Spirits of the Place : Buddhism and Lao Religious Culture

Spirits of the Place is a rare and timely contribution to our understanding of religious culture in Laos and Southeast Asia. Most often studied as a part of Thai, Vietnamese, or Khmer history, Laos remains a terra incognita to most Westerners¿and to many of the people living throughout Asia as well. John Holt¿s new book brings this fascinating nation into focus. With its overview of Lao Buddhism and analysis of how shifting political power¿from royalty to democracy to communism¿has impacted Lao religious culture, the book offers an integrated account of the entwined political and religious history of Laos from the fourteenth century to the contemporary era.