Module description
This module offers in-depth study of at least two Asian traditions of religion, philosophy and culture in a broader global context. It may include religious traditions from South, East West, or Southeast Asia, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity or Indigenous Chinese Shamanic Traditions. Critical issues will be engaged from a variety of disciplinary approaches, including historical, anthropological, textual, political or sociological, providing students with the opportunity to develop their interdisciplinary training. The module will examine historical or contemporary issues.
Assessment details
3000-word essay (75%) and 10-minute in-class presentation (25%)
Educational aims & objectives
This module aims to cultivate in-depth study of at least two Asian traditions of religion, philosophy and culture within a broader global context. It will develop advanced understanding of religious traditions from South, East, West or Southeast Asia, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity or Indigenous Chinese Shamanic Traditions. The module will engage critical issues from a variety of disciplinary approaches, including historical, anthropological, textual, political or sociological.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this module, the student should be able to:
- Articulate an advanced understanding of at least two Asian religious traditions in their key historical or contemporary contexts
- Assess critical issues and debates that have impacted Asian societies globally in historical or contemporary contexts
- Exercise an interdisciplinary approach to discussing the role of Asian religions in world contexts
Suggested reading list
Appadurai, Arjun. Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1996.
Baumann. M. “Global Buddhism: Developmental Periods, Regional Histories, and a New Analytical Perspective.” Journal of global Buddhism 2 (2015): n. pag. Web.
Carnes, Tony et al. Asian American Religions : The Making and Remaking of Borders and Boundaries. Ed. by Tony Carnes and Fenggang Yang. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2004. Web
Cornelio, Jayeel; Gauthier, and Jayeel Cornelio. Routledge International Handbook of Religion in Global Society. New York, New York ; Routledge, 2021. Print
Chen, Kuan-Hsing. Asia as Method: Toward Deimperialization. Durham, NC: Duke, 2010.
Devji, Faisal. Waning Crescent: The Rise and Fall of Global Islam. New Haven, CT: Yale, 2025.
Eaton, Richard. Essays on Islam and Indian History. Oxford: Oxford, 2000.
Ernst, Carl W. Refractions of Islam in India: Situating Sufism and Yoga. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. 2016.
Gomes, Catherine Jean, Lily Kong, and Orlando Woods, eds. Religion, Hypermobility and Digital Media in Global Asia : Faith, Flows and Fellowship. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2020. Web.
Green, Nile. Global Islam: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford, 2020.
Haynes, Jeffrey,. Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics. Third edition. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 2023. Web.
Ho, Tamara C. “Reflections on Asian American Religions: Transformative Hope and APARRI.” Journal of feminist studies in religion 39.2 (2023): 117–122. Web
Ho, Enseng. The Graves of Tarim: Genealogy and Mobility across the Indian Ocean. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2016.
Jaffrelot, Christophe. Modi’s India : Hindu Nationalism and the Rise of Ethnic Democracy. Trans. by Cynthia Schoch. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2021. Web.
Harding, John, Victor Sōgen Hori, and Alexander Soucy. Buddhism in the Global Eye: Beyond East and West. 1st edition. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2020. Web.
Jacobsen, Knut A. Hindu Diasporas. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023. Web.
Kim, Sophie-Jung H. “The Global Turn in Nationalism: The USA as a Battleground for Hinduism and Hindu Nationalism.” Religions (Basel, Switzerland ) 14.10 (2023): 1265-. Web.
McMahan, David L. “Buddhism and Global Secularisms.” Journal of global Buddhism 18 (2017): 112–128. Print.
O'Brien- Kop, K., Rippa, A., & Ren, X. (2024). 'Cultural Mobilities and Cultural Heritage: Concepts for an Asia-Centric Approach' Journal of the British Academy
Quli, N. “Decolonising the Study of Religion: Who Owns Buddhism?” Journal of global Buddhism 25.2 (2024): n. pag. Web.
Ramji, Rubina et al. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Religion and Migration. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2022. Web.
Reinke, Jens. “The Making of American Buddhism.” Journal of Global Buddhism 25.1 (2024): 160–162. Web.
Reinke, Jens. Mapping Modern Mahayana : Chinese Buddhism and Migration in the Age of Global Modernity. Berlin ; Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2021. Print.
Ricci, Ronit. Islam Translated: Literature, Conversion, and the Arabic Cosmopolis of South and Southeast Asia. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago, 2011.
Roy, Olivier. Globalized Islam: The Search for a New Umma. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006.
Sikka, Sonia, and Ashwani Peetush, eds. Asian Philosophies and the Idea of Religion : Beyond Faith and Reason. 1st ed. London ; Routledge, 2021. Print.
Swancutt, Katherine. “Dreams, Visions, and Worldmaking: Envisioning Anthropology Through Dreamscapes.” Annual review of anthropology 53.1 (2024): 111–126. Web.