Theravada Buddhism and the British Encounter: Religious, Missionary and Colonial Experience in Nineteenth Century Sri Lanka

by Harris; Elizabeth

• ISBN13: 9780415371254
• ISBN10: 0415371252
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-05-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This work explores the British encounter with Buddhism in nineteenth century Sri Lanka. Its central concern is the way Buddhism was represented and constructed in the eyes of the British scholars, officials, travelers and religious seekers who first encountered it. The book traces the three main historical phases of the encounter from 1796 to 1900 and gives a sensitive and nuanced exegesis of the cultural and political influences which shaped the early British understanding of Buddhism and which would condition its subsequent transmission to the West. This work fills a significant gap in scholarship on Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka by concentrating on missionary writings and by a thorough exploration of original materials of several important pioneers in Buddhist Studies and Mission Studies. It expands the readers' understanding of inter-religious relations between Christians and Buddhists.

Author Biography

Elizabeth J. Harris is an Honorary Lecturer at Birmingham University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. xi
List of abbreviations	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
1796-1830	p. 9
Introduction	p. 11
The early British visitors: mapping the ground	p. 20
1830-1870	p. 35
Introduction	p. 37
The arrogance of power: the memoir writers	p. 44
Christian exclusivism: the Protestant missionaries and their friends	p. 53
Missionary scholars: Daniel Gogerly and Robert Spence Hardy	p. 62
Buddhism's glorious core: Turnour's allies	p. 76
1870-1900	p. 87
Introduction	p. 89
The Buddha as hero: Arnold's The Light of Asia	p. 96
Buddhism as nihilism: the missionary perspective	p. 101
Romantic other, negative spin: Constance Gordon Cumming	p. 110
Buddhism as life-affirming: contesting the missionaries	p. 117
Contrasting scholars: R.S. Copleston and T.W. Rhys Davids	p. 125
Balancing the exoteric and the esoteric: theosophists in Sri Lanka	p. 139
Convert to compassion: Allan Bennett	p. 148
Remodelling Buddhist belief and practice: the dynamics of Protestant Buddhism	p. 161
The British as witnesses to the tradition: continuity and ruption	p. 163
The roots of Buddhist modernism	p. 168
One tradition, differing voices	p. 181
Threat to the Dhamma, a Dhamma renewed	p. 186
Discourses of contempt: the encounter between Buddhists and Christian missionaries	p. 189
Co-existence and dual belonging	p. 191
World views in collision	p. 195
Betrayal and retaliation	p. 198
The twentieth century	p. 205
Epilogue	p. 213
Glossary	p. 219
Notes	p. 223
Bibliography	p. 246
Index	p. 262
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