Religion, Decolonization, and the Planetary Community

In light of the two great phenomena that define the era of the Anthropocene, globalization and climate change, what does it mean to be a human subject or person in the world today? One response to these phenomena in the world has been some sort of return to nationalism (usually on the political right) or localism/bioregionalism (usually on the political left). A second response has been a continuation of the spread of neo-liberal capitalism without any apparent regard for the problems it is causing (on the political right) or with social and environmental protections tagged on (on the political left). This title provides what is needed, new and multiple stories and ideas about the many different ways of being human in the world, and what this might mean for the planetary future. Due to globalization and climate change, we are not only Indonesians or Americans, Christians, Muslims, or Buddhists but we are also planetary citizens along with the larger earth community. This volume brings together over 20 scholars, mostly working on and from the Indonesian context. The book is divided into 4 basic themes "Thinking about Decolonization and the Planetary," which deals more with theoretical issues; "Indigenous Studies from the Archipelago," which deals with case studies affecting the many indigenous communities in Indonesia; "Religion, Nature and Gender Studies," which deals with specific case studies on multiple genders and ecofeminist activists in Indonesia; and "Religion and Ecology: Case Studies from Indonesia," which deals more directly with how specific religious communities are dealing with the effects of climate change. This cutting-edge volume will be of interest to those within religion and critical theories, religion and SE Asia, religion and ecology, and religion and nature. In addition, it would be a valuable read for anyone who studies the broader humanities within the context of Indonesia or environmental humanities.