Buddhism Transformed: Religious Change in Sri Lanka
Abstract
In this study a social and cultural anthropologist and a specialist in the study of religion pool their talents to examine recent changes in popular religion in Sri Lanka. As the Sinhalas themselves perceive it, Buddhism proper has always shared the religious arena with a spirit religion. While Buddhism concerns salvation, the spirit religion focuses on worldly welfare. Buddhism Transformed describes and analyzes the changes that have profoundly altered the character of Sinhala religion in both areas.
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Anagārika Dharmapāla is perhaps the most influential figure in the Buddhist revival movement in Sri Lanka at the turn of the twentieth century.
“Anaga ¯rika Dharmapa ¯la is perhaps the most influential figure in the Buddhist revival movement in Sri Lanka at the turn of the twentieth century.”
From Theravādizing Ghost Festival in Taiwan (2012) · cites this paper as Gombrich and Obeyesekere 1988
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- Venue
- Choice Reviews Online
- Publisher
- American Library Association
- Published
- 1989-06-01
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 26-5618-26-5618
- ISSN
- 0009-4978 (ISSN-L)
- 1523-8253
- OpenAlex
- W1963487354
- Cited by
- 471
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 6 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 16
- Type
- book review
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Choice Reviews Online (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Indian and Buddhist Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Study and Philosophy of Religion
- Social Sciences › Geography, Planning and Development › Religious Tourism and Spaces
- Keywords
- Buddhism, Sinhala Buddhism, religious change, folk religion, salvation, Sri Lanka
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