Constitutions, Religion and Politics in Asia

Constitutions, Religion and Politics in Asia
Author: Dian A. H. Shah
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2017-10-26
Genre: History
ISBN: 1107183340

Shah uncovers the complex interaction between constitutional law, religion and politics in three key plural societies in Asia.

Religion, Conflict and Peace in Sri Lanka

Religion, Conflict and Peace in Sri Lanka
Author: Jude Lal Fernando
Publisher: LIT Verlag Münster
Total Pages: 381
Release: 2013
Genre: History
ISBN: 3643904282

"A detailed and original work on a specific conflict....A useful platform for wider insights into the requirements of conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes more generally." -- Dr. Iain Atack, International Peace Studies, Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity Coll., Dublin *** "A very valuable contribution to the history and the sociology of Sri Lanka and also to the search for a just solution for the Tamils." -- Francois Houtart, Professor Emeritus, Catholic U. of Louvain *** "The author's mastery of Sinhala, Tamil and English has given him a special cultural competence to analyse the Sri Lankan conflict within a geopolitical setting." -- Peter Schalk, Professor Emeritus, Uppsala U. *** "A challenging contribution to an ongoing critical examination of the connection between state and religion." -- Prof. Dr. Lieve Troch, Cultural and Religious Sciences, UMESP, Sao Paulo (Series: Theology, Ethics and Interreligious Relations. Studies in Ecumenics - Vol. 2)

Buddhism, Politics and the Limits of Law

Buddhism, Politics and the Limits of Law
Author: Benjamin Schonthal
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2016-11-17
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1107152232

Examining Sri Lanka's religious and legal pasts, this is the first extended study of Buddhism and constitutional law.

Buddhism Betrayed?

Buddhism Betrayed?
Author: Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 232
Release: 1992-07-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0226789500

This volume seeks to answer the question of how the Buddhist monks in today's Sri Lanka—given Buddhism's traditionally nonviolent philosophy—are able to participate in the fierce political violence of the Sinhalese against the Tamils.

Buddhist Monks and the Politics of Lanka's Civil War

Buddhist Monks and the Politics of Lanka's Civil War
Author: Suren Raghavan
Publisher: Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies Monographs
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2018-08-06
Genre:
ISBN: 9781781795743

The war in Sri Lanka was violent and costly in human and material terms. This was one of the longest wars in modern South Asia. Often referred to as an 'ethnic' conflict between the majority Sinhalas and the minority Tamils, the war had a profound religious dimension. The majority of Sinhala Buddhist monks (the Sangha) not only opposed any meaningful powersharing but latterly advocated an all-out military solution. Such a nexus between Buddhism and violence is paradoxical; nevertheless it has a historical continuity. In 2009 when the war ended amid serious questions of war crimes and crimes against humanity, monks defended the military and its Buddhist leadership. Taking the lives of three key Sangha activists as the modern framework of a Sinhala Buddhist worldview, this book examines the limitations of Western theories of peacebuilding and such solutions as federalism and multinationalism. It analyzes Sinhala Buddhist ethnoreligious nationalism and argues for the urgent need to engage Buddhist politics - in Lanka and elsewhere - with approaches and mechanisms that accommodate the Sangha as key actors in political reform. Sinhala Buddhism is often studied from a sociological or anthropological standpoint. This book fills a gap by examining the faith and practice of the Sinhala Sangha and their followers from a political science perspective.

Reaping The Whirlwind

Reaping The Whirlwind
Author: K M de Silva
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 453
Release: 2000-10-14
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9351184285

A critical analysis of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka In the eighties, Sri Lanka, once considered the ‘model’ colony, was torn apart by ethnic strife between the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalas, constituting almost threequarters of the island’s inhabitants, and the numerically fewer Tamils, who were a mix of Hindus, Christians and Muslims. Massacres occurred after the riots of May 1983, and over time about 1,25,000 Tamils entered India as refugees, fleeing from a virtual civil war which still afflicts the north of the island. The author, a renowned Sri Lankan analyst of global ethnic conflict, discusses the historical reasons behind the ethnic violence, especially the growth of the Sinhalas’ feeling of being a beleagured minority despite their numerical strength. Analysing the present conflict, he shows how the language policy of ‘Sinhala Only’, followed by the government in the sixties, supplanted religion as a divisive factor and how rivalry over educational and employment opportunities fuelled the schism. Bringing the story up to the present, de Silva examines the role played by Indian and Tamil Nadu politicians, and President Kumaratunga’s efforts towards a devolution of power to the Tamil Provinces. But given the LTTE’s acceptance of nothing less than Eelam, he sees little hope of an early end to the violence that has racked Sri Lanka for almost two decades now.

The Development of Christianity in Sri Lanka and Its Political Implications, AD 50 - AD 2005

The Development of Christianity in Sri Lanka and Its Political Implications, AD 50 - AD 2005
Author: Andrew Lythall
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Total Pages: 38
Release: 2008
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3640126793

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Miscellaneous, grade: A, Concordia University Montreal, course: BA Politics, 29 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The development of Christianity in Sri Lanka has been a long and complex process. Christianity has been instrumental in the development of modern Sri Lankan politics and culture. In this paper I will attempt to map the development of Christianity on the island and assess its resultant political implications. I will also attempt to prove that Christianity has played a major role in the political development of present day Sri Lankan democracy. I. Background Christian development in Sri Lanka could have started as early as AD c.50 when, according to legend, St. Thomas the Apostle set foot upon the island to preach the message of the gospels.1 Since then, Sri Lanka has experienced several stages of Christian development- which can be loosely mapped as a transition from Roman Catholicism to Modern Denominationalism- primarily orchestrated by the ruling power that happened to be enjoying occupation of the island at the time. Because each of these powers (namely the Portuguese, Dutch and British) attempted to impose their own brand of Christianity on the region and met with varying degrees of success, modern Sri Lankan Christianity is a rich tapestry of denominational beliefs including, in order of primacy, Catholicism (over 85%), Anglicanism, Dutch Reformism and Non- Conformism (including Baptists and American Congregationalists).2 The number of Christians in Sri Lanka is considerable; of 20,064,776 residents, 6.2% (roughly 1.25 million) consider themselves Christian (2001 census data).3 Furthermore, Christians comprised over 10.6% of the population during the high British colonial period (c.1900). Thus, as a large minority group, Christian development inherently affected- and still affects- the development of Sri Lankan politics as a whole. Th

Pragmatic Muslim Politics

Pragmatic Muslim Politics
Author: Andreas Johansson
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 153
Release: 2019-04-04
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 3030127893

This book analyses and discusses the use of Islamic terms and symbols in the political party Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC). It is based on interviews with the leading members of the party and on analyses of the party’s official documents. It describes the history of Muslims in Sri Lanka, presents the analytical framework used, and discusses the official documents and narratives of party members, as well as the details of the Ashraff and Hakeem terms in Parliament. The book provides knowledge about the state of religion and politics in Sri Lanka, and provides insight into how a religious political Muslim party functions as a pragmatic rather than fundamentalist movement. Representing a recent study on the complex relationship between religion and politics, this book greatly advances our understanding of the power of religion and its effect on both individual lives and society.

Being a Christian in Sri Lanka

Being a Christian in Sri Lanka
Author: Leonard Pinto
Publisher: Balboa Press
Total Pages: 967
Release: 2015-07-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1452528624

Most people know something about their own religions. That knowledge is usually restricted to what is going on at the present time. When it comes to how their religions developed in their countries, their knowledge is on shakier grounds. As for religion in foreign lands, well, for many, that information is nonexistent. Author Leonard Pintos Being a Christian in Sri Lanka: Historical, Political, Social, and Religious Considerations is a critique based on the observations and experience of a Sri Lankan Christian. Pinto shares the history and importance of religion in his native land. Youll learn about Portuguese, Dutch, and British rule in the country formerly known as Ceylon, and how each affected religion there. Pinto dispels popular views about how ruling countries dealt with Christianity and other religions, and with those who practiced them. Youll learn how religion is practiced today from someone who lives it firsthand. Pintos book goes beyond the boundaries of Sri Lanka in assessing the problems faced by Christianity from the corrosive effects of the Age of Enlightenment. In Being a Christian in Sri Lanka: Historical, Political, Social, and Religious Considerations, Pinto comes to the conclusion Sri Lanka would benefit from a Sri Lankan national identity for all its citizens. Hegemony based on ethnicity and religion is dissuaded. Youll also find Pintos conclusions relevant to other countries.