When scholarship presents the histories, belief systems, and ritual patterns of specific religious groups, it often privileges victori­ous and élite fractions of those communities to the detriment and neglect of alternative, dissonant, and resurgent voices. The contri­butions in this volume, which include case studies on various religious and academic contexts, illustrate the importance of liste­ning to those alternative voices for the study of religion.

Oliver Freiberger ist Professor of Asian Studies and Religious Studies an der University of Texas at Austin.