2018 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Globalizing Chinese Buddhism: Ideoscape of Values, Ethics, and Lifestyles
| Project/Area Number |
16KT0094
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| Research Institution | Sophia University |
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Principal Investigator |
Wank David 上智大学, 国際教養学部, 教授 (60245793)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
足羽 與志子 一橋大学, 大学院社会学研究科, 教授 (30231111)
FARRER GRACIA 早稲田大学, 国際学術院(アジア太平洋研究科), 教授 (70436062)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2016-07-19 – 2020-03-31
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| Keywords | Buddhism / ideoscape / China / state and religion / values, ethics / anthropology / sociology / global studies |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The project had two aims. 1) It sought to analyze the ideoscape, defined as transnational flows of values, ethics, and ideology of globalizing Chinese Buddhism, by fieldwork in sites in Asia, North America, and Europe. Key findings were: a) clarifying the operation of the ideoscape in terms of the actors and cultural content,and b) the role of the Chinese state to support the globalization of Chinese Buddhism as part of its global geopolitical and economic vision; 2) It sought to activate a scholarly network for the study of ideoscapes. In this regard, we created and participated in numerous workshops and discussions on three continents to establish ties among among scholars from multiple disciplines to engage theoretical issues in global studies, as well as the globalizing Buddhism .
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Our project findings were richer than expected. We started by focusing on the globalization of Chinese Buddhism since the early 2000s. But our fieldwork in North America, Asia and Europe showed that Chinese Buddhism outside of China was deeply tied to domestic changes in Buddhism in China from the early 2000s. Therefore, we decided to publish project results in two stages.
Stage 1: Changes in China
A) Ashiwa and Wank, “The Space of Religion: Temple, State, and Buddhist Communities in Modern China” (Columbia UP, under review); B) Ashiwa, Ji, and Wank (eds), “Metamorphosis of Buddhism in New Era China” (in-progress, based on conference, 3/2019)
Stage 2: Changes Outside of China
Ashiwa and Wank (eds), “Ideoscapes of Globalizing Chinese Buddhism” (based on conference in fall/2020).
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
We are planning two future projects.
1) Buddhism as sharp power. This project will examine how the Chinese state uses Buddhism to support its global geo-political and economic aims in the 21st century. The state is supports Buddhist projects along the One Belt One Road, which follows the Silk Road of trade and Buddhism between China and Asia, and supports movements of Chinese Buddhism to non-Buddhist countries (Australia, North America, Europe).
2) Global mixing of Mahayana, Theravada, and Tantric Buddhism. Fieldwork in Buddhist communities around the world show much interactions of people and ideas from the three major Buddhist schools. These interactions are seen in immigrant communities and Buddhist academies, as well as Chinese state efforts to elevate the status of Chinese Buddhism.
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| Causes of Carryover |
The left over funds will enable followup fieldwork on Chinese and western motifs in the art in Buddhist temples in various locales so as understand their transnational movements and mixing of motifs.
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