Religious Diversity and Contemporary Societies: Toward New Perspectives in Religious Studies

Abstract

當代臺灣、印度、日本的亞洲社會，都被形容成具有全球化的在地特性。在這些社會存在多樣性宗教現象的特質，也往往超越了他們社會的脈絡（日文：越境）。為了理解當代臺灣宗教的趨勢，宗教學者必須抓住臺灣社會的宗教現象特質。同時，也有必要再次檢驗臺灣宗教研究的架構脈絡，因為這套架構是源自於當代西方宗教傳統。對學者而言，掌握宗教的特質以及兼顧臺灣宗教本身脈絡與來自宗教的全球化觀點是相當重要的。為了抓住當代臺灣社會中宗教現象的結構性關係，本論文嘗試提出宗教研究的新面向，以理解宗教的貢獻及宗教對臺灣社會的影響。

In contemporary Asian societies such as Taiwan, India, and Japan that are marked by ＂glocalization,＂ there exist diverse religious phenomena characterized by border transgressions (ekkyō 越境) of religions beyond social contexts. In order to understand the trends of contemporary Taiwanese religions, scholars of religious studies must grasp the characteristics of these religious phenomena as they exist in Taiwan. At the same time, it is necessary to reexamine the frameworks of religious studies in the Taiwanese religious context since these frameworks are derived from modern Western religious traditions. It is also important for the scholars of religious studies to clarify the characteristics of religions or the religious both from the viewpoint of the Taiwanese religious context and from the viewpoint of the globalization of religions. In order to grasp the structural relationship of religious phenomena within contemporary Taiwanese society, this paper attempts to propose new perspectives in religious studies in order to understand how religions contribute and give influences to Taiwanese society.