With the end of the Cold War, new forces have emerged which are rebuilding international relations in a world in the process of transformation and globalisation, among which one must mention the issue of religion as one of the elements of special protagonism. In the face of the constant process of diversity in which Europe finds itself and the reality of crossbreeding as an important characteristic in the identity of modern, globalised societies, the articles in this monograph explore the principal religions and systems of thought in Asia, in order to understand how both factors mould the ideologies and worldview of the continent’s societies. As one of the authors expresses it, “in contrast to the West, where the doctrinal aspect of religion is accentuated, in Asia the religious experience is an everyday affair, a way of life”. These are contrasts which are transferred into the economic sphere, for example in the conception of the capitalist system, which, in the case of Asia, is influenced by the values of the continent’s systems of thought and beliefs, rooted in a perception of the world which is far from the Western model, prioritising access to knowledge through a non-rational route.

Co-ordination: Séan Golden (Director, Centre for International and Intercultural Studies (CEII), Autonomous University of Barcelona and Director of the Asia Programme of the CIDOB Foundation) and Òscar Pujol, Director of Educational Programmes, Casa Asia.

ISSN: 1132-6107

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