Laos remains one of the few officially socialist countries in the world. Once a Buddhist kingdom, its involvement into the Vietnam War, the communist revolution of 1975 and the subsequent introduction of reformed socialism have deeply affected Buddhism, the religion of the ethnic majority. With a historical and anthropological focus on the religious field in the capital Vientiane, the book follows these transformations and extrapolates the ruptures and continuities of Buddhist religious life from 1958 to the present. Focusing on the intertwined fields of ethics, ritual gift exchange and the Buddhist sangha’s relationship to the Lao state, the study takes a detailed look at the change of religious practices in an urban setting.
| ISBN: | 9780415684873 |
| Publication date: | 31st October 2024 |
| Author: | Patrice (Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Germany) Ladwig |
| Publisher: | Routledge an imprint of Taylor & Francis Ltd |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 240 pages |
| Series: | Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism |
| Genres: |
Regional / International studies Regional geography Politics and government Religion and politics Buddhist life and practice Society and culture: general |