Digital Humanities and Religions in Asia : An Introduction

In pre-modern religions in the geographical context of Asia we encounter unique scripts, number systems, calendars, and naming conventions. These can make Western-built technologies – even tools specifically developed for digital humanities – an ill fit to our needs. The present volume explores this struggle and the limitations and potential opportunities of applying a digital humanities approach to pre-modern Asian religions. The authors cover Buddhism, Christianity, Daoism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism and Shintoism with chapters categorized according to their focus on: 1) temples, 2) manuscripts, 3) texts, and 4) social media. Thus, the volume guides readers through specific methodologies and practical examples while also providing a critical reflection on the state of the field, pushing the interface between digital humanities and pre-modern Asian religions into new territory.

L.W.C. van Lit, Universität Utrecht, Niederlande und James Harry Morris, Waseda Universität, Tokio, Japan.

L.W.C. van Lit, Utrecht University, Netherlands and James Harry Morris, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.