Wayward distractions ornament, emotion, zombies, and the study of Buddhism in Thailand / Justin Thomas McDaniel.
| Author/creator | McDaniel, Justin |
| Format | Electronic |
| Publication Info | Singapore : NUS Press in association with Kyoto University Press, [2021] |
| Description | vii, 281 pages ; 23 cm. |
| Supplemental Content | Full text available from Ebook Central - Academic Complete |
| Subjects |
| Series | Kyoto-CSEAS series on Asian studies / Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University ; 24 |
| Contents | Cajoleries, non-human ontology and the importance of thin description in the study of Thai Buddhist stuff -- Creative engagement: The Sujava©øn©øna Wua Luang and its contribution to Buddhist literature -- Ethnicity and the galactic polity: Ideas and actualities in the history of Bangkok -- Beautifully Buddhist and betrothed: Marriage and Buddhism as described in the J©Æatakas -- The bird in the corner of the painting: Some problems with the use of Buddhist texts to study Buddhist ornamental art in Thailand -- The material turn: An introduction to Thai sources for the study of Buddhist amulets -- Strolling through temporary temples: Modern Buddhist art installations in Thailand -- This Hindu holy man is a Thai Buddhist -- Encountering corpses: Notes on zombies and the living dead in Buddhist Southeast Asia -- Buddhist "nuns" (mae chi) and the teaching of Pali in contemporary Thailand. |
| Abstract | "When more than 93 per cent of the citizens of one country profess a single religion, as Thais do Buddhism, and when that religion is deeply integrated into national institutions and ideologies, it becomes tempting to think of the religion as a textual, institutional, cultural and conceptual whole. But at the same time it is obvious that expressions of Buddhism in Thailand reflect anything but a single order: they are often gaudy, cacophonous, variegated, and jumbled: almost technicolor. Diversity and apparent contradiction are everywhere. A more open engagement with Buddhism in Thailand will require a willingness to be distracted, to step away from received hierarchies and follow the intriguing detail in the ornate design, the odd textual reference, to prefer "thin description" over a search for meaning. Justin McDaniel's book-length writings in Buddhist and Theravada Studies are well known and widely cited, but his approach cannot be understood without taking into account his shorter writings, what he calls his wayward distractions. Collected together for the first time, and set in place by a compelling introduction that argues for a strongly materialist approach, these essays cover subjects ranging from ornamental art to marriage and emotion, the role of Hinduism, neglected gender and ethnic diversity, Buddhist inflections in contemporary art practice, and the boundaries between the living, the dead and the undead. These writings will be of importance to students of Theravada and Thailand, of religion in Southeast Asia and more generally, of the materialist turn in studies of religion"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-261) and index. |
| Access restriction | Available only to authorized users. |
| Technical details | Mode of access: World Wide Web |
| Language | In English. |
| Genre/form | Electronic books. |
| LCCN | 2021307841 2021431488 |
| ISBN | 9789813251502 (NUS Press) |
| ISBN | 9784814003679 (Kyoto University Press) |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |