New Books in Buddhist Studies Sonia Faleiro, "The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism Is Shaping Modern Asia" (Columbia UP, 2025)
Nov 14, 2025
Sonia Faleiro, an acclaimed nonfiction journalist, discusses her groundbreaking work on the rise of Buddhist extremism in modern Asia. She highlights how radical monks have weaponized spirituality, transforming peaceful traditions into tools of terror. Faleiro connects colonial legacies, ethnic tensions, and political alliances to the current violence. She also sheds light on the role of transnational networks, the targeting of Muslims, and the brave efforts of dissident monks resisting extremism. Her insights are crucial for understanding this troubling trend.
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Historical Roots Shape Today's Extremism
- Sonia Faleiro traced violent Buddhist nationalism across India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand through archival and field research.
- She links contemporary extremism to long historical processes and recent regional dynamics.
Postwar Militarization Enabled Religious Policing
- The Sri Lankan civil war militarized society and normalized emergency powers, fusing Sinhalese Buddhism with state security.
- That triumphal postwar mood redirected insecurity into ongoing cultural and exclusionary politics.
Empire's Social Order Still Drives Conflict
- Colonial rule introduced racial hierarchies that restructured belonging and fuelled intercommunal friction still exploited today.
- Faleiro argues the wounds of empire and unresolved trauma help explain contemporary exclusionary movements.
