Religion and State-Formation in Transitional Societies

Taking into account the importance religion has regained in politics all over the world, this work addresses one of the most fundamental questions of our time: How do religion, violence and the modern state relate to each other? The puzzle which the book seeks to solve relates to the rationality behind committing self-immolation in order to instigate political change. How can one’s own death be a political tool, especially if we consider Hobbes, who believed that safeguarding lives was the very reason to form a state? Can a religious player be rational, especially since Weber claimed that basing behaviour on values is always — to varying degrees — irrational? What impact does religion have on decision-making? How can differences in behaviour be explained? This book examines the link between religion, state formation and rationality theoretically and provides deep empirical insights into the politics of Buddhism in Sri Lanka from its independence until today.
The work was awarded the Dr. Gerhard Ott Prize of Heidelberg University and the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.