2 - Diaspora Governance and Religion: The (Re)production of the Guangze Zunwang Cult in the Chinese diaspora

Abstract: The role of sending states receives little attention in existing studies of transnational religion; another body of literature on diaspora governance gives little scrutiny to the religious dimension of diaspora strategies. This paper attempts to bridge the two bodies of works by exploring the state-directed religious networking in the Chinese diaspora. In doing so, we draw on a case study of the Guangze Zunwang cult to explore how origin states mobilize migrant religious networks for diaspora engagement and how diaspora communities respond to governing strategies.

Keywords: diaspora governance; religion; Chinese diaspora; Guangze Zunwang cult