Buddhist and Islamic orders in southern Asia : comparative perspectives /

Comprising eight papers emanating from the 2013 conference "Orders and Itineraries: Comparative Religious Networks in Southern Asia," this insightful volume compares Buddhist and Muslim orders in Southern Asia--defined here as India, Sri Lanka, mainland Southeast Asia and the Himalayas, and the Indonesian archipelago. The rich interaction of the traditions owes its complexity to the dense and intercultural nature of the region, and the collection brings that into sharp focus. Feener (Islamic studies, Univ. of Oxford, UK) and Blackburn (Buddhist studies, Cornell Univ.) wanted to create a space for this exchange, and they accomplished that goal. They also aimed to cross regional and national boundaries in order to examine the religious orders as they move and change in context. This approach suggests a welcome, fresh way look at study of religion. Valuable to scholars in a broad range of disciplines, this collection is a model of scholarly inquiry. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. --Linda L. Lam-Easton, California State University, Northridge