Table Of ContentReligious Transformation in Modern Asia
Numen Book Series
Studies in the History of Religions
Series Editors
Steven Engler (Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada)
Richard King (University of Kent, UK)
Kocku von Stuckrad (University of Groningen, The Netherlands)
Gerard Wiegers (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
VOLUME 148
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/nus
Religious Transformation in
Modern Asia
A Transnational Movement
Edited by
David W. Kim
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Religious transformation in modern Asia : a transnational movement / edited by David W. Kim.
pages cm. — (Numen book series : studies in the history of religions : ISSN 0169-8834 ; VOLUME 148)
Includes index.
ISBN 978-90-04-28799-0 (hardback : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-90-04-28971-0 (e-book) 1. Asia—Religion.
I. Kim, David W. (David William), editor.
BL1035.R47 2015
200.95’0903—dc23
2014048635
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issn 0169-8834
isbn 978-90-04-28799-0 (hardback)
isbn 978-90-04-28971-0 (e-book)
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Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Foreword xi
List of Tables, Figures and Map xv
List of Contributors xvi
Introduction xxi
PART 1
Northeast Asia
1 Transcendence and the Mundane at the Edge of the Middle Kingdom:
Protestantised and Pragmatic Tibetan Buddhism in Hong Kong 3
Joshua Esler
2 The Party Giveth, and the Party Taketh Away: Chinese Enigmatic
Attitudes Towards Religion 26
Lawrence C. Reardon
3 From Manchuria to the Korean Peninsula: The Scottish Impact in Late
Nineteenth Century Korea 50
David W. Kim
4 Dangerous Women in the Early Catholic Church in Korea 76
Kevin N. Cawley
5 Ise Jingū, Nōsatsu Kai and Indulgences: Pilgrims in Tokugawa Japan
Viewed by Two Swedish Travellers 98
Catharina Blomberg
PART 2
South Asia
6 Jalarām Bāpā: Miracles and Meaning in Nineteenth Century Gujarāt 115
Martin Wood
viii Contents
7 The Impact of Modernisation Processes in the Himalayas: Tibetan and
Nepalese Traditions in Transition? 139
Lionel Obadia
8 Indian Astrology 163
Nicholas Campion and Ronnie Gale Dreyer
PART 3
Southeast Asia
9 Islamic Identity in the Secular Environment of Post-Colonial
Indonesia 195
Laurens de Rooij
10 “Traditional” Modernity: A Vietnamese Response to French
Colonialism as Revealed in the Great Mural of Đạo Cao Đài 214
Christopher Hartney
11 Many in One: Malaysia’s Religious Pluralism Driving Growth and
Development 233
Laurens de Rooij
12 Changing Profiles: The Historical Development of Christianity in
Singapore 250
Daniel S.H. Ahn
13 The King and His Cult: Thailand’s Monarch and the Religious
Culture 274
Laurens de Rooij
Index 297
Acknowledgements
This project (Religious Transformtion in Modern Asia: A Transnational
Movement) was originally motivated through casual dialogue with faculty col-
leagues while at New College, the University of Edinburgh in Scotland (uk) in
2011–2012. The creative ideas of Professor James Cox (Indigenous Religions),
Dr Arkotong Longkumer (Indian Religions), Dr Afe Adogame (African religion
in Diaspora), and Professor Brian Staley (World Christianities) not only inspired
my post-doctoral research in analysing religious manuscripts, but also person-
ally challenged my curiosity regarding the transformation of Asian religions in
the colonial and post-colonial era. Dr Stephanie Hathaway, of the University
of Oxford has also encouraged me to explore the fields of Asian culture and
religion that was under the socio-political environments of modernisation.
This research is financially supported by the Australia-Korea Foundation
(akf) of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government.
The Institute for Humanities of Seoul National University (snu), South Korea,
and the School of Culture, History, and Language, Australian National University
(anu), offered their research facilities during this project. Without the finan-
cial and organisational assistance of the grant agency and the research institu-
tions, this book would not have been possible. For that assistance, I would like
to thank Mr Peter Materne, Manager of Australia-Korea Foundation, Australian
Capital Territory (act), and Mr John Langtry, the Assistant Secretary of the
North East Asian Branch, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (dfat),
Australian Government. Professor Chongsuh Kim, Director of the Centre for
Religious Studies, Seoul National University (snu) and Professor Ken George,
Director of Culture, History, and Language, Australian National University
(anu), showed a special interest through the favour of providing University
research sources and accommodation. Professor John Powers (anu) as the aca-
demic mentor helped me in many ways including official and administrative
issues, including University access. The national tour of folklore religion sites
organised by Associate Professor Jong-Seong Choi (Head of the Department
of Religious Studies, Seoul National University) was a precious experience for
deepening my understanding of the life of the indigenous religions in Korea.
Mr Byoung-Hoon Park and Anthony Chan, the research assistants of the
Universities solved most of practical issues for my academic activities.
I am grateful to Professor Iain Gardner (faha: Fellow of Academy of
Humanities in Australia), Professor Harold W. Attridge (Yale University),
Emeritus Professor Gary Trompf (the Personal Chair in the History of Ideas),
and Professor Carole Cusack, the School of Letters, Arts, and Media, University
x Acknowledgements
of Sydney who are my academic mentors in the History of Religions and
Theology. In particular, Professor Carole Cusack’s generous contribution
(Foreword) is so appreciated for I know that she has many other commitments.
Dr Won Il Bang (the Korea Institute for Religion and Culture) who is a close
colleague in Seoul, shared many narratives of Asian (Korean) Christianity and
Shamanism. I also thank to Ms Barbara Brown, Brisbane in Australia and Garry
Breland in the usa for their involvement of reading the manuscript. They gave
useful comments as well. Finally, I sincerely express gratitude to the editors of
Numen Book Series, Professor Steven Engler, Mount Royal University, Canada,
Professor Richard King, University of Kent, uk, Professor Kocku von Stuckrad,
University of Groningen, The Netherlands, and Professor Gerard Wiegers,
University of Amsterdam, as well as Ingrid Heijckers, the acquisitions editor
of Brill, Maarten Frieswijk, assistant editor of Brill, and Thalien Colenbrander,
production editor, for their efforts over the process of this publication.
David W. Kim
Australian National University
Seoul National University
