This monograph examines the theological paradigms within Buddhism, a religion that interacts with the world without narratives of genesis and eschatology. This book argues that there is a need to study and understand this interdependent relation between the religious and the secular political world. For many decades, Buddhism in the West has been conceived as an ‘other-worldly’ religion with very little or – at least – limited authority in the public arena. This partial view of the Buddhist path overlooks the potential of Buddhism to interpret reality and help establish new causes and conditions to improve it. This book is rooted in Buddhism and seeks to develop a Buddhist theology in order to understand how international relations, as part of the contingent reality, are subject to change. Thus there is the possibility of reconstructing reality through the sum of individual will expressed in social groups, institutions and states.

Editorial Reviews

“… makes a seminal and challenging contribution to the contemporary debates on religion and politics and the role and extend of theology and international relations within a multi-disciplinary approach to the study and understanding of contemporary politics.” (Prof. Mario I. Aguilar University of St. Andrews)”