Religion

Golden pagodas and saffron-clad monks are among the most common visuals associated with Myanmar. Buddhism has fundamentally shaped the country’s cultural history and is unquestionably recognised as its predominant religious tradition. Much of religion in Myanmar could be captured through an overview of Buddhism; however, three complexities challenge such an approach. Most obvious is the presence of religious traditions that are differentiated from Buddhism. Forms of animism (i.e., nat religion) and worship of Hindu gods are nearly ubiquitous. ¹ Christianity is identified as the majority religion of major ethnic groups such as the Kachin, Chin, and Kayin. ² Islam has been present in Myanmar’s territories for over a millennium and currently stands as the country’s largest non-Buddhist religion. ³ Beyond pluralism, the beginning and end of religion is nearly impossible to discern. History, politics, education, and the law have all been intimately entwined with religion. ⁴ Myanmar lacks what we might call a robust distinction between religious and secular domains. ⁵ Third and perhaps most troublesome, the very definition of religion in Myanmar is actively contested. What counts as religion? How is religion related to other forms of identity (e.g., race or citizenship)? Which religions belong to Myanmar? Debate over such questions has generated multiple and often conflicting conceptions of religion by persons and institutions in unequal positions of power. ⁶