Buddhist Manuscript Cultures

This book explores how Buddhist material culture as well as literary and artistic traditions shaped religious and cultural practices in pre-modern Asia. Specifically, they investigate the roles manuscripts and images play in the transmission of Buddhist texts and in fostering devotion among Buddhist communities. Collectively, the book offer cross-cultural and comparative insights into the transmission of Buddhist knowledge and the use of texts and images as ritual objects in the artistic and aesthetic traditions of Buddhist cultures. Contributions are by reputed scholars in Buddhist Studies and as a whole represent diverse disciplinary approaches from art history, religious studies, history and anthropology. The comparative focus of the book on the use of manuscripts and other forms of texts will make a distinctive contribution to the field of Buddhist Studies.

Author Biography

Stephen C. Berkwitz is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Missouri State University. His research focuses on Buddhist Studies in Sri Lanka. At present he is preparing “South Asian Buddhism: A Survey”, also for publication with Routledge. Juliane Schober is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies, Arizona State University. Her research focuses on Theravada Buddhism in Burma, particularly on ritual, sacred geography, and the veneration of icons in the modern state cult. Claudia Brown is Professor of Art History, Arizona State University. Her research interest is the History of Art with an emphasis in Chinese painting.