Book Details

Keramat, Sacred Relics and Forbidden Idols in Singapore (1st Edition) by William L. Gibson is a fascinating and original study of sacred spaces, religious practice, and cultural memory in Singapore. This eBook explores the concept of keramat—sites imbued with spiritual power—and examines how sacred relics and contested religious objects shape belief, identity, and social life in a modern, multicultural society.

Drawing on ethnographic research, historical sources, and cultural analysis, Gibson reveals how religious devotion, popular spirituality, and state regulation intersect. The book sheds light on tensions between tradition and modernity, orthodoxy and popular belief, and sacred reverence and secular governance.

Highly recommended for scholars and students of anthropology, religious studies, Southeast Asian studies, and cultural history, Keramat, Sacred Relics and Forbidden Idols in Singapore offers a rich and nuanced perspective on lived religion and the evolving meanings of the sacred in contemporary urban life.