The Anthropology of Buddhism and Hinduism: Weberian Themes

Max Weber's ideas have had enormous influence in theoretical sociology. But what he wrote about Asia has more often been cited by specialists to illustrate his errors rather than to derive inspiration. This collection of essays both engages with Max Weber's work, and attempts to use his general approach, combined with detailed ethnography from Nepal and Japan, to attack critical questions in the anthropology and sociology of Buddhism and Hinduism. These range from the relationship of Buddhist religious specialists (monks and priests) to shamanic practitioners, to the way in which Brahmanical ideals have spread through history and are expressed in a traditional Hindu city, to the question of how to frame sociological comparisons between similar religious systems in different cultures.

Politics & Social Sciences

Gellner, David N.

Anthropology

Oxford University Press

Many misconceptions circulate in the West about Tantric religion, whether Buddhist or Hindu, mainly because scholars have relied exclusively on textual sources. Here is an account of how Tantric Buddhism works in practice.

Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest: Newar Buddhism and its Hierarchy of Ritual (Cambridge Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology, Series Number 84)

Religion & Spirituality

Cambridge University Press

Rebuilding Buddhism describes in evocative detail the experiences and achievements of Nepalis who have adopted Theravada Buddhism. This form of Buddhism was introduced into Nepal from Burma and Sri Lanka in the 1930s, and its adherents have struggled for recognition and acceptance ever since. With its focus on the austere figure of the monk and the biography of the historical Buddha, and more recently with its emphasis on individualizing meditation and on gender equality, Theravada Buddhism contrasts sharply with the highly ritualized Tantric Buddhism traditionally practiced in the Kathmandu Valley.  Based on extensive fieldwork, interviews, and historical reconstruction, the book provides a rich portrait of the different ways of being a Nepali Buddhist over the past seventy years. At the same time it explores the impact of the Theravada movement and what its gradual success has meant for Buddhism, for society, and for men and women in Nepal.

Rebuilding Buddhism: The Theravada Movement in Twentieth-Century Nepal

History

LeVine, Sarah

World

Harvard University Press

Rebuilding Buddhism describes in evocative detail the experiences and achievements of Nepalis who have adopted Theravada Buddhism. This form of Buddhism was introduced into Nepal from Burma and Sri Lanka in the 1930s, and its adherents have struggled for recognition and acceptance ever since. With its focus on the austere figure of the monk and the biography of the historical Buddha, and more recently with its emphasis on individualizing meditation and on gender equality, Theravada Buddhism contrasts sharply with the highly ritualized Tantric Buddhism traditionally practiced in the Kathmandu Valley.
Based on extensive fieldwork, interviews, and historical reconstruction, the book provides a rich portrait of the different ways of being a Nepali Buddhist over the past seventy years. At the same time it explores the impact of the Theravada movement and what its gradual success has meant for Buddhism, for society, and for men and women in Nepal.

In excellent condition; tiny cut on front cover in transit, o/w like new.

Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest: Newar Buddhism and its Hierarchy of Ritual

CAMBRIDGE

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Books by Gellner, David N.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Gellner, David N.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Anthropology of Buddhism and Hinduism: Weberian Themes

The Anthropology of Buddhism and Hinduism: Weberian Themes

Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest: Newar Buddhism and its Hierarchy of Ritual (Cambridge Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology, Series Number 84)

Rebuilding Buddhism: The Theravada Movement in Twentieth-Century Nepal

Rebuilding Buddhism: The Theravada Movement in Twentieth-Century Nepal

Monk, Householder, and Tantric Priest: Newar Buddhism and its Hierarchy of Ritual