Name Kenneth Dean | Role Academic | |
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Books Ritual Alliances of the Putia, Taoist ritual and popular c, First & Last Emperors, Lord of the three in one, Ritual Alliances of the Putia | ||
when he calls me shiloh christian community church kenneth dean
Kenneth Dean (Chinese: 丁荷生; pinyin: Dīng Héshēng; born 1956) is the Raffles Professor in the Humanities at the National University of Singapore. Previously, he was the James McGill Professor and Drs. Richard Charles and Esther Yewpick Lee Chair of Chinese Cultural Studies in the Department of East Asian Studies of McGill University. Professor Dean received his B.A. in Chinese Studies from Brown University and his Ph.D. in Asian Studies from Stanford University.
Contents
- when he calls me shiloh christian community church kenneth dean
- Research
- Documentary
- Selected publications
- References
Research
Professor Dean's research interests include Daoist studies, Chinese popular religion, popular culture and Chinese literature. He is the author of numerous books on Daoism and Chinese popular religion, including Ritual Alliances of the Putian Plains: Vol. 1: Historical Introduction to the Return of the Gods, Vol. 2: A survey of village temples and ritual activities ( with Zheng Zhenman) (Leiden: Brill, 2010); Lord of the Three in One: The spread of a cult in Southeast China (Princeton, 1998), Taoist Ritual and Popular Cults of Southeast China (Princeton 1993); as well as First and Last Emperors: The Absolute State and the Body of the Despot (with Brian Massumi) (Autonomedia, 1992). He also gathered and edited Epigraphical Materials on the History of Religion in Fujian: Xinghua Region (1 vol. 1995); Quanzhou Region (3 vols, 2004) with Professor Zheng Zhenman.
Professor Dean is currently researching on the temples in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia founded by Xinghua (Henghwa) immigrants. He hopes to examine the networks between these temples and communities, and their links back to China.
Documentary
Professor Dean recently produced an 80-minute documentary film, Bored in Heaven (2010), which highlights the ritual celebrations around Chinese New Years in Putian, Fujian, China. This documentary is based on 20 years of long-term collaboration between Kenneth Dean and Zheng Zhenman. It illustrates the growing intensity of local traditions in Southeast China, as rural villages and their temples transition into a new century. The film builds on the story of the Theater God as told in a ritual performance, by actors, opera singers and puppeteers.