Abstract:
The institution of formal empire is not limited to studies of the past, but shows itself
as a present possibility. This article employs the new discipline of comparative
missiology to examine the relationship between missionary religions and empire.
As Buddhism and Christianity parallel one another as two global religions that have
spread beyond their communities of origin due to the sending of proselytisers or
missionaries, they have relied on the frameworks, features, and power dynamics of
empire, whether intentionally or not. Early in their respective histories, each tradition
had an emperor who converted to the faith and then promoted the religion by
patronising missionaries. This dynamic continues in the example of the propulsion
of the figure of the 14th Dalai Lama onto the world stage. The historical examples in
both the ancient and recent past serve to demonstrate the reliance of the missionary
endeavours on empire for the spread of their respective religions.
