Kenneth Dean, born 1956, is Professor and Chair of Chinese Cultural Studies in the Department of East Asian Studies of McGill University. Professor Dean's research interests include Daoist studies, Chinese popular religion, popular culture and Chinese literature. He is the author of numerous books on Daoism and Chinese popular religion, including the recent Ritual Alliances of the Putian Plains: Vol. 1: Historical Introduction to the Return of the Gods, Vol. 2: A survey of village temples and ritual activities (with Zheng Zhenman) (Leiden: Brill, 2010)[...]. Professor Dean is currently researching on the temples in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia founded by Xinghua (Henghwa) immigrants. He hopes to examine the networks between these temples and communities, and their links back to China.Professor Dean produced an 80-minute documentary film, Bored in Heaven (2010), which highlights the ritual celebrations around Chinese New Years in Putian, Fujian, China. This documentary is based on 20 years of long-term collaboration between Kenneth Dean and Zheng Zhenman. It illustrates the growing intensity of local traditions in Southeast China, as rural villages and their temples transition into a new century. The film builds on the story of the Theater God as told in a ritual performance, by actors, opera singers and puppeteers.
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