Peter Schalk: Religion im Spiegelkabinett. Asiatische Religionsgeschichte im Spannungsfeld zwischen Orientalismus und Okzidentalismus

Abstract

This is the most recent publication produced by the members of the Arbeitskreis Asiatische Religionsgeschichte (AKAR, founded in 1998), a study group affiliated to the German Association for the History of Religions. It contains twelve contributions (the blurb mistakenly gives eleven) most of which are based on papers presented at a workshop of the study group in Weikersheim (Germany) in February 2002. The book discusses new and critical approaches to Edward Said’s concept of “orientalism”, drawing attention to the manifold and complex discourses and debates about and within religions of different geographical areas in Asia and presenting case studies from different time periods. The book, whose title Religion im Spiegelkabinett can be literally translated as “religion in a maze of mirrors” is mainly written in German, but a detailed abstract of the entire volume by editor-inchief Peter Schalk, as well as abstracts of the ten German articles in English, are helpfully provided for those who need it. Two contributions are presented in English (Michael Pye and Peter Schalk).