Events

CHAIRPERSON

Asst Prof Jack Meng-Tat Chia, Department of History, National University of Singapore

ABSTRACT

Thailand, with its tens of thousands of temples and mega Buddha statues dotting the landscape, is widely seen as a country full of Buddhist faithful. But what causes this faith? How do Thai Buddhists maintain their faith and what causes it to decrease? In this presentation, I argue that the wide circulation of monastic images is a significant factor in the issue of faith. From photographs of monks displaying inappropriate behavior against monastic rules on social media and Thai news outlets to delicate paintings and airbrushed photographs of well-known meditation master monks given out at temples, the reception of the monastic image reveals the state of faith for Buddhist laity. Utilizing analysis of Thai media from the last ten years and my recent research from August-December 2023 with ten focus groups of temple community members, I demonstrate the ways Buddhist laity are affected by monastic performance, behavior, and actions via mediated images in contemporary Thailand.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Brooke Schedneck is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Rhodes College. Her work focuses on contemporary Buddhism and religious tourism in Thailand, and she spent years teaching and conducting research in Chiang Mai. Her work has been featured in academic journals and publications such as Tricycle, Aeon, and The Conversation. In 2020, Dr Schedneck published a co-edited volume titled Buddhist Tourism in Asia and her second monograph, Religious Tourism in Northern Thailand, was short-listed for the EuroSEAS Humanities Book Prize 2022. Her introduction to contemporary Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia, Living Theravada, was published with Shambhala Publications in 2023.

REGISTRATION

Registration is closed. However, we welcome walk-ins to join us if there are available seats.