The Modern Spirit of Asia: The Spiritual and the Secular in China and in India

摘要

The purpose of this book is to examine the ways in which India and China were "transformed by Western imperial modernity" during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A "study in comparative historical sociology informed by anthropological theory", the main theme is the relation between spirituality and secularity in nationalist movements. Thus far, it is argued, the discipline of 'world history' has been dominated by the economic perspective; it is now time for the impact of imperial encounters on culture and religion to be taken fully into consideration as well. The monograph is based on Professor Dr Peter van der Veer's own field work combined with his complete command of a vast range of secondary literature in various languages. Earlier versions of two of the chapters (six and seven) have already appeared in print elsewhere; and the author has delivered papers on his research at universities throughout the world.