Pub Date : 2023-10-13DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2023.2261713
Jack Meng-Tat Chia, Darryl Kangfu Lim
AbstractIn 2014, Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), in collaboration with the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center, organized the “Secrets of the Fallen Pagoda” exhibition in Singapore. The exhibition featured artefacts excavated from the Famen Temple, as well as objects excavated from other sites in Shaanxi province. This article draws on the case of ACM’s “Secrets of the Fallen Pagoda” exhibition to explore the use of Buddhist artefacts in the diplomacy between China and Singapore. It argues that the exhibition demonstrates the intersection between cultural and Buddhist diplomacy, highlighting how Buddhist cultural heritage was used as a platform to foster diplomatic ties between two secular countries with predominantly Buddhist and ethnic Chinese populations. While Buddhist material culture and history might have been used to highlight the shared cultural ties between China and Singapore, differing perceptions over the exhibition’s presentation provides ground for contemplating the varied meanings behind the use of religious objects in cultural diplomacy.Keywords: Buddhist diplomacycultural diplomacyAsian Civilisations MuseumFamen TempleShaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics BureauSecrets of the Fallen Pagoda AcknowledgmentsAn earlier version of this manuscript was presented at the Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference in March 2023. We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to Yoshiko Ashiwa, Conan Cheong, Kan Shuyi, Denisonde Simbol, David Wank, and two anonymous reviewers for their kind support and helpful advice. We would also like to thank Asian Civilisations Museum for permission to use their images.Notes1 While the Famen temple is believed to have been founded during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220), it was only in 625 that the monastery came to be known as Famen Si (Dharma Gate Monastery), when it was renamed by the founder of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu as such. The earliest known inscription referencing the Famen Temple relic is dated May 16, 778, where in addition to narrating the circumstances under which the relic was found and enshrined, the same inscription also recorded that the then-regional governor of Qi prefecture, Tuoba Yu, had sponsored religious activities at the site of the Famen Temple in 555. A later inscription dating to the year 874 also mentions this, thereby corroborating the point that the Famen Temple was active even before founding of the Tang Dynasty. See Kan (Citation2014) and Sen (Citation2014).2 For a list of visits by Singaporean leaders to China in the 1980s, see Singa Sino Friendship Association of Singapore and China–Singapore Friendship Association of China (Citation2000, 11).3 There is an interesting urban legend about Hong Choon and the design of the Singapore one-dollar coin. See Stolarchuk (Citation2017).4 For recent studies on China’s Buddhist diplomacy, see Chung (Citation2022); Raymond (Citation2020); and Scott (C
{"title":"Curating Buddhism, Fostering Diplomacy: The “Secrets of the Fallen PAGODA” Exhibition in Singapore","authors":"Jack Meng-Tat Chia, Darryl Kangfu Lim","doi":"10.1080/15570274.2023.2261713","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2023.2261713","url":null,"abstract":"AbstractIn 2014, Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), in collaboration with the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center, organized the “Secrets of the Fallen Pagoda” exhibition in Singapore. The exhibition featured artefacts excavated from the Famen Temple, as well as objects excavated from other sites in Shaanxi province. This article draws on the case of ACM’s “Secrets of the Fallen Pagoda” exhibition to explore the use of Buddhist artefacts in the diplomacy between China and Singapore. It argues that the exhibition demonstrates the intersection between cultural and Buddhist diplomacy, highlighting how Buddhist cultural heritage was used as a platform to foster diplomatic ties between two secular countries with predominantly Buddhist and ethnic Chinese populations. While Buddhist material culture and history might have been used to highlight the shared cultural ties between China and Singapore, differing perceptions over the exhibition’s presentation provides ground for contemplating the varied meanings behind the use of religious objects in cultural diplomacy.Keywords: Buddhist diplomacycultural diplomacyAsian Civilisations MuseumFamen TempleShaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics BureauSecrets of the Fallen Pagoda AcknowledgmentsAn earlier version of this manuscript was presented at the Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference in March 2023. We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to Yoshiko Ashiwa, Conan Cheong, Kan Shuyi, Denisonde Simbol, David Wank, and two anonymous reviewers for their kind support and helpful advice. We would also like to thank Asian Civilisations Museum for permission to use their images.Notes1 While the Famen temple is believed to have been founded during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220), it was only in 625 that the monastery came to be known as Famen Si (Dharma Gate Monastery), when it was renamed by the founder of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu as such. The earliest known inscription referencing the Famen Temple relic is dated May 16, 778, where in addition to narrating the circumstances under which the relic was found and enshrined, the same inscription also recorded that the then-regional governor of Qi prefecture, Tuoba Yu, had sponsored religious activities at the site of the Famen Temple in 555. A later inscription dating to the year 874 also mentions this, thereby corroborating the point that the Famen Temple was active even before founding of the Tang Dynasty. See Kan (Citation2014) and Sen (Citation2014).2 For a list of visits by Singaporean leaders to China in the 1980s, see Singa Sino Friendship Association of Singapore and China–Singapore Friendship Association of China (Citation2000, 11).3 There is an interesting urban legend about Hong Choon and the design of the Singapore one-dollar coin. See Stolarchuk (Citation2017).4 For recent studies on China’s Buddhist diplomacy, see Chung (Citation2022); Raymond (Citation2020); and Scott (C","PeriodicalId":92307,"journal":{"name":"The review of faith & international affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135918085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-12DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2023.2261709
Wade Kusack
After experiencing first-hand the limitations of an exclusively activist, “name and shame” approach to advocating for religious freedom in Central Asia, I learned about a different, relational model of building religious freedom and covenantal pluralism, which was pioneered by the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) in Southeast Asia. In this essay I tell the story of how my organization, Love Your Neighbor Community (LYNC), has applied the IGE model in Kazakhstan.
在亲身体验了在中亚倡导宗教自由的完全激进主义的“点名羞辱”方法的局限性之后，我了解到一种不同的、相互关联的建立宗教自由和盟约多元化的模式，这种模式是由全球参与研究所(Institute for Global Engagement，简称IGE)在东南亚开创的。在这篇文章中，我讲述了我的组织“爱你的邻居社区”(LYNC)如何在哈萨克斯坦应用IGE模式的故事。
{"title":"In Search of a Welcoming Environment for Religions in the “New Kazakhstan”","authors":"Wade Kusack","doi":"10.1080/15570274.2023.2261709","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2023.2261709","url":null,"abstract":"After experiencing first-hand the limitations of an exclusively activist, “name and shame” approach to advocating for religious freedom in Central Asia, I learned about a different, relational model of building religious freedom and covenantal pluralism, which was pioneered by the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) in Southeast Asia. In this essay I tell the story of how my organization, Love Your Neighbor Community (LYNC), has applied the IGE model in Kazakhstan.","PeriodicalId":92307,"journal":{"name":"The review of faith & international affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136013044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-10DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2023.2261711
Katharina McLarren
In the face of war, not only state actors, but also religious actors react and engage in international politics. When studying religious narratives of war, what is not said can be more revealing than what is said. Such is the case when analyzing the Roman Catholic Church’s narrative since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A striking pattern of silence emerges which arguably has serious implications for upholding international law. Both in an international political (Holy See at the United Nations) as well as a transnational religious context (Pope Francis I addressing followers) the Roman Catholic Church has remained silent on Russia’s aggression and breach of international law.
{"title":"The Silence of the Roman Catholic Church on the Ukraine War","authors":"Katharina McLarren","doi":"10.1080/15570274.2023.2261711","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2023.2261711","url":null,"abstract":"In the face of war, not only state actors, but also religious actors react and engage in international politics. When studying religious narratives of war, what is not said can be more revealing than what is said. Such is the case when analyzing the Roman Catholic Church’s narrative since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A striking pattern of silence emerges which arguably has serious implications for upholding international law. Both in an international political (Holy See at the United Nations) as well as a transnational religious context (Pope Francis I addressing followers) the Roman Catholic Church has remained silent on Russia’s aggression and breach of international law.","PeriodicalId":92307,"journal":{"name":"The review of faith & international affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136294014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2023.2272428
Paul Martens
Despite his idiosyncratic biographical journey, John Peters Humphrey became the first director of the Division of Human Rights at the United Nations and one of Canada’s most distinguished civil servants. Charged with preparing an initial draft of what would become the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), he had a pivotal role in rooting the human rights articulated in the UDHR in the concept of human dignity. Implicitly drawing on his understanding of a Christian morality freed from its “tommyrot,” his largely unrecognized organizing criteria for selecting and articulating the rights included in the initial draft appears to have been “the dignity of man.”
{"title":"Drafting on the Basis of Dignity: John Peters Humphrey’s Contribution to the UDHR","authors":"Paul Martens","doi":"10.1080/15570274.2023.2272428","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2023.2272428","url":null,"abstract":"Despite his idiosyncratic biographical journey, John Peters Humphrey became the first director of the Division of Human Rights at the United Nations and one of Canada’s most distinguished civil servants. Charged with preparing an initial draft of what would become the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), he had a pivotal role in rooting the human rights articulated in the UDHR in the concept of human dignity. Implicitly drawing on his understanding of a Christian morality freed from its “tommyrot,” his largely unrecognized organizing criteria for selecting and articulating the rights included in the initial draft appears to have been “the dignity of man.”","PeriodicalId":92307,"journal":{"name":"The review of faith & international affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2023.2272425
Amjad Mahmood Khan
This article focuses on an important debate during the drafting session of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia divide over the right to change one’s religion or belief. The debate’s outcome provides compelling evidence of how Muslim voices and Qur'anic arguments profoundly impacted the ultimate adoption of the Declaration’s Article 18 provision on freedom of religion or belief. Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan’s trailblazing contributions to the Declaration provide a hopeful lesson: the pursuit of protecting freedom of religion or belief for everyone depends, in large part, on empowering more courageous Muslim voices who can faithfully harmonize Islamic precepts with universal rights guarantees.
{"title":"A Courageous Muslim Voice: How Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan Saved Article 18 of the UDHR","authors":"Amjad Mahmood Khan","doi":"10.1080/15570274.2023.2272425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2023.2272425","url":null,"abstract":"This article focuses on an important debate during the drafting session of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia divide over the right to change one’s religion or belief. The debate’s outcome provides compelling evidence of how Muslim voices and Qur'anic arguments profoundly impacted the ultimate adoption of the Declaration’s Article 18 provision on freedom of religion or belief. Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan’s trailblazing contributions to the Declaration provide a hopeful lesson: the pursuit of protecting freedom of religion or belief for everyone depends, in large part, on empowering more courageous Muslim voices who can faithfully harmonize Islamic precepts with universal rights guarantees.","PeriodicalId":92307,"journal":{"name":"The review of faith & international affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2023.2272423
R. Joustra
{"title":"The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy","authors":"R. Joustra","doi":"10.1080/15570274.2023.2272423","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2023.2272423","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":92307,"journal":{"name":"The review of faith & international affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2023.2272439
Brett G. Scharffs
This special issue features original research on a wide range of individuals and groups that contributed to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The issue examines how the concept of human dignity played an important role in the definition, drafting, and successful completion of the UDHR. Contributors also give special attention to the religious or faith perspectives of the drafters (or the absence of such perspectives), and how this shaped their views of human dignity, human rights, and freedom of religion or belief.
{"title":"Introduction: Faith and the Founding Figures of Human Dignity","authors":"Brett G. Scharffs","doi":"10.1080/15570274.2023.2272439","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2023.2272439","url":null,"abstract":"This special issue features original research on a wide range of individuals and groups that contributed to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The issue examines how the concept of human dignity played an important role in the definition, drafting, and successful completion of the UDHR. Contributors also give special attention to the religious or faith perspectives of the drafters (or the absence of such perspectives), and how this shaped their views of human dignity, human rights, and freedom of religion or belief.","PeriodicalId":92307,"journal":{"name":"The review of faith & international affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2023.2272421
R. Joustra
{"title":"The Godless Crusade: Religion, Populism and Right-Wing Identity Politics in the West","authors":"R. Joustra","doi":"10.1080/15570274.2023.2272421","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2023.2272421","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":92307,"journal":{"name":"The review of faith & international affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2023.2272442
Dicky Sofjan
This article examines the contending discourses on human dignity among leading figures of the “Third World”—a disparaging category for the downtrodden nations of the world—within the context of the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR). It delves into the discursive contestations played out by figures from Third World nations, which had just gained independence or were in the process of decolonization. In particular, this article examines discourses on human rights and dignity by Sukarno, Indonesia’s independence leader, and others who vehemently fought against colonialism based on their ideology and faith.
{"title":"Contending Discourses on Human Rights and Dignity in the Post-World War II Era","authors":"Dicky Sofjan","doi":"10.1080/15570274.2023.2272442","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2023.2272442","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines the contending discourses on human dignity among leading figures of the “Third World”—a disparaging category for the downtrodden nations of the world—within the context of the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR). It delves into the discursive contestations played out by figures from Third World nations, which had just gained independence or were in the process of decolonization. In particular, this article examines discourses on human rights and dignity by Sukarno, Indonesia’s independence leader, and others who vehemently fought against colonialism based on their ideology and faith.","PeriodicalId":92307,"journal":{"name":"The review of faith & international affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2023.2272418
Renae Barker
Colonel William Roy Hodgson was Australia’s representative on the Human Rights Commission and member of the drafting committee for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, 75 years on, his contribution has largely been forgotten. This paper seeks to rediscover his legacy. He was a survivor of the World War One battle at Gallipoli, a dedicated and hard-working member of Australia’s fledgling External Affairs Department during World War Two and a passional advocate for enforceable human rights as a necessary part of ongoing peace.
{"title":"Colonel William Roy Hodgson: A Soldier of Principle, Peace, and Pugnacity for Human Rights","authors":"Renae Barker","doi":"10.1080/15570274.2023.2272418","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2023.2272418","url":null,"abstract":"Colonel William Roy Hodgson was Australia’s representative on the Human Rights Commission and member of the drafting committee for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, 75 years on, his contribution has largely been forgotten. This paper seeks to rediscover his legacy. He was a survivor of the World War One battle at Gallipoli, a dedicated and hard-working member of Australia’s fledgling External Affairs Department during World War Two and a passional advocate for enforceable human rights as a necessary part of ongoing peace.","PeriodicalId":92307,"journal":{"name":"The review of faith & international affairs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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