Buddhism and Law: an introduction
edited by
Rebecca Redwood French
Mark A. Nathan
As the
first comprehensive study of Buddhism and law in Asia, this interdisciplinary
volume challenges the concept of Buddhism as an apolitical religion without
implications for law. Buddhism and Law draws on the expertise of the foremost
scholars in Buddhist studies and in law to trace the legal aspects of the
religion from the time of the Buddha to the present. In some cases, Buddhism
provided the crucial architecture for legal ideologies and secular law codes,
while in other cases it had to contend with a preexisting legal system, to
which it added a new layer of complexity. The wide-ranging studies in this book
reveal a diversity of relationships between Buddhist monastic codes and secular
legal systems in terms of substantive rules, factoring, and ritual practices.
This volume will be an essential resource for all students and teachers in
Buddhist studies, law and religion, and comparative law.
