Political parties strategically use monks for legitimacy while resisting their influence

Evidence

Sri Lanka’s major political parties have manipulated the monks—seeking their imprimatur to legitimize political platforms but trying to counter their influence upon winning office—and some frustrated bhikkhus have tried to play a more direct role in politics. At the same time, new parties fully subscribing to the nationalist ideology have attained prominence, and the UNP and, especially, the SLFP have adopted hardline positions. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 156

Categorization

• XREF: Instrumental use of religious authority for group legitimacy connects to reader’s question about how ideological conviction is deployed strategically by elites. — connects to: Monks built anachronistic historical claims to legitimize politicized Buddhism — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 51; The monks’ party pursues parallel ethno-religious and war policies. — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist…, 173; Religious claims can serve legitimacy or resistance functions in nationalism — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized:…, 207 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Monks built anachronistic historical claims to legitimize politicized Buddhism #corroborates (0.92) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 51
• The monks’ party pursues parallel ethno-religious and war policies. #expands (0.85) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 173
• Religious claims can serve legitimacy or resistance functions in nationalism #expands (0.85) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 207
• Buddhism’s doctrine-dependent-on-patronage structure justifies its state favoritism #qualifies (0.75) — Neil DeVotta, Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology, 148