七頭推介：

這本書企圖論說台灣四大山頭─慈濟功德會、佛光山、法鼓山與行天宮在現代化與建立公民社會的過程中，如何調適台灣在傳統到現代的道德價值不適；同時，佛教與道教，如何在解嚴以後的台灣與活躍的公民社會同步滋長，並傳統宗教的現代化，甚至成為台灣主體建構與身份認同的重要一環。作者亦致力駁斥儒教傳統有碍民主發展的迷思。惟個人覺得在佛教義理與民主的契合方面，作者的分析有欠深度，只停留在社會現象的表層分析。但作為了解現代宗教及台灣社會的讀物，這書值得一看。

This book explores the remarkable religious renaissance that has reformed, revitalized, and renewed the practices of Buddhism and Daoism in Taiwan. Democracy's Dharma connects these noteworthy developments to Taiwan's transition to democracy and the burgeoning needs of its new middle classes. Richard Madsen offers fresh thinking on Asian religions and shows that the public religious revival was not only encouraged by the early phases of the democratic transition but has helped to make that transition successful and sustainable. Madsen makes his argument through vivid case studies of four groups--Tzu Chi (the Buddhist Compassion Relief Association), Buddha's Light Mountain, Dharma Drum Mountain, and the Enacting Heaven Temple--and his analysis demonstrates that the Taiwan religious renaissance embraces a democratic modernity.

Richard Madsen is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, San Diego.