Religion plays a central role in Thai society with Buddhism
intertwined in the daily lives of the people. Religion also plays
an important role in establishing gender boundaries. The growth in
recent decades of self-governing nunneries and the increasing
interest of Thai women in a Buddhist monastic life are notable
changes in the religion/gender dynamic. This anthropological study
considers religion and gender relations through the lens of the
lives, actions, and roles in Thai society of Buddhist nuns (mae
chii). Making Fields of Merit presents a unique ethnography of Thai
Buddhist nuns, examines what it implies to be a female ascetic in
contemporary Thailand, and analyzes how the ordained state for
women fits into the wider gender patterns found in Thai society.
The study also deals with the nuns' agency in creating religious
space and authority for women. It raises questions about how the
position of Thai Buddhist nuns outside the Buddhist sangha affects
their religious legitimacy and describes recent moves to restore a
Theravada order of female monks.
General
Imprint: |
University of Washington Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Critical Dialogues in Southeast Asian Studies |
Release date: |
March 2008 |
First published: |
April 2008 |
Authors: |
Monica Lindberg Falk
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 17mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
320 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-295-98726-2 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-295-98726-X |
Barcode: |
9780295987262 |
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