This course offers an analysis of the rapidly expanding field of Engaged Buddhism. This term is used to refer to Buddhist scholars and practitioners who are seeking ways to apply the insights from Buddhist meditation practice and Buddhist teachings to situations of social, political, environmental, and economic suffering and injustice, bringing compassion into the world.
Engaged Buddhism
Course Description
Course Objective
The student:
- has knowledge, understanding and competences in the field of Engaged Buddhism
- is able to analyze engaged Buddhism from various interdisciplinary perspectives, engaging with Buddhological, philosophical, hermeneutical,political and ethical questions;
- can recognize, summarize and explain the dominant positions in the field of Engaged Buddhism
- can integrate the insights from the course and use them to analyze and discuss articles written by authoritative Buddhist thinkers;
- can integrate insights from this course and apply them to a case study;
- is aware of his/her own identity, fears, biases, and theological, philosophical, ethical and hermeneutical prejudices in engaging with Buddhist sources.
- has developed a capacity for meta-reflection on issues within the field of Engaged Buddhism.
Course Content
This course offers an analysis of the rapidly expanding field of Engaged Buddhism. This term is used to refer to Buddhist scholars and practitioners who are seeking ways to apply the insights from Buddhist meditation practice and Buddhist teachings to situations of social, political, environmental, and economic suffering and injustice, bringing compassion into the world.
Overview of topics to be discussed:
1. The foundations and key elements of Engaged Buddhist Thought and some leading voices in Engaged Buddhism (including Thich Nhat Hanh and Joanna Macy) and in Humanistic Buddhism (including Ven. Master Hsing Yun).
3. Marginalisation in the Buddhist traditions and Engaged Buddhist responses: Focus on Gender Equality, Sexualities, and Disability. Interdisciplinary approaches.
4. Buddhist Environmentalism: Engaged Buddhism in the Anthropocene and the Buddhist philosophies of nature
Additional Information Teaching Methods
Tutorials: literature
Required readings
- per session on/announced on CANVAS
Recommended Readings:
Overview article
Gleig, Ann 2021. Engaged Buddhism. The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion – Buddhism (ORE Religion), 2021. Open access at https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.755
Introductory books
*Fuller, Paul 2021. An Introduction to Engaged Buddhism. London:
Bloomsbury. ISBN: 9781350129085.
*King, Sallie B. 2009. Socially Engaged Buddhism. Honolulu: University
of Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN: 9780824833510.
Further
* Kottler, Arnold (ed.) 1996. Engaged Buddhist Reader: Ten Years of
Engaged Buddhist Publishing. Berkeley: Parallax.
* Loy, David 2019. Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological
Crisis. Somerville: Wisdom Publications.
* Macy, Joanna 2007. World as Lover, World as Self: Courage for Global
Justice and Ecological Renewal. Berkeley: Parallax Press.
* Nhat Hanh (Thich) 2013. Love Letter to the Earth. Berkeley: Parallax
Press.
Further readings on CANVAS.
They include seminal edited volumes such as
* Queen, Christopher S.; Prebish, Charles and Keown, Damien (eds.) 2003.
Action Dharma: New Studies in Engaged Buddhism (Routledge Critical
Studies in Buddhism). London and New York: Routledge.
* Queen, Christopher S. (ed.) 2000. Engaged Buddhism in the West.
Boston: Wisdom.
* Queen, Christopher S. and Sallie B. King (eds.) 1996. Engaged
Buddhism: Buddhist Liberation Movements in Asia. Albany: State
University of New York Press.
Study Characteristics
- Teachers: prof. dr. B. Scherer (b.scherer@vu.nl )
- Language: english
- ECTS: 6
- Academic skill: Discipline related
- Graduate School: FRT
- Discipline: Religion and Theology
- In class/online: In class
- Available to: PhD students VU
- Including assessment: yes
- With certificate: no
- Assessment type: 20%: Writing and presentation assignments
80%: final paper - Admission criteria: entry requirement (BA level Introduction to Buddhism course) For those feeling rusty in the academic study of Buddhism it is highly recommended to freshen up your knowledge by (re)reading a short academic introduction to Buddhism such as
Keown, Damien 2013. Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction. 2nd edition.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780199663835.
It is also useful to read in advance the accessible introduction:
King, Sallie B. 2009. Socially Engaged Buddhism. Honolulu: University of
Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN-13: 9780824833510
-
Course Description & Study Characteristics
Course Description
Course Objective
The student:
- has knowledge, understanding and competences in the field of Engaged Buddhism
- is able to analyze engaged Buddhism from various interdisciplinary perspectives, engaging with Buddhological, philosophical, hermeneutical,political and ethical questions;
- can recognize, summarize and explain the dominant positions in the field of Engaged Buddhism
- can integrate the insights from the course and use them to analyze and discuss articles written by authoritative Buddhist thinkers;
- can integrate insights from this course and apply them to a case study;
- is aware of his/her own identity, fears, biases, and theological, philosophical, ethical and hermeneutical prejudices in engaging with Buddhist sources.
- has developed a capacity for meta-reflection on issues within the field of Engaged Buddhism.Course Content
This course offers an analysis of the rapidly expanding field of Engaged Buddhism. This term is used to refer to Buddhist scholars and practitioners who are seeking ways to apply the insights from Buddhist meditation practice and Buddhist teachings to situations of social, political, environmental, and economic suffering and injustice, bringing compassion into the world.
Overview of topics to be discussed:
1. The foundations and key elements of Engaged Buddhist Thought and some leading voices in Engaged Buddhism (including Thich Nhat Hanh and Joanna Macy) and in Humanistic Buddhism (including Ven. Master Hsing Yun).
3. Marginalisation in the Buddhist traditions and Engaged Buddhist responses: Focus on Gender Equality, Sexualities, and Disability. Interdisciplinary approaches.
4. Buddhist Environmentalism: Engaged Buddhism in the Anthropocene and the Buddhist philosophies of natureAdditional Information Teaching Methods
Tutorials: literature
Required readings
- per session on/announced on CANVAS
Recommended Readings:
Overview article
Gleig, Ann 2021. Engaged Buddhism. The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion – Buddhism (ORE Religion), 2021. Open access at https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.755
Introductory books
*Fuller, Paul 2021. An Introduction to Engaged Buddhism. London:
Bloomsbury. ISBN: 9781350129085.
*King, Sallie B. 2009. Socially Engaged Buddhism. Honolulu: University
of Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN: 9780824833510.
Further
* Kottler, Arnold (ed.) 1996. Engaged Buddhist Reader: Ten Years of
Engaged Buddhist Publishing. Berkeley: Parallax.
* Loy, David 2019. Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological
Crisis. Somerville: Wisdom Publications.
* Macy, Joanna 2007. World as Lover, World as Self: Courage for Global
Justice and Ecological Renewal. Berkeley: Parallax Press.
* Nhat Hanh (Thich) 2013. Love Letter to the Earth. Berkeley: Parallax
Press.
Further readings on CANVAS.
They include seminal edited volumes such as
* Queen, Christopher S.; Prebish, Charles and Keown, Damien (eds.) 2003.
Action Dharma: New Studies in Engaged Buddhism (Routledge Critical
Studies in Buddhism). London and New York: Routledge.
* Queen, Christopher S. (ed.) 2000. Engaged Buddhism in the West.
Boston: Wisdom.
* Queen, Christopher S. and Sallie B. King (eds.) 1996. Engaged
Buddhism: Buddhist Liberation Movements in Asia. Albany: State
University of New York Press.
Study Characteristics
- Teachers: prof. dr. B. Scherer (b.scherer@vu.nl )
- Language: english
- ECTS: 6
- Academic skill: Discipline related
- Graduate School: FRT
- Discipline: Religion and Theology
- In class/online: In class
- Available to: PhD students VU
- Including assessment: yes
- With certificate: no
- Assessment type: 20%: Writing and presentation assignments
80%: final paper - Admission criteria: entry requirement (BA level Introduction to Buddhism course) For those feeling rusty in the academic study of Buddhism it is highly recommended to freshen up your knowledge by (re)reading a short academic introduction to Buddhism such as
Keown, Damien 2013. Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction. 2nd edition.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780199663835.
It is also useful to read in advance the accessible introduction:
King, Sallie B. 2009. Socially Engaged Buddhism. Honolulu: University of
Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN-13: 9780824833510