Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Acknowledgments xi
4. Note on Online Content xiii
5. Introduction—Asian Religions in the Covidian Age 1
6. Section I—Corona Etiologies: How Zoonoses Fit into Theologies, Cosmologies, and Myths
7. 1. Reshaping Traditional Culture in Bangladesh:The Folklore of Corona Times 42
8. 2. Monster for Covid Struggle: The Life of a Japanese Yōkaifrom Prophecy to Expression 48
9. 3. “Three Cs” and the Three Mysteries: How Esoteric Buddhism Contributed to the Containment of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan 53
10. 4. New Diseases, Old Deities: Revisiting Sitala Maa during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bengal 58
11. 5. Turmeric and Neem: Sacred Plants, Disease Goddesses, and Epidemics in Popular Hinduism 62
12. 6. Saint Corona, Coronasur, and Corona Devi: Embodied Relationships between Religion and Disease 68
13. 7. Why Was Thousand-Hand Guanyin Late for the Meeting?:Implications of Religious Humor during COVID-19 73
14. 8. Cosmologies, Cartoons, Commentaries: COVID-19,Humor, and the Seventh Lunar Month Festival in 2020 Singapore 78
15. Section II—Ritual Innovation and New Media: Pandemic Negotiations of Efficacy and Virtuality
16. 9. Puppets Wearing Masks: Fighting with Batara Corona in Javanese Wayang Kulit 90
17. 10. Catholic Televisuality in the Time of Pandemic:A Philippine Perspective 95
18. 11. “Burden Us Not with That Which We Have No Ability to Bear”:Cultivating Endurance through Digital Connection in Ramadan 100
19. 12. Cyber Dharma: Celebrating E-Vesak in Singapore 106
20. 13. Ritual Adaptations on Telok Ayer: Liturgical Negotiations in a Chinese Temple and a Methodist Church 110
21. 14. Parsis and Ritual Innovation: Zoroastrian Funerary Practices in Mumbai during the Pandemic 115
22. Section III—Viral Sensorium: Embodiment at a Time of Social Distancing
23. 15. “We Knew It!”: Caribbean Hindu Responses to Restrictions of Touch during COVID-19 129
24. 16. A Bread and Wine Issue: “Losing” the Eucharist during the Pandemic 134
25. 17. Touchless Technology, Untouchability,and the COVID-19 Pandemic 139
26. 18. The Sonic and the Somatic: Matua Healing Practices during COVID-19 144
27. 19. De-sensorializing and Disembodying Chinese Religions in Singapore amid the COVID-19 Pandemic 150
28. 20. Gods Have Eyes: Praying Online in Singapore 155
29. Section IV—Spatial Sacred Reconfigurations: The “Place” of Religion in the Covidian Age
30. 21. The Disruption of Charisma in Southeast Asian Megachurches 167
31. 22. #Minimosque: Cov-Eid as Image, Event, and Archive 173
32. 23. “All of Singapore Is Now a Zawiya”: Shadhili Sufism and Sensorial Challenges to Worshiping from Home 178
33. 24. To Go or Not to Go?: Mazu’s Annual Procession in Taiwan 2020 183
34. 25. COVID-19 and Dao Mau’s Ritual Practitioners: Shaping the Notion of Social Responsibility 187
35. Section V—Old Tensions, New Solidarities: Collisions of Faith and Politics
36. 26. Sonic Fields of Protection in Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 Pandemic 199
37. 27. Seeking Solidarity: Rethinking the Muslim Community in the Pandemic Era 203
38. 28. Serving the Other during the Pandemic: Hindu Nationalist Groups and Covid Relief in India 208
39. 29. Moral Challenges at the Intersection of Religion, Politics,and COVID-19 in Pakistan 213
40. 30. Miracle Cure for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka: Kali and the Politics behind Dhammika Paniya 218
41. 31. COVID-19 and the Rohingyas: Islamic Solidarity and Bottom-Up Initiatives in Aceh 223
42. Section VI—Religiopolitical Economies of COVID-19: Between Aid and Loss
43. 32. Delivering from Suffering in the Final Era: Yiguandao’s Response from Aid to Salvation 236
44. 33. The Performance of Hoa Hao Buddhists’ Charity Kitchens in Responding to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Vietnam 241
45. 34.The Cap Go Meh That Never Happened 247
46. 35. The Pandemic and Its Effect on the Performance of Hajj Pilgrimage in Malaysia 253
47. 36. Buddhist Temples as Shelters for Vietnamese Migrants in Japan 259
48. 37.Who Owns the Temple Gold? 264
49. 38.COVID-19 and Shifting Practices of Islamic Charity 270
50. Epilogue 275
51. References 285
52. Contributors 327
53. Index 335