本書探討近現代與當代中國與臺灣的宗教是如何在一個特定地區被創造，傳承，實踐，與變遷。研究地點挑選了諸如寺廟，回教聖地，教堂，學校，茶館，儀式場所，墳地與神壇之外，還有城市，社區，郡縣，而能發現以往被忽略卻極端豐富的細節，讓讀者看到了宗教實踐者活生生的經驗世界。為了理解地方、人物與文本之間的互動關係，本書更是耙梳了層疊與個別的歷史事件與事蹟，梳理了三者之間交錯之發展。藉由縮小區域尺度到特定地方，本書得以重新評價宗教的變遷，改宗的過程，人物的生命轉變，宗教權威人士與宗教文本的傳承。本書的作者們探問了以下問題：在特定時空之下宗教經驗如何被塑造？宗教實踐過程中某一特定地方所能起到的作用？宗教能量如何在地方被展現出來？地方如何生產宗教文本與敘事？宗教如何在不同地方發展出其特性？尤其是，個別文本或是經典在特定時空如何被傳承？而屬於地方的特殊性境遇又如何影響到宗教權威人士的更迭與替換。Thisbookexploreshowreligionisandhasbeencreated,transmitted,embodiedandchangedinspecificlocationsinlateimperial,modernandcontemporaryTaiwanandChina.Locatingresearchnotonlyontemples,mosques,churches,schools,teahouses,festivalsites,burialgroundsandshrines,butalsocities,neighbourhoods,countiesanddistricts,itexplorestherich,andoftenoverlooked,detailsthatfillthelivedexperienceofpeopledoingreligion.Seekingtofocusoninteractionsbetweenplace,textandagency,thisbookaimstoreflectonthelayeredandspecifichistoriesthatdevelopasaconsequenceofthisinterplay.Byreducingthescaleofthestudiestoaspecificlocale,phenomenasuchasreligiouschange,conversionpractice,individualtransformationandthetransmissionoftexts,authority,andcharisma,canbereappraised.Thecontributorstothisvolumeexplorequestionssuchas:Howdotheparticularcircumstancesoftimeandplaceshapereligiousexperience?Whatisspecifictoalocationthatinfluencesthenatureofreligiouspracticethere?Whatreligiouspowerisembodiedinaplace?Howarenarrativescreatedaroundalocation?Whatischaracteristicofthereligiousworldinaparticularplace?Inparticular,andindifferentways,theyaskhowandwhyindividualtextsorsetsoftextsaretransmittedinaparticularplaceataparticulartime,howsuchspecificcircumstancesinfluencethetransmissionofauthoritywithinagroup(orhelptodispersethatauthority),andhowauthorityandcharismaarerelatedtospecificlocations.
