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As Dr. Nelson notes, the term experimental “calls attention to the ways Buddhist traditions are negotiated by a variety of persons, then implemented selectively and pragmatically over time ‘where’ relevant concepts or methods are sought, examined, and then applied to any number of agendas, some psychological and spiritual, others social and political” in an effort to cope the anxieties of their lives for “a Buddhism that is fully reciprocal with its contemporary social settings enables a proactive proficiency in navigating the challenges life presents.” 1 Nelson notes that there are five experimental approaches to Buddhism. The first is positioning as people attempt to navigate the socio-economic hierarchy, the second is the agency of freedom to fashion new religious ideals, the third feature is the wary negotiation before someone makes a commitment, the fourth is an insistence that the present conditions of the everyday life and its changing circumstances determine what Buddhist values or principles are chosen, and finally, the fifth is an experimental religious practices that incorporates the previous four features mentioned above that constantly reinvents and reinforces religion. One of the perfect blueprints to explain an experimental religion or worldview would be the advent of Christianity in the Asia Pacific region. Christianity in South Korea started out as an experimental religion and worldview to be entertained as an alternative avenue for anxiety relief.2 However, in South Korea when it was first introduced, Tudor explains that it was outlawed and it achieved difficulty but the appeal of Christianity has now made it an established religion in South Korea having had it been contextualized to the particular circumstances of South Korean modern life where South Koreans have now become the most Christian Asian state and Christianity, the most popular religion in Korea.3 Interestingly enough, many Pacific nations in Oceania fall prey to experimenting with the Christian religion also where Christian principles were integrated into the locally prescribed indigenous context to reshape Christianity into Oceanic societal values thereby catering it and indigenizing Christianity to their particular circumstances in this world of modernity that comes with global challenges.4


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