Spirits without Borders: Vietnamese Spirit Mediums in a Transnational Age

Product Description
Spirits without Borders is an ethnographic study of the transnational and multicultural expansion of Vietnam's Mother Goddess Religion and its spirit possession ritual. The work explores how and why the ritual spread from Vietnam to the US and back again and the impact of ritual transnationalism in both countries.
Review
"A refreshing and very readable account of spirit possession, this engaging work is especially noteworthy for its original focus on transnational religious practice between Vietnam and California. With its emphasis on the conduct of fieldwork and its clarity of expression, this ethnography will serve as an excellent addition to courses." - Michael Lambek, professor and Canada Research Chair, University of Toronto; author of The Weight of the Past; and editor of Ordinary Ethics: Anthropology, Language, and Action
"This book is a great contribution to our understanding of the way that religious and ritual practices travel the world, along with the people that embody those practices. Written in a highly engaging style, it invites readers on a journey of discovery and makes them feel as if they are joining in their own lifelong research endeavor." - Oscar Salemink, professor of Anthropology of Asia, University of Copenhagen
"A fascinating ethnographic and historical account of the transnational dimensions of Vietnamese spirit mediumship, known as lên dong. Although lên dong originated in northern Vietnam, in recent decades it has experienced significant transformations as its practices and practitioners have moved between Vietnam and the United States. The authors richly describe these changes while also compellingly demonstrating how lên dong has continued to provide comfort and meaning in a complex and changing world." - Shaun Kingsley Malarney, professor of Cultural Anthropology, International Christian University, Tokyo
About the Author
Author Karen Fjelstad: Karen Fjelstad is Lecturer at San Jose State University, USA Author Nguyen Thi Hien: Nguyen Thi Hien is Head of Department of Cultural Heritage Studies and Executive Director of Visual Anthropology at Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Vietnam