Beschreibung
This collection examines the impact of East Asian religion and culture on the public sphere, defined as an idealized discursive arena that mediates the official and private spheres. Contending that the actors and agents on the fringes of society were instrumental in shaping the public sphere in traditional and modern East Asia, it considers how these outliers contribute to religious, intellectual, and cultural dialog in the public sphere. Jürgen Habermas conceptualized the public sphere as the discursive arena which grew within Western European bourgeoisie society, arguably overlooking topics such as gender, minorities, and non-European civilizations, as well as the extent to which agency in the public sphere is effective in non-Western societies and how practitioners on the outskirts of mainstream society can participate. This volume responds to and builds upon this dialogue by addressing how religious, intellectual, and cultural agency in the public sphere shapes East Asian cultures, particularly the activities of those found on the peripheries of historic and modern societies.
Autorenporträt
Albert Welter is professor of Chinese religion and culture in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona. He specializes in medieval Chinese Buddhism, and is exploring the impact of administrative policies on secularism and religion in China as well as Buddhist interactions with elite, literati culture. Jeffrey Newmark is assistant professor of Japanese language and culture in the Program of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Winnipeg. His expertise lies in early modern Japanese intellectual history, particularly nineteenth century thought. He is currently investigating the public sphere in the late Tokugawa Osaka region.
