Download or read book Theravada Buddhism written by Richard F. Gombrich and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2006-09-27 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by the leading authority on Theravada Buddhism, this up-dated edition takes into account recent research to include the controversies over the date of the Buddha and current social and political developments in Sri Lanka. Gombrich explores the legacy of the Buddha's predecessors and the social and religious contexts against which Buddhism has developed and changed throughout history, demonstrating above all, how it has always influenced and been influenced by its social surroundings in a way which continues to this day.