The Buddha's Tooth

"Strong marshals a wide range of sources and tells the story of the tooth relic in a compelling way . . . This is not just the story of a relic, but of western colonization and its appropriation or destruction of the traditions of the colonized." * Times Literary Supplement *
"Likely to give mythological thrillers a run for their money . . . The Buddha’s Tooth is an insightful book for those interested in world history, mediaeval times, Buddhist Studies, and for those interested in how stories spread and make histories." * Asian Review of Books *
"Strong [reveals] what the stories surrounding these two objects—their “storical evolution,” as it were—tell us about the West’s evolving concept of Buddhism after its initial colonial encounter and the way objects are infused with meaning, potency, and cultural import through centuries of narrative layering." * Buddhadharma *
"A fascinating and eminently readable account of Western encounters with the Buddha's tooth . . . The Buddha's Tooth offers a richly detailed study incorporating extensive primary source research, including information drawn from published historical accounts, travel diaries, administrative records, and personal correspondence." * Material Religion: The Journal of Objects, Art and Belief *
“Artfully conceived and elegantly written . . . This is a masterful work, one that brilliantly orchestrates a plethora of compelling historical particularities and telling details while also bringing into focus several original interpretive perspectives and analytical insights. . . . This is a work that deserves and will undoubtedly attract a wide readership across several academic disciplines.” * Journal of Religion *
"[An] outstanding piece of scholarship, exhaustively researched and beautifully written. . . . It is the rare book that can be read with benefit and interest by anyone working in any area of Buddhist Studies as well as by scholars of colonial-period South Asia.” * The Numata Center for Buddhist Studies *
“Insightful, provocative, and meticulously researched, The Buddha’s Tooth is a fascinating analysis of how European colonials comprehended and attempted to mitigate the ascribed powers of the most revered relic in Buddhist Sri Lanka. Strong’s intricate study leads its reader from an episodic rendering into a wide-ranging apprehension of how European conceptions of Buddhism were fashioned and further forged over four hundred years of encounter.” * John Holt, Bowdoin College *
“The product of extensive research, this authoritative book recounts how this sacred tooth has served as an object of religious and political significance to both the colonized and colonizers, adroitly illustrating many of the dominant Western approaches and attitudes toward Buddhism over the last several centuries.” * Stephen C. Berkwitz, Missouri State University *
“Strong offers a stimulating and perceptive study of how European and British persons engaged with Buddha relics materially and ideationally. This is a valuable contribution to intellectual and diplomatic history, as well as to our understanding of how European ideas about Buddhas and Buddhism altered over time.” * Anne M. Blackburn, Cornell University *
"John S. Strongʼs The Buddhaʼs Tooth: Western Tales of a Sri Lankan Relic expands the study of Buddhist relics in new directions. . . Employing a historiography focused on details, he avoids leveling out the history of these relics into a single uniform line of events. . . By reflecting the complexity of historical reality, the work is made richer, and more informative." * Reading Religion *