Dr Gareth Breen

Research summary

My research interests include: Christianity and other religiosities in China and Taiwan, Chinese medicine, veganism, religious therapeutics, body consciousness, hermeticism, anthropological methods, deconversion, secularism, transnational religious movements, theology.

For my PhD I conducted research in Taiwan with members of the worldwide following of the Chinese Christian reformers Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. My thesis describes how the psychological, somatic and sociological ideas of the following work in practice, both within Taiwan and across the Taiwan Strait. It also contextualises the group by tracing a history of practices and ideas of 'oneness' (Nee and Lee's central principle) in China and Taiwan.  

Teaching summary

I teach on the following courses at UCL:

•    Being Human (UG)

•    Medical Anthropology Core Seminar (PG)

•    Anthropology for Medical Students (UG)

•    Multisensory Experience: Understanding Sickness and Health Through the Senses (UG/PG)

Publications

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