This book offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary account of religious identities in the Global South. Drawing on literature in various fields, Felix Wilfred analyzes how religious identities intersect with the processes of globalization, modernity, and postmodernity. He illustrates how the study of religion in the Global North often revolves around questions of secularism and fundamentalism, whereas a neo-Orientalist quality often attends study of religion in the Global South. These approaches and theorizing fail to incorporate the experiences of lived religion in the South, especially in Asia. Historically, the religions in the South have played a highly significant role in resistance to the domination by the colonial forces, an important reason for the continued attachment of the peoples of the South to their religious universe. This book puts the two regions and their scholarly norms in conversation with one another, exploring the social, political, cultural, and economic implications.

Explores religious identity from the Global South in dialogue with the North Discusses a range of issues, including migration, diaspora, ethical discourses, public sphere, conversion, and new religious movements Challenges readers, whatever their religion, to question the foundation of their religious beliefs

Autorentext

Felix Wilfred is Emeritus Professor and Chair, School of Philosophy and Religious Thought, State University of Madras, India.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Religion: A Question of Identity.- 3. Religious Identities: From the Colonial to the Global.- 4. Conflicting Religious Identities: The Political Turn.- 5. Religious Fundamentalism in the Age of Globalization.- 6. Novel Ways of Being Religious.- 7. Globalization and New Religious Movements.- 8. Religions in Diaspora: The Case of South Asian Migrants.- 9. Religious Freedom: Beyond the Liberal Paradigm.- 10. Religious Identities by Choice and the Politics of Conversion.- 11. Changing Ethical Discourses and Religious Identities.- 12. Religion and Public Life: Continuing Debate.- 13. From Porous Borders to Cosmopolitan Horizons: Beyond Interreligious Dialogue and Multiple Belonging.- 14. By Way of Conclusion: The Present Crisis and the Religions of the Future.