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.
#2142623 in Books Ross Hassig 2001-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .55 x 5.98l; .86 #File Name: 029273140X256 pagesTime History And Belief In Aztec And Colonial Mexico
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. ScholarshipBy K. SalmonHassig; in my opinion; is a meticulous and detailed scholar who studies his subjects from source documents and is very careful about what they actually say... and what they don't. Refusing to draw facile conclusions; and pointing out the fallacies of too broad an application of the universal theory he does rather a lot to enlighten one on the multitude of calendars of the mesoamerican world without trying to make them all the same. His balanced and thoughtful view make for a much better understanding of the subject.
