers from outside the English-speaking world. The volume addresses three main issues in Taiwan Studies and attempts answers based in the historical record: How Chinese is Taiwan? Organizing a Taiwanese Society, and Speaking about Taiwan. Individual chapters are grouped around these three themes illustrating the internal dynamics that transformed Taiwan into its current manifestation as a thriving multiethnic democracy. Our approach addresses these themes pointing out how Taiwan Studies provides a multidisciplinary answer to problems of the transformation from colonialism to democracy. |
| democracy's dharma: Christian Social Activism and Rule of Law in Chinese Societies Fenggang Yang, Chris White, 2021-06-10 The historical analysis, theological reflections, and sociological observations found in the chapters of Christian Social Activism and Rule of Law in Chinese Societies reveal the vibrant influence of Christian individuals and groups on social, political, and legal activism in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and diasporic communities. |
| democracy's dharma: Confucianism, A Habit of the Heart Philip J. Ivanhoe, Sungmoon Kim, 2016-02-01 Employs Robert Bellahs notion of civil religion to explore East Asias Confucian revival. Can Confucianism be regarded as a civil religion for East Asia? This book explores this question, bringing the insights of Robert Bellah to a consideration of various expressions of the contemporary Confucian revival. Bellah identified American civil religion as a religious dimension of life that can be found throughout US culture, but one without any formal institutional structure. Rather, this civil form of religion provides the ethical principles that command reverence and by which a nation judges itself. Extending Bellahs work, contributors from both the social sciences and the humanities conceive of East Asias Confucian revival as a habit of the heart, an underlying belief system that guides a society, and examine how Confucianism might function as a civil religion in China, Korea, and Japan. They discuss what aspects of Confucian tradition and thought are being embraced; some of the social movements, political factors, and opportunities connected with the revival of the tradition; and why Confucianism has not traveled much beyond East Asia. The late Robert Bellahs reflection on the possibility for a global civil religion concludes the volume. |
| democracy's dharma: Will China Democratize? Andrew J. Nathan, Larry Diamond, Marc F. Plattner, 2013-09-01 Leading experts on China offer their enlightening analysis on one of the most crucial and complex questions facing the future of international politics. Moving toward open markets and international trade has brought extraordinary economic success to China, yet its leadership still maintains an authoritarian grip over its massive population. From repressing political movements to controlling internet traffic, China’s undemocratic policies present an attractive model for other authoritarian regimes. But can China continue its growth without political reform? In Will China Democratize?, Andrew J. Nathan, Larry Diamond, and Marc F. Plattner present valuable analysis for anyone wondering if, when or how China might evolve politically. Since the Journal of Democracy’s very first issue in January 1990, which featured articles reflecting on the then-recent Tiananmen Square massacre, the Journal has regularly published articles about China and its politics. By bringing together the wide spectrum of views that have appeared in the Journal’s pages—from contributors including Fang Lizhi, Perry Link, Michel Oksenberg, Minxin Pei, Henry S. Rowen, and Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo— Will China Democratize? provides a clear view of the complex forces driving change in China’s regime and society. |
| democracy's dharma: The Civil Sphere in East Asia Jeffrey C. Alexander, 2019-02-21 Examines a range of contemporary social and cultural conflicts in East Asia and the echoes they have throughout the world. |
| democracy's dharma: The Religious Question in Modern China Vincent Goossaert, David A. Palmer, 2011-04-15 Recent events—from strife in Tibet and the rapid growth of Christianity in China to the spectacular expansion of Chinese Buddhist organizations around the globe—vividly demonstrate that one cannot understand the modern Chinese world without attending closely to the question of religion. The Religious Question in Modern China highlights parallels and contrasts between historical events, political regimes, and cultural movements to explore how religion has challenged and responded to secular Chinese modernity, from 1898 to the present. Vincent Goossaert and David A. Palmer piece together the puzzle of religion in China not by looking separately at different religions in different contexts, but by writing a unified story of how religion has shaped, and in turn been shaped by, modern Chinese society. From Chinese medicine and the martial arts to communal temple cults and revivalist redemptive societies, the authors demonstrate that from the nineteenth century onward, as the Chinese state shifted, the religious landscape consistently resurfaced in a bewildering variety of old and new forms. The Religious Question in Modern China integrates historical, anthropological, and sociological perspectives in a comprehensive overview of China’s religious history that is certain to become an indispensible reference for specialists and students alike. |
| democracy's dharma: Comparative Models of Development Howard J. Wiarda Ph.D., 2017-09-05 Howard J. Wiarda, who was the Dean Rusk Professor of International Relations at the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia, outlines a paradigm shift in world politics that has been driven by two overarching trends: the shift from a U.S. and Western-favored model of development to different models and the decline of a Western system of world order. In examining these two trends, he seeks to answer questions such as: Why are the gaps increasing rather than shrinking between the rich and the poor, both within countries and between the developed countries and developing ones? Why have some countries and regions adapted to the newer pressures of globalization, democratization, and new markets, and others have not? Why does the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and much of Latin America still lag behind while others are forging ahead? By taking a regional view of development and international relations, the author challenges the view that one theoretical framework can explain the economic, social, and foreign policy approaches of all countries. |
| democracy's dharma: Chinese Religious Life David A. Palmer, Glenn Shive, Philip L. Wickeri, 2011-09-13 Offering an introduction to religion in contemporary China, the essays in this volume consider many diverse themes including religion in urban, rural and ethnic minority settings and the historical, sociological, economic and political aspects of religion on the country as a whole. |
| democracy's dharma: Democracy on Trial Ya-Chung Chuang, 2013-06-07 Democracy on Trial is an attempt to begin to negotiate the problem of writing about and understanding democracy and social movements in Taiwan, and what they can tell us about a place and country that for me is both home and the field, an object of study and yet also an area of hope and engagement. Democracy on Trial is as impressive for its conceptual sophistication as it is for its ethnographic depth. Chuang’s personal experiences and engagement with the movements he describes and analyzes bring to life the wealth of documentary and ethnographic data. The study should be of interest not just to Taiwan scholars and readers, but also those interested in issues of democracy in China and East Asia, the politics of TaiwanPRC relations, and social movement scholars and activists.y Arif Dirlik, Author of Culture and History in Postrevolutionary China: The Perspective of Global Modernity. |
| democracy's dharma: The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism Michael K. Jerryson, 2017 The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism offers a comprehensive collection of work by leading scholars in the field. They examine the historical development of Buddhist traditions throughout the world, from traditional settings like India, Japan, and Tibet, to the less well known regions of Latin America, Africa, and Oceania. |
| democracy's dharma: Handbook on Religion in China Stephan Feuchtwang, 2020-02-28 Informative and eye-opening, the Handbook on Religion in China provides a uniquely broad insight into the contemporary Chinese variations of Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. In turn, China's own religions and transmissions of rites and systems of divination have spread beyond China, a progression that is explored in detail across 19 chapters, written by leading experts in the field. |
| democracy's dharma: Monastic Education in Korea Uri Kaplan, 2020-06-30 What do Buddhist monks learn about Buddhism? Which part of their enormous canonical and non-canonical literature do they choose to focus on as the required curriculum in their training, and what do they elect to leave out? The cultural depository of Buddhism includes some four thousand canonical texts, hundreds of other historical works, modern textbooks, oral traditions, and more recently, an increasingly growing body of online material. The sheer diversity of this mass of information makes the pedagogical choices of monastics worthy of close study. Monastic Education in Korea is essentially a biography of the Korean Buddhist monastic curriculum over the past five centuries. Based on extensive ethnographic work and archival research in Korean monasteries, it illustrates how a particular premodern syllabus was reimagined in the twentieth century to become the sole national Korean monastic pedagogical program—only to be criticized and completely restructured in recent years. Through a detailed analysis of these modifications, the work demonstrates how Korean Buddhist reformers today tend to imitate the educational practices and canonize the textual totems of the contemporary international discipline of Buddhist studies, and how, by doing so, they ultimately transform the local Korean tradition from a particular brand of Chinese-centered scholastic Chan into the inclusive, pluralistic, Indian-focused Buddhism common in English-language introductions to the religion. The book further examines the proliferation of diverse graduate schools for the sangha, as well as the creation of a novel examination system for all monastics. It reveals some of the realities of operating large monastic organizations in contemporary Asia and portrays a living, vibrant Buddhist community that is constantly negotiating with modern values and reformulating its core orthodoxies. |
| democracy's dharma: Anarchy in the Pure Land Justin Ritzinger, 2017-08-31 Anarchy in the Pure Land investigates the twentieth-century reinvention of the cult of Maitreya, the future Buddha, conceived by the reformer Taixu and promoted by the Chinese Buddhist reform movement. The cult presents an apparent anomaly: It shows precisely the kind of concern for ritual, supernatural beings, and the afterlife that the reformers supposedly rejected in the name of modernity. This book shows that, rather than a concession to tradition, the reimagining of ideas and practices associated with Maitreya was an important site for formulating a Buddhist vision of modernity. Justin Ritzinger argues that the cult of Maitreya represents an attempt to articulate a new constellation of values, integrating novel understandings of the good, clustered around modern visions of utopia, with the central Buddhist goal of Buddhahood. In Part One he traces the roots of this constellation to Taixu's youthful career as an anarchist. Part Two examines its articulation in the Maitreya School's theology and its social development from its inception to World War II. Part Three looks at its subsequent decline and contemporary legacy within and beyond orthodox Buddhism. Through these investigations, Anarchy in the Pure Land develops a new framework for alternative understandings of modernity in Buddhism. |
| democracy's dharma: The Oxford Handbook of Buddhist Ethics Daniel Cozort, James Mark Shields, 2018 A comprehensive overview of the study of Buddhist ethics in the twenty-first century. |
| democracy's dharma: Studies on Humanistic Buddhism III: Glocalization of Buddhism , 2020-09-01 Studies on Humanistic Buddhism III: Glocalization of Buddhism contains articles on the glocalization of Buddhism. Glocalization here refers to the spread of Buddhism globally as it situates itself locally. Buddhism has spread across the world. Concomitant with Buddhism’s globalization is its localization. As Buddhists settle into new environments, there is an acculturation process. Those who bring Buddhist teachings to a new area must adapt to the local society in order to come up with skillful means to impart Buddhist teachings in a manner that is appropriate to the dominant culture, and that empowers locals to carry on the teachings themselves. |
| democracy's dharma: Buddhism in the Modern World David L. McMahan, 2012-03-15 Buddhism in the Modern World explores the challenges faced by Buddhism today, the distinctive forms that it has taken and the individuals and movements that have shaped it. Part One discusses the modern history of Buddhism in different geographical regions, from Southeast Asia to North America. Part Two examines key themes including globalization, gender issues, and the ways in which Buddhism has confronted modernity, science, popular culture and national politics. Each chapter is written by a distinguished scholar in the field and includes photographs, summaries, discussion points and suggestions for further reading. The book provides a lively and up-to-date overview that is indispensable for both students and scholars of Buddhism. |
| democracy's dharma: Ecofamilism: Women, Religion, and Environmental Protection in Taiwan Wan-Li Ho, 2016 Ecofamilism proposes a new analytical framework, moving beyond ecofeminism, based on Western feminism and Christian theology, to illuminate Taiwanese women's motivations and how they understand their role in the environmental movement. Based on extensive interviews with women founders, leaders, and members of six non-governmental, often religious-based, organizations from 1990-2015, the work presents contemporary issues in Taiwan from the perspectives of social anthropology, geography, inter-religious cooperation, and global ethics. Ecofamilism offers a new way of approaching life in contemporary Asia, engaging more precisely with while authentically portraying the experiences of Taiwanese women--whose gender roles are ancillary to motivations of family, religion, and society. Its key concept of ecofamilism pairs the notions of ecology and family while drawing on Chinese religio-cultural traditions of responsibility to the family to illuminate ecologically responsible positions toward society, environment, and all living beings. |
| democracy's dharma: Handbook of East Asian New Religious Movements Lukas Pokorny, Franz Winter, 2018-04-24 * This Handbook has won the ICAS Edited Volume Accolade 2019. Brill warmly congratulates editors Lukas Pokorny and Franz Winter and their authors with this award. * A vibrant cauldron of new religious developments, East Asia (China/Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam) presents a fascinating arena of related research for scholars across disciplines. Edited by Lukas Pokorny and Franz Winter, the Handbook of East Asian New Religious Movements provides the first comprehensive and reliable guide to explore the vast East Asian new religious panorama. Penned by leading scholars in the field, the assembled contributions render the Handbook an invaluable resource for those interested in the crucial new religious actors and trajectories of the region. |
| democracy's dharma: China in a Secular Age André Laliberté, 2021-11-22 Is China truly a secular state? André Laliberté puts this widely held perception to the test, arguing that we must first broaden our definitions if we are to comprehend fully the religious nature of the Chinese state. From there, Laliberté presents the long tradition of Chinese statecraft, which has involved different forms of intermingling between religion and state, and describes how the Communist Party perpetuates this institutional intertwinement despite its materialist philosophy. He then explores the variety of forms in which societies with a Chinese heritage outside of the People’s Republic of China are moving beyond this mutual entanglement between religion and state. |
| democracy's dharma: Christian Values in Communist China Gerda Wielander, 2013-10-08 This book argues that as new political and social values are formed in post-socialist China, Christian values are becoming increasingly embedded in the new post-socialist Chinese outlook. It shows how although Christianity is viewed in China as a foreign religion, promoted by Christian missionaries and as such at odds with the official position of the state, Christianity as a source of social and political values - rather than a faith requiring adherence to a church is in fact having a huge impact. The book shows how these values inform both official and dissident ideology and provide a key underpinning of morality and ethics in the post-socialist moral landscape. Adopting a variety of different angles, the book investigates the role Christian thought plays in the official discourse on morality and love and what contribution Chinese Christians make to charitable projects. It analyses key Christian publications and dedicates two chapters to Christian intellectuals and their impact on political liberal thinking in China. The concluding chapter highlights gender roles, the role of the Chinese diaspora, and the overlap of the government and Christian agenda in China today. The book challenges commonly held views on contemporary Chinese Christianity as a movement in opposition to the state by showing the diversity and complexity of Christian thinking and the many factors influencing it. |
| democracy's dharma: Chinese Religions and Welfare Regimes Beyond the PRC André Laliberté, 2022-04-09 This book presents the welfare regime of societies of Chinese heritage as a liminal space where religious and state authorities compete with each other for legitimacy. It offers a path-breaking perspective on relations between religion and state in East Asia, presenting how the governments of industrial societies try to harness the human resources of religious associations to assist in the delivery of social services. The book provides background to the intermingling of Buddhism and the state prior to 1949; and the continuation of that intertwinement in Taiwan and in other societies where live many people of Chinese heritage since then. The main contribution of this work is its detailed account of Buddhist philanthropy as viewed from the perspectives of the state, civil society, and Buddhists. This book will appeal to academics in social sciences and humanities and broader audiences interested by the social role of religions, charity, and NGOs, in social policy implementation. It explores why governments turn to Buddhist followers and their leaders and presents a detailed view of Buddhist philanthropy. This book contributes to our understanding of secularity in non-Western societies, as influenced by religions other than Christianity. |
| democracy's dharma: Rethinking Secularism Craig Calhoun, Mark Juergensmeyer, Jonathan VanAntwerpen, 2011-08-25 This collection of essays examines how ''the secular'' is constituted and understood, and how new understandings of secularism and religion shape analytic perspectives in the social sciences, politics, and international affairs. |
| democracy's dharma: Atlas of Religion in China: Social and Geographical Contexts Fenggang Yang, 2018-09-04 The speed and the scale with which traditional religions in China have been revived and new spiritual movements have emerged in recent decades make it difficult for scholars to stay up-to-date on the religious transformations within Chinese society. This unique atlas presents a bird’s-eye view of the religious landscape in China today. In more than 150 full-color maps and six different case studies, it maps the officially registered venues of China’s major religions - Buddhism, Christianity (Protestant and Catholic), Daoism, and Islam - at the national, provincial, and county levels. The atlas also outlines the contours of Confucianism, folk religion, and the Mao cult. Further, it describes the main organizations, beliefs, and rituals of China’s main religions, as well as the social and demographic characteristics of their respective believers. Putting multiple religions side by side in their contexts, this atlas deploys the latest qualitative, quantitative and spatial data acquired from censuses, surveys, and fieldwork to offer a definitive overview of religion in contemporary China. An essential resource for all scholars and students of religion and society in China. |
| democracy's dharma: Modalities of Change James Wilkerson, Robert Parkin, 2012 While in some cases modernity may place traditional forms of expression at a disadvantage, in others, the modern is embraced as a welcome source of new ideas that can be incorporated into tradition in order to change it, while remaining within its own parameters. This is actually likely to help a tradition survive. Maintaining a strong and distinct cultural identity with the help of modernity helps representatives of that identity cope with the modern world more generally. Assimilation to a dominant culture marked as modern, by contrast, is clearly associated with not only the loss of a distinct identity, but also its specific forms of cultural expression. This book explores the interface between modernity and tradition in selected societies in Taiwan, mainland China and Vietnam. The chapters question to what extent traditions are themselves exploiting modernity in creative ways, in the interests of their own further developments. |
| democracy's dharma: Religious Rights Lorenzo Zucca, 2017-05-15 The central focus of this collection of essays is the role and place of freedom of religion in the protection and promotion of world order. The volume offers competing models of world order from a global perspective and highlights the lack of consensus and considerable variety of practice and belief around the globe as to the definition of religious freedom and where and whether freedom of religion is regarded as the first freedom in the world. The leading theories of freedom of religion are discussed and provide an understanding of freedom of religion beyond the nation state. The liberal view at the global level is also examined and observations are included regarding the need to rethink secularism in the light of present circumstances and within the global context. |
| democracy's dharma: Charities in the Non-Western World Rajeswary Ampalavanar Brown, Justin Pierce, 2013-12-04 This book looks at the operation of indigenous charities at a regional, localised and global level. Chapters focus on the adaptation, accountability and operation of charities across a wide range of jurisdictions from China to Indonesia, Thailand, Iran, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Lebanon and Turkey. It examines the ownership, participation and accountability of charities in a regional, localised and international context, and draws on the experiences and operation of charities. By presenting a cross-disciplinary exploration of the operation of charities, the book offers an interesting insight into the functioning and identification of the influencing factors impacting the operation of charities. |
| democracy's dharma: Christianity and Freedom: Volume 2, Contemporary Perspectives Allen D. Hertzke, Timothy Samuel Shah, 2016-02-15 Volume 2 of Christianity and Freedom illuminates how Christian minorities and transnational Christian networks contribute to the freedom and flourishing of societies across the globe, even amidst pressure and violent persecution. Featuring unprecedented field research by some of the world's most distinguished scholars, it documents the outsized role of Christians in promoting human rights and religious freedom; fighting injustice; stimulating economic equality; providing education, social services, and health care; and nurturing democratic civil society. Readers will come away surprised and sobered to learn how this very Christian link to freedom often invites persecution. What are the dimensions of persecution and how are Christians responding to that pressure? What resources - theological, social, or transnational - do they marshal in leavening their societies? What will be lost if the Christian presence is marginalized? The answers to these questions are of crucial relevance in a world awash with religious extremism and deepening instability. |
| democracy's dharma: Citizens of Two Kingdoms: Civil Society and Christian Religion in Greater China Shun-hing Chan, Jonathan W. Johnson, 2021-04-06 Co-edited by Shun-hing Chan and Jonathan Johnson, Citizens of Two Kingdoms examines the complex relationships of civil society, Christian organizations, and individual Christians in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. Different authors investigate to what extent Christian organizations or individual Christians demonstrate the quality of civic virtues or virtual citizenship in the four regions, and reflect on the promises and difficulties of applying civil society theories to Chinese societies. Some authors focus their studies on the relationships in mainland China under the regime of Xi Jinping. Contributors include Richard Madsen, Zhidong Hao, Teresa Wright, Fredrik Fällman, Lauren F. Pfister, Lida V. Nedilsky, Mary Mee-Yin Yuen, Shun-hing Chan, Wen-ben Kuo, Yik-fai Tam, and Gerda Wielander. |
| democracy's dharma: The Modern Spirit of Asia Peter van der Veer, 2014 A comparative look at religion and spirituality in postcolonial China and India The Modern Spirit of Asia challenges the notion that modernity in China and India are derivative imitations of the West, arguing that these societies have transformed their ancient traditions in unique and distinctive ways. Peter van der Veer begins with nineteenth-century imperial history, exploring how Western concepts of spirituality, secularity, religion, and magic were used to translate the traditions of India and China. He traces how modern Western notions of religion and magic were incorporated into the respective nation-building projects of Chinese and Indian nationalist intellectuals, yet how modernity in China and India is by no means uniform. While religion is a centerpiece of Indian nationalism, it is viewed in China as an obstacle to progress that must be marginalized and controlled. The Modern Spirit of Asia moves deftly from Kandinsky's understanding of spirituality in art to Indian yoga and Chinese qi gong, from modern theories of secularism to histories of Christian conversion, from Orientalist constructions of religion to Chinese campaigns against magic and superstition, and from Muslim Kashmir to Muslim Xinjiang. Van der Veer, an outspoken proponent of the importance of comparative studies of religion and society, eloquently makes his case in this groundbreaking examination of the spiritual and the secular in China and India. |
| democracy's dharma: Religion in International Relations Theory Nukhet Sandal, Jonathan Fox, 2013-06-19 There is a growing realization among international relations scholars and practitioners that religion is a critical factor in global politics. The Iranian Revolution, the September 11 attacks, the ethno-religious conflicts such as the ones in the former Yugoslavia and Sri Lanka are among the many reasons for this increased focus on religion in international affairs. The rise of religious political parties across the world ranging from the Christian Democrats in Europe to Bharatiya Janata Party in India similarly illustrated religion's heightened international profile. Despite all this attention, it is challenging to situate religion within a discipline which has been dominantly secular from its inception. Only a few existent works have ventured to integrate religion into core international relations theories such as Classical Realism, Neorealism, Neoliberalism, Constructivism and the English school. This work is the first systematic attempt to comparatively assess the place of religion in the aforementioned theoretical strands of international relations with contemporary examples from around the world. Written in an accessible and systematic fashion, this book will be an important addition to the fields of both religion and international relations. Nukhet A. Sandal is Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department at Ohio University. Jonathan Fox is Professor in the Department of Political Studies at Bar Ilan University, Israel. |
| democracy's dharma: The Souls of China Ian Johnson, 2017 From the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist: a revelatory portrait of religion in China today, its history, the spiritual traditions of its Eastern and Western faiths, and the ways in which it is influencing China's future. Following a century of violent antireligious campaigns, China is now awash with new temples, churches, and mosques as well as cults, sects, and politicians trying to harness religion for their own ends. Driving this explosion of faith is uncertainty over what it means to be Chinese, and how to live an ethical life in a country that discarded traditional morality a century ago and is still searching for new guideposts. Ian Johnson lived for extended periods with underground church members, rural Daoists, and Buddhist pilgrims. He has distilled these experiences into a cycle of festivals, births, deaths, detentions, and struggle a great awakening of faith that is shaping the soul of the world s newest superpower. (With black-and-white illustrations throughout). |
Democracy - Wikipedia
Democracy (from Ancient Greek: δημοκρατία, romanized: dēmokratía, dēmos 'people' and kratos 'rule') [1] is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the …
Democracy | Definition, History, Meaning, Types, Examples,
Jun 5, 2025 · Democracy is a system of government in which laws, policies, leadership, and major undertakings of a state or other polity are directly or indirectly decided by the “people,” a group …
DEMOCRACY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of DEMOCRACY is government by the people : rule of the majority. How to use democracy in a sentence. Frequently Asked Questions About democracy.
DEMOCRACY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
DEMOCRACY definition: 1. a system of government in which power is held by elected representatives who are freely voted…. Learn more.
Democracy - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Jul 27, 2006 · First, it proposes a definition of democracy. Second, it outlines different approaches to the question of why democracy is morally valuable at all. Third, it discusses the issue of …
Overview: What Is Democracy? — Principles of Democracy
Democracy is government in which power and civic responsibility are exercised by all citizens, directly or through their freely elected representatives. Democracy is a set of principles and …
What is Democracy? - Democracy Without Borders
On this page, we explain what democracy is, how it has developed over time, and the challenges it faces. Available in several languages.
What is Democracy? | Democracy Web
Aug 20, 2024 · But every democracy describes the overarching goal slightly differently; it establishes its own priorities among the rights, especially when they come into conflict; and it …
Democracy: Definition, Characteristics & Examples - Study Latam
Dec 27, 2024 · Democracy, a concept that has evolved over centuries, is a system of governance where power is vested in the people, typically through elected representatives. The term …
What Does Democracy Mean? - Human Rights Careers
Democracy is a system of government where everyone gets a say. That may be done directly or through elected representatives. Unlike other systems such as monarchies or theocracies, …
Democracy - Wikipedia
Democracy (from Ancient Greek: δημοκρατία, romanized: dēmokratía, dēmos 'people' and kratos 'rule') [1] is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the …
Democracy | Definition, History, Meaning, Types, Examples,
Jun 5, 2025 · Democracy is a system of government in which laws, policies, leadership, and major undertakings of a state or other polity are directly or indirectly decided by the “people,” a group …
DEMOCRACY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of DEMOCRACY is government by the people : rule of the majority. How to use democracy in a sentence. Frequently Asked Questions About democracy.
DEMOCRACY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
DEMOCRACY definition: 1. a system of government in which power is held by elected representatives who are freely voted…. Learn more.
Democracy - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Jul 27, 2006 · First, it proposes a definition of democracy. Second, it outlines different approaches to the question of why democracy is morally valuable at all. Third, it discusses the issue of …
Overview: What Is Democracy? — Principles of Democracy
Democracy is government in which power and civic responsibility are exercised by all citizens, directly or through their freely elected representatives. Democracy is a set of principles and …
What is Democracy? - Democracy Without Borders
On this page, we explain what democracy is, how it has developed over time, and the challenges it faces. Available in several languages.
What is Democracy? | Democracy Web
Aug 20, 2024 · But every democracy describes the overarching goal slightly differently; it establishes its own priorities among the rights, especially when they come into conflict; and it …
Democracy: Definition, Characteristics & Examples - Study Latam
Dec 27, 2024 · Democracy, a concept that has evolved over centuries, is a system of governance where power is vested in the people, typically through elected representatives. The term …
What Does Democracy Mean? - Human Rights Careers
Democracy is a system of government where everyone gets a say. That may be done directly or through elected representatives. Unlike other systems such as monarchies or theocracies, …
