In this episode, we explore the social world of hybrid shrines of Singapore with Francis Lim. From his initial studies of Chinese shrines, he shares with us how his research into such shrines inevitably led him to study the diverse and informal nature of hybrid shrines and their worshippers in Singapore. These shrines serve functions beyond the religious and spiritual, playing an active social role in worshippers’ daily lives. Sometimes, the gods are even actors in Singapore society. The perseverance of such shrines is a testament to the religious resilience and creativity of ordinary people in Singapore.

03:34 - Background on Francis' personal interest with shrines.

05:44 - In Singapore not much systematic research done on such shrines and how Francis got started on researching shrines

07:33 - Initially conducting fieldwork on shrines with more 'Chinese' features and finding deities of other religions sometimes being housed in the same shrine

11:39 - Coming across 'Hindu' shrines also with dieties from other religions, alhough such shrines did not fall under his scope of research

12:24 - Datuk Gong shrines as an example of shrines where cultures and traditions overlap

15:35 - Trisno speaks about shrines he has seen around Geylang and Francis weighs in and various reasons people of all backgrounds worship shrines

23:17 - Sometimes an informal shrine can become 'organised' if someone who upkeeps it strikes lottery

24:02 - Shrines where people do not know who are the ones 'in charge'

25:15 - "Some deities will disappear after a while, new deities will replace...origins are lost even to those who worship there"

28:41 - Not just hybridised in terms of religious deities, hybridised in terms of functions as well — community centre-like social spaces

37:51 - Lengkok Baru shrines where the local Member of Parliament would visit 

41:06 - Shrines that run afoul of mortal law

44:48 - Gods as actors, not just worshippers or state authorities

50:07 - A Shrine in Thomson which private developers bought over and 'donated' a piece of leftover land back to villagers by selling back the piece of land for $1

54:14 - The big role of shrines in a country supposedly built on secularism

55:45 - Political secularisation, where secular principles guide policy making 

58:23 - "Although the state has secularised, it doesn't mean that the people have secularised"

1:03:07 - Popular religions are popular in Taiwan but it's hard to find shrines in the city of Taipei -- unlike how it's everywhere in urban areas of Malaysia and Singapore 

1:04:34 - Secular spaces mixed with little pockets of sacred spaces; people continue to view the world as enchanted and find enchantment in everyday life — trees, rivers etc.

1:12:31 - A kind of grief seeing shrines coming and going and how shrines fit into CMIO categorisations 

1:18:07 - Shrines a testament of people creativity and religious-spiritual resilience at the grassroots

1:18:37 - Although secular, state recognises role of religion in people's life and is treated seriously