IN SEARCH OF PERMANENT HOMES : CHRISTIAN CHURCHES AND CULTURAL POLITICS OF SPACE

Abstract

Religious landscapes are rich sources of insights into the cultural politics between different social groups. To better understand these social processes, two Christian churches in Singapore have been selected and their landuse issues studied. Bearing in mind the socio-political context, this thesis examines the development of the state's dominance over religious landscapes in Singapore. Through its hegemonic ideologies and practices concretised in the form of laws and policies, the state maintains its dominant position in society. However, the state's hegemony is never complete because resistance from the religious groups, overt or covert, is always present. Therefore, the churches' responses to the state's hegemony are also examined. It will be revealed that the state remains as the author and final authority over the sacred homes of these religious groups.