Colors of the Robe: Religion, Identity, and Difference"Poised to spark debate among scholars of religious studies and other disciplines, Colors of the Robe sheds new light on the Sri Lankan Buddhist universe of ethics and politics and, more important, suggests innovative directions for the global study of religion, identity, culture, politics, and violence. In a volume that surpasses other studies in tracking, identifying, and locating Sri Lankan Buddhism in its sectarian, ethnic, cultural, social, and political constructions, Ananda Abeysekara lays down a challenge to postcolonial and postmodern theory. He argues that although criticisms have undermined the orientalist constructions of culture, they cannot help us understand, let alone theorize, the emergence of contemporary authoritative discourses that define distinctions involving religion and violence, identity and difference. Supplanting that aim, Abeysekara illuminates the shifting configurations that characterize the relations connected with postcolonial religious identity and culture."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
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anthropological argued argument Asgiriya authorized Bhikkhu Buddha Buddha Sasana Buddharakkhita Buddhism and difference Buddhism and politics Buddhism Betrayed Buddhism in Sri Buddhist Fundamentalism Buddhist identity Buddhist monasticism Buddhist monks centrally visible Ceylon chapter chief monks claims Colombo colonial concepts conjunctures context critical culture Dambulla temple debate Dhammadinna Dhammananda dhism dhist Dinamina disciplinary discourses Divayina Foucault head monk Ibid identity and difference Ilangasinha India Interview J. R. Jayewardene Japan Japanese Kālaya Kashyapa Kelaniya kind lay Buddhists located Mahayana monastic identity monkhood monks and lay movement narratives nation newspapers Pali particular postcolonial practices Premadasa prime minister Princeton questions Rahula relation between Buddhism religion and politics religious robes Saddhatissa Sangha seek Shinnyo-en Sinhala Sinhala Buddhist Sinhalese Siyam Nikaya social society Sri Lanka Sudhira Sumangala Tambiah terror Theravada Buddhism tion Tooth Temple tradition University Press Upatissa Vidyalankara monks Vidyalankara Pirivena village violence Vipassi Walpola Rahula young monks