Exploration of Multiple Religious Belongings

In an era of increasing religious diversity and fluid identities, this book challenges conventional understandings of faith, identity, and religious affiliation. Drawing from intercultural philosophy, theology, religious studies, and social sciences, Daan F. Oostveen examines how individuals navigate belonging to multiple religious traditions, from Christian-Buddhist dual belonging to more fluid spiritual practices.

Through a comparative approach, the book explores Western and Chinese perspectives on religious hybridity, critiques the limitations of the world religions paradigm, and introduces rhizomatic belonging as a groundbreaking framework for understanding religious multiplicity. Engaging with Deleuze and Guattari’s philosophy, feminist and postcolonial critiques, and lived religion studies, it offers a fresh perspective on how religious identities are shaped in today’s interconnected world.

This book is essential reading for scholars of religious studies, philosophy, anthropology, and theology, as well as anyone interested in the evolving landscape of religious belonging in a globalized society.

Daan Frans Oostveen is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Philosophy, National Taiwan University and a lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. A scholar of religion and a philosopher, they are editor-in-chief of the academic journal Future Humanities. They are a founding member of the New European Humanities in the 21st Century Network, which works on connecting innovative research on the humanities in Europe for the World Humanities Report. Their research interests include critical religion, comparative philosophy, psychedelic humanities, and posthumanism. Their commitment to fostering critical thinking and dialogue within academia reflects their dedication to advancing understanding in complex cultural contexts.