RELIGION, POWER AND CRISIS IN INDONESIA AND THAILAND: Islamic and Buddhist Responses to Globalising Markets and Cultures. Religion has been central to state power in Indonesia (Islam) and Thailand (Buddhism), both historically and throughout recent dramatic shifts in economic and political circumstances. This study examines how institutional and popular religious movements now relate to political authority in Southeast Asia's economically and strategically most important countries. It will ana ....RELIGION, POWER AND CRISIS IN INDONESIA AND THAILAND: Islamic and Buddhist Responses to Globalising Markets and Cultures. Religion has been central to state power in Indonesia (Islam) and Thailand (Buddhism), both historically and throughout recent dramatic shifts in economic and political circumstances. This study examines how institutional and popular religious movements now relate to political authority in Southeast Asia's economically and strategically most important countries. It will analyse: (1) comparative Islamic and Buddhist fundamentalisms; (2) democratisation and changing patterns of state influence on religion; and (3) marketisation, mass media and religion as popular culture, thereby filling major gaps in the globalisation literature and transcending the limitations of single-country studies of Southeast Asian regional affairs.Read moreRead less
Developing the Framework for Locally Based Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue. This project will: strengthen Australia's multicultural fabric and social cohesion; enhance Australia's international reputation as an effective multicultural society able to develop programmes for locally based interfaith and intercultural dialogue; boost the prospects for a successful Fifth Parliament of World Religions; provide governments guidelines for multicultural and interreligious community based dialogue ....Developing the Framework for Locally Based Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue. This project will: strengthen Australia's multicultural fabric and social cohesion; enhance Australia's international reputation as an effective multicultural society able to develop programmes for locally based interfaith and intercultural dialogue; boost the prospects for a successful Fifth Parliament of World Religions; provide governments guidelines for multicultural and interreligious community based dialogue initiatives; endow faith communities with a greater capacity to help defuse potential tensions within Australian society and support at-risk communities; establish a solid framework for future research on the role of religion and culture in society.Read moreRead less