HREB00051U REL, Contemporary Buddhism in Asia

Buddhism in the contemporary, modern world has undergone swift and dramatic transformations in the past few decades, mostly due to the influence of globalization and modernization processes. This course takes a closer look at contemporary configurations of Buddhism and the manner in which these modern and global transformations are taking place.  While Buddhism in European-American contexts comes quickly to mind when considering the impact of globalization on Buddhism, this course pays particular attention to how contemporary Buddhism is being transformed in a number of regional contexts, with Asia as a primary focus. We will look at regional distinctions in the development of Buddhism, as well as the global spread of common trends, such as the influence of modernization, globalization, secularization and even youth, and the impact of contemporary understandings of science, psychology, politics, economics, etc. Covering both regional developments and trends in contemporary Buddhism along with a discussion of theoretical approaches for analyzing these developments, students will acquire a wide range of skills which aid in examining contemporary religion in the global, modern world.