| Amidst Singapore's rapid pace of modernization and globalization, the practices and rituals associated with the traditional Chinese religions of Buddhism and Taoism remain prominent on the island and vibrant among the majority of Chinese Singaporeans. Buddhism and Taoism continue to be the dominant religions, with their adherents making up more than half of the island's population. Previous studies that have emerged from Singapore point out that the persistent dominance and vibrancy of these religions reflect the enduring strength of the adherents' religious identity or identification.;Despite the increasing prominence of utilizing the term religious identity, these studies have done little to provide any theoretical precision for the term and understand the dimensions that establish and sustain it within the daily experiences of the adherents. The purpose of this study is to discover and explain the dimensions that establish and sustain the religious identity of Chinese Singaporeans who are either Buddhists or Taoists, with religious identity being re-conceptualized to encompass the critical and inherent characteristics within the two overlapping entities that undergird the term---i.e. religion and identity.;Through a qualitative approach, data was collected via face-to-face interviews and observations in Singapore to discover and explain the dimensions that the participants articulated as significant in their continued commitment as Buddhists or Taoists. Subsequently, the data was analyzed through the grounded theory method. The theory that emerged---The Enfolding Presence and Power of Spiritual Realities---proposes that the participants' religious identity as either Buddhist or Taoist is established and sustained as they come to recognize, appreciate, and dedicate themselves to these realities.;This study, together with the emergent theory, is significant in a number of ways. First, it provides a more nuanced and robust understanding of the dimensions that undergird religious identity within the current academic discourse on religion and religious identity that has emerged from Singapore. Second, it generates useful insights to address the existing gaps within the broader investigation of religious identity that have largely been dominated by studies from the West. Finally, it furnishes other religious communities in Singapore with resources to strengthen future inter-religious interactions and understanding. |
