Living Theravada: Demystifying the People, Places, and Practices of a Buddhist Tradition

Schedneck (Religious Tourism in Northern Thailand), a Rhodes College religious studies professor, skillfully surveys contemporary Theravada Buddhism. Focusing on communities in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, Schedneck examines the experiences of monks and laity in three broad sections: people, practices, and sacred places and objects. Schedneck first explores the significance of Buddhist temples as sacred spaces and community centers, where monks and laity interact on a daily basis as well as during structured rituals. She also engages the sect’s gender dynamics: men can ordain as monks, while it’s more complicated for women, who may become “precept nuns,” though the role lacks the “rules, structure, or respect” of “a full monastic life.” Meanwhile, the practices section explains “merit-making activities,” in which the benefit from doing good is transferred from monks to laypeople through rituals or festivals. (“Monks represent a field of merit, while laity plant seeds in this field,” the author explains.) Appendices offer a list of different meditation centers and outline temple etiquette. Schedneck’s take is richly nuanced without sacrificing clarity, making for an entry that’s useful for Buddhism students and scholars. Readers will welcome this considered offering. (Apr.)