Asian American Religious Cultures: [2 Volumes] (American Religious Cultures)

Biographical Note:

Jonathan H. X. Lee, PhD, is an associate professor of Asian American studies who specializes in Southeast Asian and Sino-Southeast Asian American studies at San Francisco State University.

Fumitaka Matsuoka, PhD, is Robert Gordon Sproul Professor of Theology Emeritus and the former Executive Director of the Institute for Leadership Development and the Study of Pacific and Asian American Religion (PANA) at Pacific School of Religion (PSR), Berkeley, CA.

Edmond Yee, CPhil, PhD, is an author, editor, translator, and professor emeritus of Asian Studies, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.

Ronald Y. Nakasone, PhD, is a member of the core doctoral faculty at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, CA.

A resource ideal for students as well as general readers, this two-volume encyclopedia examines the diversity of the Asian American and Pacific Islander spiritual experience.
Despite constituting a fairly small proportion of the U.S. population--roughly 5 percent--Asian Americans are a widely diverse group with equally heterogeneous religious beliefs and traditions. This encyclopedia provides a single source for authoritative information on the Asian American and Pacific Islander religious experience, addressing South Asian Americans, such as Indian Americans and Pakistani Americans; East Asian Americans, including Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, and Korean Americans; and Southeast Asian Americans, whose ethnicities include Filipino Americans, Thai Americans, and Vietnamese Americans. Pacific Islanders include Hawaiians, Samoans, Marshallese, Tongan, and Chamorro. The coverage includes not only traditional eastern belief systems and traditions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism as well as Micronesian and Polynesian religious traditions in the United States, but also the culture and religious rituals of Asian American Christians.

• Covers both common motifs in Asian American religious culture, such as Chinese New Year festivals and mortuary rituals, as well as many newly established faith traditions
• Contains entries on rarely addressed topics within Asian American religion, such as Hezhen Shamanism

"As the first encyclopedia solely devoted to Asian American religion and religious cultures, this title fills a real gap in the literature. . . . Asian American Religious Cultures is an important core reference work suitable for all libraries, but particularly for collections supporting programs in Asian American studies, religious studies, sociology, and anthropology. Summing Up: Essential. All libraries. All levels."

Choice

"Given the subject-matter challenges, this work does an admirable job of being accessible to novices while not diluting the ubiquitous nuances characteristic of this topic. Recommended as a reference for advanced high school and undergraduate students."

Booklist

"Asian American Religious Cultures is a notable and unique source . . . [it] would be a welcome addition to any library lacking content in this area and looking for a good place where patrons can start their inquiries on these topics."

Reference Books

"This is an excellent starting point for exploring the Asian American religious experience and how traditions have migrated and evolved in the context of the USA. It is most appropriate for high school and college libraries."

Reference Reviews

Review Citations:

• Booklist 02/01/2016 pg. 12 (EAN 9781598843309, Hardcover)
• Choice 06/01/2016 (EAN 9781598843309, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:Lee, Jonathan H X
Jonathan H. X. Lee is an associate professor of Asian American studies who specializes in Southeast Asian and Sino-Southeast Asian American studies at San Francisco State University, USA. He is editor-in-chief of Chinese America: History & Perspectives, a peer-review journal published by the Chinese Historical Society of America.