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The Politics of Buddhist Organizations in Taiwan, 1989-2003
Safeguard the Faith, Build a Pure Land, Help the Poor
byAndré Laliberté, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canad

RoutledgeCurzon

August 2004: 234x156: 192pp
Hb: 0-415-32235-9: £60.00

Market: Buddhism, Politics and Asian Studies

Published by: Taylor and Francis Group

Synopsis:
Laliberté looks at a relatively unexplored aspect of modern Taiwan: the influence of religion on politics. This book offers a detailed survey of three of the most important Buddhist organizations in Taiwan: the Buddhist Association of the Republic of China (BAROC), the Buddha Light Mountain (or Foguanshan) monastic order, and the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Association (or Ciji). It examines their contrasting approaches to three issues: state supervision of religion, the first presidential election of 1996, and the establishment of the National Health Insurance. This study analyzes the factors that explain the diverse paths the three organizations have taken in the politics of Taiwan.

Contents:

Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations

1. The Political Participation of Taiwanese Buddhist Organizations in Comparative Perspective
2. Taiwanese Buddhist Organizations and Politics in Historical Perspective
3. The Baroc and the Safeguarding of the Religion through Lobbying
4. Foguangshan's Humanistic Buddhism and the Duty of Remonstrance
5. Chi's Humanistic Buddhism and the Avoidance of Politics
6. Conclusions

Appendices

Selected Bibliography