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Laliberte looks at a relatively unexplored aspect of modern Taiwan:
the influence of religion on politics. This book offers a detailed
survey of three of the most important Buddhist organizations in
Taiwan: the Buddhist Association of the Republic of China (BAROC),
the Buddha Light Mountain (or Foguanshan) monastic order, and the
Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Association (or Ciji). It
examines their contrasting approaches to three issues: state
supervision of religion, the first presidential election of 1996,
and the establishment of the National Health Insurance.
This study analyzes the factors that explain the diverse paths the
three organizations have taken in the politics of Taiwan. Based on
an in-depth examination of Buddhist leaders' behaviour, The
Politics of Buddhist Organizations in Taiwan compels us to question
conventional views about the allegedly passive aspect of religious
tradition, deference to authority in societies influenced by
Confucian culture and the adverse legacy of authoritarian regimes."
As the Chinese Communist Party continues to move away from
socialism, it faces a growing number of challenges to the claim
that it represents the sole legitimate governing body in China. In
order to reaffirm itself as the most effective force for keeping
the country together, the CCP has adapted to contemporary political
conundrums in a variety of ways. Rejecting pessimistic perspectives
which predict an erosion of state power or naive optimism that
state-society relations will evolve towards a Western-style
pluralist democracy in the foreseeable future, the contributions to
this volume explore many ways in which the CCP selectively adapts
to the challenges that have arisen from its strategy of rapid
economic growth at the expense of political reform, in order to
maintain its authority and relevance. Examining trends such as the
reliance on religious charities originating from outside the PRC,
the revival of local governance in urban settings, the passing of
legislation for workers, or the multiplication of environmental
non-governmental organizations, this book tackles the question of
whether the Chinese government can overcome these challenges. The
Chinese Party-State in the 21st Century: Adaptation and the
Reinvention of Legitimacy w ill appeal to students and scholars of
Chinese politics, Asian politics, comparative politics and
political sociology.
"The Politics of Buddhist Organizations in Taiwan" looks at a
relatively unexplored aspect of modern Taiwan: the influence of
religion on politics. Although much has been written on the
contribution of Christian churches to the debates on
self-determination and democratic tradition on the island, we know
less about the political influence on Buddhist organizations, which
claim together to attract over four million adherents. These
organizations exercise considerable influence in Taiwanese society
and yet their stand on relations across the Taiwan Strait, communal
harmony, economic and political liberalization, as well as the
creation of a welfare State, remains largely unexplored.
Laliberte demonstrates that Taiwanese Buddhists are not a
monolithic bloc, and that the organizations that represent them
reflect in their diversity the complexity and pluralism of the
society in which they have evolved. This book offers a detailed
survey of three of the most important Buddhist organizations in
Taiwan: the Buddhist Association of the Republic of China (BAROC),
the Buddha Light Mountain (or Foguanshan) monastic order, and the
Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Association (or Ciji). It
examines their contrasting approaches to three issues: state
supervision of religion, the first presidential election of 1996,
and the establishment of the National Health Insurance.
This study analyses the factors that explain the diverse paths the
three organizations have taken in the politics of Taiwan. It
reveals that despite a shared theological background, individual
religious leaders interpret their tradition very differently when
they believe it constrains the development of their
organizationsand the fulfilling of its goals. Based on an in-depth
examination of Buddhist leaders' behavior, "The Politics of
Buddhist Organizations in Taiwan" compels us to question
conventional views about the allegedly passive aspect of religious
tradition, deference to authority in societies influencedby
Confucian culture and the adverse legacy of authoritarian regimes.
This volume looks at the secular state in the context of
contemporary Asia and investigates whether there existed before
modernity antecedents to the condition of secularity, understood as
the differentiation of the sphere of the religious from other
spheres of social life. The chapters presented in this book examine
this issue in national contexts by looking at the historical
formation of lexicons that defined the "secular", the "secular
state," and "secularism". This approach requires paying attention
to modern vernacular languages and their precedents in written
traditions with often a very long tradition. This book presents
three interpretive frameworks: multiple modernities, variety of
secularisms, and typologies of post-colonial secular states.
As the Chinese Communist Party continues to move away from
socialism, it faces a growing number of challenges to the claim
that it represents the sole legitimate governing body in China. In
order to reaffirm itself as the most effective force for keeping
the country together, the CCP has adapted to contemporary political
conundrums in a variety of ways. Rejecting pessimistic perspectives
which predict an erosion of state power or naive optimism that
state-society relations will evolve towards a Western-style
pluralist democracy in the foreseeable future, the contributions to
this volume explore many ways in which the CCP selectively adapts
to the challenges that have arisen from its strategy of rapid
economic growth at the expense of political reform, in order to
maintain its authority and relevance. Examining trends such as the
reliance on religious charities originating from outside the PRC,
the revival of local governance in urban settings, the passing of
legislation for workers, or the multiplication of environmental
non-governmental organizations, this book tackles the question of
whether the Chinese government can overcome these challenges. The
Chinese Party-State in the 21st Century: Adaptation and the
Reinvention of Legitimacy w ill appeal to students and scholars of
Chinese politics, Asian politics, comparative politics and
political sociology.
This book presents the welfare regime of China as a liminal space
where religious and state authorities struggle for legitimacy as
new social forces emerge. It offers a unique analysis of relations
between religion and state in the People's Republic of China by
presenting how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) tries to harness
Buddhist resources to assist in the delivery of social services and
sheds light on the intermingling of Buddhism and the state since
1949. This book will appeal to academics in social sciences and
humanities and broader audiences interested in the social role of
religions, charity, NGOs, and in social policy implementation. The
author explores why the CCP turns to Buddhist followers and their
leaders and presents a detailed view of Buddhist philanthropy,
contextualized with an historical overview, a regional comparative
perspective, and a review of policy debates. This book contributes
to our understanding of secularity in a major non-Western society
influenced by religions other than Christianity.
This book presents the welfare regime of societies of Chinese
heritage as a liminal space where religious and state authorities
compete with each other for legitimacy. It offers a path-breaking
perspective on relations between religion and state in East Asia,
presenting how the governments of industrial societies try to
harness the human resources of religious associations to assist in
the delivery of social services. The book provides background to
the intermingling of Buddhism and the state prior to 1949; and the
continuation of that intertwinement in Taiwan and in other
societies where live many people of Chinese heritage since then.
The main contribution of this work is its detailed account of
Buddhist philanthropy as viewed from the perspectives of the state,
civil society, and Buddhists. This book will appeal to academics in
social sciences and humanities and broader audiences interested by
the social role of religions, charity, and NGOs, in social policy
implementation. It explores why governments turn to Buddhist
followers and their leaders and presents a detailed view of
Buddhist philanthropy. This book contributes to our understanding
of secularity in non-Western societies, as influenced by religions
other than Christianity.
The three-volume project 'Concepts and Methods for the Study of
Chinese Religions' presents a history of the study of Chinese
religions. It evaluates the current state of scholarship, discusses
a variety of analytical approaches and theories about methodology,
epistemology, and the ontology of the field. The three books
display an interdisciplinary approach and offer debates that
transcend national traditions. It engages with a variety of
methodologies for the study of East Asian religions and promotes
dialogues with Western and Chinese voices. This volume covers
successive historical stages in the study of religion in modern
China, draws out the genealogy of major figures and intellectual
achievements in a variety of research traditions, and highlights as
well the challenges and evolutions experienced by the main
disciplines in the last 30 years. This volume serves as a reference
for graduate students and scholars interested by religions in
modern Chinese societies (i.e., mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong
and Chinese communities oversea). Using a wide range of methods,
from textual analysis to fieldwork, it presents case studies via
the disciplines of religious studies, anthropology, sociology,
history, and political science.
Bringing together international experts on ethnicity and
nationalism, this book argues that competing moral economies play
an important role in ethnic and nationalist conflict. Its authors
investigate how the beliefs and practices that normatively regulate
and legitimize the distribution of wealth, power, and status in a
society - moral economies - are being challenged in identity-based
communities in ways that precipitate or exacerbate conflicts. The
combination of theoretical chapters and case studies ranging from
Africa and Asia to North America provides compelling evidence for
the value of moral economy analysis in understanding problems
associated with ethnic and nationalist mobilization and conflict.
As countries in Asia try to create unified polities, many face
challenges from minority groups within their own borders seeking
independence. This volume brings together international experts on
countries in all regions of Asia to debate how differently they
have responded to this problem. Why have some Asian countries, for
example, clamped down on their national minorities in favour of
homogeneity, whereas others have been willing to accommodate
statehood or at least some form of political autonomy? Together
they suggest broad patterns and explanatory factors that are rooted
in the domestic arena, including state structure and regime type,
as well as historical trajectories. In particular, they find that
the paths to independence, as well as the cultural elements that
have been selected to define post-colonial identities, have
decisively influenced state strategies. This is a global phenomenon
and the book explains the broader theoretical and political
implications but violence and ethnic unrest have been particularly
prevalent in Asia, and this is as true of China in its relationship
to Tibet, as of Burma and Sri Lanka in relation to their national
minorities. As the first book to analyse this phenomenon across
Asia, it will attract a readership of students and scholars across
a broad range of disciplines.
As countries in Asia try to create unified polities, many face
challenges from minority groups within their own borders seeking
independence. This volume brings together international experts on
countries in all regions of Asia to debate how differently they
have responded to this problem. Why have some Asian countries, for
example, clamped down on their national minorities in favour of
homogeneity, whereas others have been willing to accommodate
statehood or at least some form of political autonomy? Together
they suggest broad patterns and explanatory factors that are rooted
in the domestic arena, including state structure and regime type,
as well as historical trajectories. In particular, they find that
the paths to independence, as well as the cultural elements that
have been selected to define post-colonial identities, have
decisively influenced state strategies. This is a global phenomenon
and the book explains the broader theoretical and political
implications but violence and ethnic unrest have been particularly
prevalent in Asia, and this is as true of China in its relationship
to Tibet, as of Burma and Sri Lanka in relation to their national
minorities. As the first book to analyse this phenomenon across
Asia, it will attract a readership of students and scholars across
a broad range of disciplines.
Do authoritarian regimes manage ethnic pluralism better than
democracies? Is the process of democratization itself destructive
of inter-ethnic accomodation? The notable contributors to
Democratization and Identity explore and challenge such arguments
as they introduce the experiences of East and Southeast Asia into
the study of democratization in ethnically (including religiously)
diverse societies. This insightful volume views political regimes
and ethnic identities as co-constitutive: authoritarianism,
democratization, and democracy are interconnected processes of
(re)producing collective (including ethnic) identities and
political power, under the influence of entrenched and evolving
sociopolitical relations and forms of economic production.
Democratization and Identity suggests that the risk of ethnicized
conflict, exclusion, or hierarchy during democratization depends in
large part on the nature of the ethnic identities and relations
constituted during authoritarian rule. This collection's
theoretical breakthroughs and its country case studies shed light
on the prospects for ethnically inclusive and non-hierarchical
democratization across East and Southeast Asia and beyond.
Do authoritarian regimes manage ethnic pluralism better than
democracies? Is the process of democratization itself destructive
of inter-ethnic accomodation? The notable contributors to
Democratization and Identity explore and challenge such arguments
as they introduce the experiences of East and Southeast Asia into
the study of democratization in ethnically (including religiously)
diverse societies. This insightful volume views political regimes
and ethnic identities as co-constitutive: authoritarianism,
democratization, and democracy are interconnected processes of
(re)producing collective (including ethnic) identities and
political power, under the influence of entrenched and evolving
sociopolitical relations and forms of economic production.
Democratization and Identity suggests that the risk of ethnicized
conflict, exclusion, or hierarchy during democratization depends in
large part on the nature of the ethnic identities and relations
constituted during authoritarian rule. This collection's
theoretical breakthroughs and its country case studies shed light
on the prospects for ethnically inclusive and non-hierarchical
democratization across East and Southeast Asia and beyond.
With well over 100 million adherents, Buddhism emerged from
near-annihilation during the Cultural Revolution to become the
largest religion in China today. Despite this, Buddhism's rise has
received relatively little scholarly attention. The present volume,
with contributions by leading scholars in sociology, anthropology,
political science, and religious studies, explores the evolution of
Chinese Buddhism in the post-Mao period with a depth not seen
before in a single study. Chapters critically analyze the effects
of state policies on the evolution of Buddhist institutions; the
challenge of rebuilding temples under the watchful eye of the
state; efforts to rebuild monastic lineages and schools left broken
in the aftermath of Mao's rule; and the development of new lay
Buddhist spaces, both at temple sites and online. Through its
multidisciplinary perspectives, the book provides both an extensive
overview of the social and political conditions under which
Buddhism has grown as well as discussions of the individual
projects of both monastic and lay entrepreneurs who dynamically and
creatively carve out spaces for Buddhist growth in contemporary
Chinese society. As a wide-ranging study that illuminates many
facets of China's Buddhist revival, Buddhism after Mao will be
required reading for scholars of Chinese Buddhism and of Buddhism
and modernity more broadly. Its detailed case studies examining the
intersections among religion, state, and contemporary Chinese
society will be welcomed by sociologists and anthropologists of
China, political scientists focusing on the role of religion in
state formation in Asian societies, and all those interested in the
relationship between religion and social change.
With well over a 100 million adherents, Buddhism emerged from
near-annihilation during the Cultural Revolution to become the
largest religion in China today. Despite this, Buddhism's rise has
received relatively little scholarly attention. The present volume,
with contributions by leading scholars in sociology, anthropology,
political science, and religious studies, explores the evolution of
Chinese Buddhism in the post-Mao period with a depth not seen
before in a single study. Chapters critically analyze the effects
of state policies on the evolution of Buddhist institutions; the
challenge of rebuilding temples under the watchful eye of the
state; efforts to rebuild monastic lineages and schools left broken
in the aftermath of Mao's rule; and the development of new lay
Buddhist spaces, both at temple sites and online. Through its
multidisciplinary perspectives, the book provides both an extensive
overview of the social and political conditions under which
Buddhism has grown as well as discussions of the individual
projects of both monastic and lay entrepreneurs who dynamically and
creatively carve out spaces for Buddhist growth in contemporary
Chinese society. As a wide-ranging study that illuminates many
facets of China's Buddhist revival, Buddhism after Mao will be
required reading for scholars of Chinese Buddhism and of Buddhism
and modernity more broadly. Its detailed case studies examining the
intersections among religion, state, and contemporary Chinese
society will be welcomed by sociologists and anthropologists of
China, political scientists focusing on the role of religion in
state formation in Asian societies, and all those interested in the
relationship between religion and social change.
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