Eleventh International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The subject of this study is politically engaged Buddhism in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam. The review shows the tradition of world-oriented Buddhism (from Taixu humanist Buddhism to Thich Tri Quang Buddhist Struggle Movement and engaged Thich Nhat Hanha Buddhism), the modernization of Vietnamese Buddhism (the emergence of new supra-local, national and supranational organizations and networks), specific actors ( Thich Tri Quang, Thich Nhat Hanh) and the connection of their versions of Buddhism to the context of their home pagodas (Tu Dam, Tu Hieu). It considers Buddhism as a religion with its own potential for the political action of lay people and monks. The review makes concrete suggestions on how the sociology of religion can get rid of its colonial grounding.