...identity. the volume's title is somewhat ungraceful, the essays taken together constitute a virtual treasure trove of information on Khmer Buddhism in all its many facets. Cambodian religion has been vastly understudied in modern times, even considering the important contributions of Bizot, de Bernon, Forest, and Ang in French. In the last year we have been presented with three new books in the field in English: Ian Harris' work on the history of Cambodian Buddhism, Stephen Asma's account of a personal journey through lived Theravada Buddhism, and this collection by Marston and Guthrie. While the first is a valuable new synthetic contribution and the second a fun ride, as an anthropologist I find the Marston/Guthrie volume exciting in its scope.

The first section of the book focuses on re-reading Khmer religious history, with pieces by Ashley Thompson, Anne Hanson, and Penny Edwards. Thompson's work here and in other venues on the middle period of Khmer history serves to destroy the myth that the period after the fall of Angkor was...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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