Faculty of Arts & Science
Religious Studies

RELS4110N: Modern Buddhism - Spring 2013 Course Offering

Instructor:  John S. Harding
Time: 6:00-8:50pm, Wednesdays, UH B730              

Required Texts:

• 2002, Donald S. Lopez Jr., ed., A Modern Buddhist Bible: Essential Readings from East and West (Beacon)
• 2012, David McMahan, ed., Buddhism in the Modern World (Routledge)
• 2009, Bhushan, Garfield and Zablocki, eds., TransBuddhism: Transmission, Translation, and Transformation, (U of Mass)

Description: Buddhism has become a global religious, cultural and commercial force far beyond its 2,500 year-old origins in India. While it remains an influential religious tradition throughout much of Asia for its teachings, temples, images and ideals, Buddhism is undergoing significant transformations in Asia while simultaneously taking root in other parts of the world. Modern Buddhism is not simply Western Buddhism or even Buddhism worldwide due to Western influence. Instead, many of the modernizing changes to the tradition occurred first in Asia.

In this seminar we will explore the development of Buddhism from the late nineteenth century to the present in and beyond Asia. By examining modernizing influences on Buddhism, we will be able to engage with the global dimensions and connections that have shaped this tradition.

Interactive class discussions and writing assignments will address a selection of scholarly articles and primary materials representative of influential modern Buddhists. Close reading, active participation, and a carefully analyzed research paper will facilitate comprehension of Modern Buddhism and this global phenomenon’s complex, cross-cultural relationships within Asia and between Asia and the West.

Prerequisite: RELS2200 - The Buddhist Tradition or instructor’s permission 

*(There is no final exam (or any other exam) for this course)