Relation between religion and politics in Burma

Vol.11,No.1(2013)

Eva Lukášová

Stable URL (handle):
http://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/130861

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Abstract
The article is a case study, which is concerned with the relations between religion and politics in Burma mainly in postcolonial period. Burma is a country where nondemocratic military regime as well as Theravada Buddhism, the major religion, influences the functioning of the society. Politics and Buddhism enter the mutual interactions, which constitute different forms of relations. The aim of the article is to describe what the forms of mutual relations are and how they form main actors. The article is inspired by relational approach of studying social phenomenon. Between two main actors, the Buddhist Sangha and the political elite, four types of relations are identified which appeared during the modern period of the history. Because of these relations the actors gain different characteristics. These characteristics are: the Buddhist political regime, the regime hostile to the Buddhism, the antiregime Sangha and the Sangha cooperating with the regime.

Keywords:
religion; politics; buddhism; Sangha; Burma (Myanmar); relations; relational approach

Pages:
31–44
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