Introduction

Abstract

The study of spirituality has received increasing attention across different disciplines in recent years. In psychology, spirituality is often distinguished from religion and ties intimately to various subfields, including parapsychology, consciousness studies, and psychotherapy. In medicine and healthcare literature, spirituality is rigorously studied for its role in health and healing. Anthropologists are increasingly interested in gaining an insider and indigenous perspective on spirituality, including techno-spirituality. Spirituality is also a subject of intense study among educationists for its potential to nurture the authentic self and heaven-people-nature-self connectedness. Political scientists and critical theorists are interested in studying the political spirituality of those in revolt, and some versions of feminism claim that feminist spirituality is a political spirituality. However, spirituality can also be deployed for politically conservative ends. In order to understand spirituality, one must traverse over different terrains, including intercultural, intra-Asia, interfaith, and theory–practice terrains. This edited volume brings together scholars and practitioners from different cultures, religions, and fields of studies to apply cutting-edge research to the role of Asian spiritualities in social transformation.