Amsterdam University Press Asian Migrants and Religious Experience: From Missionary Journeys to Labor Mobility (New Mobilities in Asia)

Review "[Asian Migrants and Religious Experience] is one of the best ones in this field of study so far. The individual chapters give detailed and in-depth descriptions of migrant experiences and of dynamic lived religious practices and beliefs. In addition, the book engages with very timely theoretical debates. It is a valuable book for anyone interested in the study of the intersection between religion and migration, not only within Asian contexts but in all settings imaginable."-- "American Academy of Religion" Product Description Typically, scholars approach migrants’ religions as a safeguard of cultural identity, something that connects migrants to their communities of origin. This ethnographic anthology challenges that position by reframing the religious experiences of migrants as a transformative force capable of refashioning narratives of displacement into journeys of spiritual awakening and missionary calling. These essays explore migrants’ motivations in support of an argument that to travel inspires a search for new meaning in religion. From the Inside Flap Typically, scholars approach migrants religions as a safeguard of cultural identity, something that connects migrants to their communities of origin. This ethnographic anthology challenges that position by reframing the religious experiences of migrants as a transformative force capable of refashioning narratives of displacement into journeys of spiritual awakening and missionary calling. These essays explore migrants motivations in support of an argument that to travel inspires a search for new meaning in religion. From the Back Cover Typically, scholars approach migrants' religions as a safeguard of cultural identity, something that connects migrants to their communities of origin. This ethnographic anthology challenges that position by reframing the religious experiences of migrants as a transformative force capable of refashioning narratives of displacement into journeys of spiritual awakening and missionary calling. These essays explore migrants' motivations in support of an argument that to travel inspires a search for new meaning in religion. About the Author Bernardo Brown is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan. He obtained his Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Cornell University and has recently edited with Michael Feener, "Configuring Catholicism in the Anthropology of Christianity"Brenda S. Yeoh is Provost's Chair Professor in the Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore. Most recently she has co-authored Contested memoryscapes: The Politics of Second World War Commemoration in Singapore (Ashgate, 2016), Transnational Labour Migration, Remittances and the Changing Family in Asia (Palgrave Macmillan 2015) and Return: Nationalizing Transnational Mobility in Asia (Duke University Press, 2013).