REL4160 – Buddhist Modernities

Course content

Buddhism has adapted to rapid economic, social, cultural and political transformations in the modern, post-modern and globalized world.

Since its inception in India in the sixth century BC, Buddhism spread, first throughout Asia, and then globally in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Buddhism has shown a remarkable flexibility and an ability to co-exist with a variety of social structures as it spread not only to farming and herding societies, but also to highly complex Asian and Western urban centers.

In the West, the popularity of Buddhism was inspired by the academic study of Asian religions, the romanticism of Orientalism, the Beat-generation of the 1950s, the hippies of the 1960s and the contemporary New Age-movement – as well as by Asian migration to the West. Buddhists work, not only for world peace, but also for increased social engagement, ecological awareness and gender equality.

At the same time – both in the past and in the contemporary world – Buddhist clerics have encouraged to, and also engaged in, armed conflicts and wars.

This class covers, with a thematic and/or regional focus, such modern Buddhist developments.

Learning outcome

After completing this course you will

  • have knowledge about Buddhist modernity in different parts of the world
  • be able to analyze and discuss how globalization, secularization, rationalization, individualization affect contemporary Buddhism
  • be able to apply theoretical concepts to understand Buddhist modernity
  • be able to give an account of religious change and religious pluralism
  • get insight into engaged Buddhism

Admission

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisite knowledge

Registered MA-student.

The course requires good knowledge of English.

Overlapping courses

The student is responsible for making sure that the course content does not overlap with other courses the student has already received credit for.

Teaching

The course consists of lectures and seminars. A detailed schedule will be published on the semester page in early January.

Compulsory tuition activities

  • Attendance to at le