Longtime SBCS member, Julius-Kei Kato, reflects on his experiences during the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions held in Chicago, IL, from August 14 - 18, 2023.
Buddhist Studies and Dialogue Group of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific
New Buddhist Friends in Bangkok
Graduate Student Member Spotlight: Alaina Keller
We are pleased to spotlight graduate student members of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies. If you would like to be featured, please contact us via the form on our website or email info@society-buddhist-christian-studies.org. This feature highlights Georgetown University doctoral student: Alaina Keller.
Graduate Student Member Spotlight: Chera Jo Watts
We are pleased to spotlight graduate student members of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies. If you would like to be featured, please contact us via the form on our website or email info@society-buddhist-christian-studies.org. This feature highlights University of Georgia doctoral student, Chera Jo Watts.
Parliament of the World's Religions 2023
The Parliament of the World's Religions 2023 will occur August 14-18, 2023, with the theme, “A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom and Human Rights.” Early bird registration ends June 2023. SBCS members are often active participants and it will be exciting to have the Parliament back in the site where it was first held. The deadline for proposals is November 3rd.
Write for us! (Submitting a blog post to SBCS)
Journal Submissions: Journal for Buddhist-Christian Studies
SBCS at the World Parliament
Public Statement in Solidarity with Persons of Asian and Pacific Island Descent
Executive Committee of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies
As leaders of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, we express our solidarity with and concern for persons of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States and beyond, and we deplore and condemn the violence, bias, and prejudice directed at them both past and present.
Since the middle of the nineteenth century, the practice of Christianity in the United States has tragically intertwined with false claims of White supremacy and racial bias against immigrants from Asia and the Pacific Islands and their descendants. Buddhists, Christians, as well as the followers of other Asian religions in the United States have often suffered the effects of this prejudice. We reject these attitudes and actions as a fundamental violation of the values of both Jesus Christ and Shakyamuni Buddha. We denounce the repeated use of inflammatory rhetoric against persons of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry, and we lament the ways in which this has poisoned the atmosphere of public and social discourse in the United States. We express our solidarity and compassion for all those affected by bias and violence, especially those impacted by the shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16, 2021, and in particular those who lost family members who were murdered in acts of sexualized, gendered violence.
The Christian and Buddhist traditions agree in firmly condemning racial and ethnic bias and the harmful actions that flow from these attitudes. The Christian and Buddhist traditions further agree in calling for loving-kindness and compassion for all those who suffer and for doing everything possible to relieve suffering and to shape healthy communities of mutual concern where religious and ethnic differences can be honored and celebrated.
We are heartened by the many positive relationships that unite Buddhists and Christians both in the United States and around the world. We look forward to continued collaboration to implement the ideals of both traditions.
The Executive Committee of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies:
Leo Lefebure, president
Mark Unno, vice president
Kristin Johnston Largen, past president
Sandra Costen Kunz, secretary
Call for Papers: Buddhist-Christian Studies Journal
Buddhist Christian Studies is a peer reviewed journal published annually by the University of Hawai’i Press. We are soliciting scholarly articles on racism in its multiple forms from the point of view of Buddhist-Christian studies, including analyses and/or constructive approaches in historical or contemporary contexts.
Interfaith Coalition Conference for Global Citizens 2020
The Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies invites your registration for this year’s Interfaith Coalition Conference for Global Citizens to enjoy virtual conversations surrounding the theme, “Religious Peace Movement in the Post COVID-19 Era: Global Ethics, Global Citizenship, and Sustainable Peace” on December 5-6, 2020. To view the full program details, speaker information, and schedule, please click here.
Click here to register for the Interfaith Coalition Conference for Global Citizens 2020
Please note the Korean time zone listed in registration. Conference coordinators recommend this time zone conversion tool if you need assistance determining the time for your location. We hope that you will join us for these timely discussions.
A Christian encounter with Chinese Buddhism in Suzhou
By Ben Van Overmeire and Amy Westerhoff
Photographs by Jingying Yao
Introduction (Ben Van Overmeire)
Close to the bustle of Han Shan temple in Suzhou lies West Garden Temple 西园寺. Originally a part of the Lingering Garden 留园, during the Ming dynasty the temple became its own entity. Among its many interesting features are an Arhat hall that survived the Cultural Revolution and a pond where legend has it a 500-year-old turtle remains submerged (his companion died recently and was honored with a life-size statue).
Led by the energetic master Jiqun 济群, the temple hosts a great number of activities, both for Chinese and non-Chinese. The temple promotes weekly meetings discussing the master’s writings, which are accessible introductions to Buddhism and how its teachings can be applied to one’s daily life. Ven. Jiqun’s work is remarkable for its constant dialogue with Christianity and science, two ways of thinking that are coded as “western” and in which there is immense interest. I recently learned that in today’s China, “you’re not scientific” (你不是科学的) is a type of insult. As for Christianity, back when I was a language student in Beijing about 8 years ago, I came in touch with some upper-class Chinese who were very much interested in Christianity, particularly American Protestantism. At that time, it seemed to me that for many Chinese, the backbone of American global success is not only free-market capitalism, but also the Christian faith. So these things make Ven. Qiyun’s frequent comparisons of Buddhism with (scientific) materialism and Christianity an obvious thing: he is addressing the worldviews that also appeal to his lay urban community members.
In the Fall of 2019, I took a group of students in my Comparative Religious Studies class on a field trip to Xiyuansi. Duke Kunshan University, where I teach, features a great diversity of students, and this group of six was the same: the Chinese students came from all parts of China, and the international students came from South Asia and the US. One of the American students, Amy, comes from a Christian background, and she has written the following account of her experiences.
An Impression of Xiyuansi, by Amy Westerhoff
Upon entering the Xiyuansi Temple, we were greeted by the temple’s tranquil atmosphere, which powerfully captured all of the five senses. The vibrant yellow walls of the temple stood out from the scenic backdrop of greenery and blue skies. The temple was adorned with natural features, including mighty trees and lively flowers, as well as man-made designs, such as intricate patterns carved into stone fences. The smell of incense complemented the serene ambience. Occasionally, the meditative quietness of the temple was politely interrupted by the sounds of pigeons and trees blowing with the wind. And the tea (served to us later in the visit) reminded us of the hospitality of the monks, members of the temple, and of Buddhism in general.
As a Westerner in an Eastern country, stepping into any new place in China feels like stepping into the unknown. Sometimes, it can be difficult to see the similarities between the cultures of the United States and China. Fortunately, at other times, I notice the deep links between these two sides of the world. At the Xiyuansi Temple, I was able to discover connections between Christianity and Buddhism. Walking through the temple, I observed the exact same feelings of serenity, spirit of worship, appreciation for nature, and kindness that I experienced in Christian churches back home.
Surprisingly, the temple is situated in the lively urban Gusu District in Suzhou. Despite the location, the temple exuded us to a remarkable atmosphere of religious tranquillity. We were met by welcoming guides who introduced themselves, as well as the temple. Happily, one of the guides spoke English. We were given a detailed background of the temple’s history. Amongst other facts, we learned that the temple was rebuilt after it was destroyed by war in the 19th century.
We entered several buildings that protect ornate statues of the Buddha. The guides told us to walk around these statues in a clockwise fashion, always keeping the statue to the right of us. Here, we learned about the Buddhist practice of circumambulation. In the Buddhist tradition, visitors should walk clockwise around an object of veneration (in this case, the statues of the Buddha). This religious practice signals respect, and shows these objects of veneration to be central part of the lives of Buddhists. The magnificence of these statues was particularly striking. The statues were of an exquisite gold color. Colorful paintings and designs of flowers and landscapes embellished the wooden beams of the rooms. The base of the Buddha statues were lined with flowers brought by visitors. I had seen images of such statues on the internet or in museums. However, images are incapable of capturing the true essence of these statues. Within a religious environment, I viewed these statues in a new light. The meanings of the statues held much more weight after seeing them in person. Despite the grandeur of the statues, the atmosphere remained humble, warm, and welcoming. It struck me that the statue of the Buddha was revered with the same fervor as depictions of Christ in a Christian place of worship. The colorful designs that adorned the room reminded me of luminous stained-glass windows in Christian churches.
We then entered the Arhat Hall, a building with hundreds of statues of bodhisattvas, each unique in expression and pose. These statues were small in comparison to the ornate statues we had seen earlier, yet they still maintained the same grandeur. These golden statues lined the walls of a seemingly never-ending building. Every one of these statues had a distinct look. Some appeared excited, others surprised. Some were in a contemplative pose, while others reached their hands up to the skies. Even their facial hair differed. The intricacies and uniqueness of each of the statues reminded me of the terracotta soldiers I had seen in Xi’an.
We walked over to the pond, which was encircled by natural stone and lush trees. The pond cleanly reflected the colors of the picturesque blue sky and the magnificent greenery. This area of the temple accommodated a remarkable range of animals. Turtles (which are supposedly several hundred years old) and countless koi fish reside in the pond. A quaint building stands in the center of the pond with concrete walkways placed in a zig-zag pattern. The roof of this building is a popular sanctuary for pigeons and doves. We also saw several friendly cats relaxing near the pond. The gardens around the temple captured the same natural beauty and serenity of the gardens of the Christian churches I visited back in the US. The lightness of the air and the presence of birds and other animals resembled my childhood experiences of playing in the gardens of Christian churches with friends and family. Both gardens provided a beautiful area for visitors to relax while respecting nature as an entity that should exist harmoniously with humans, and connect us with our existential values.
We were then invited to have tea with a few members of the temple. We walked into a bright and orderly cafe-like room. We sat around a short-legged table on comfortable bamboo cushions. They offered us tea, fruit, and traditional Chinese snacks, including moon cake and sesame sticks. Without judgement, all of us zealously asked and answered each other's questions about religion, life, and China. The compassion and openness that we experienced during our visit reminded me of the same exact qualities I have experienced within the Christian faith. Although Buddhist and Christian practices are quite different, the fundamental values of treating one’s neighbors with warmth is shared. Love is the guiding principle of life In Christianity, and compassion is the guiding principle of Buddhism. The members of both religions are incredibly hospitable to any visitors, including those of different faiths.
In the end, I found the tenets of Buddhism and Christianity to be strikingly similar and stronger than the differences that separate them. In my Christian experiences, the concepts of worship, devotion, humbleness, and reverence were mirrored in my encounters at the temple. And just like music and emotions, faith and religion are able to extend past cultural differences and unite people together.
WCC/CWM conference in Nairobi, Kenya
Our own Dr. Hsiao-Lan Hu was invited to join an interreligious consultation on Dialogue and Liberation co-organized by The Council for World Mission and The World Council of Churches, held in Nairobi, Kenya at the end of October, 2019. The consultation systematically engages both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic perspectives, the latter often being overlooked in interfaith dialogue and scholarship. Scholars and faith leaders representing the two largest Abrahamic faith traditions (Christianity and Islam) and the two largest non-Abrahamic faith traditions (Buddhism and Hinduism) were invited to speak and dialogue with each other on six themes: class, race, gender, sexuality, empire, and environment.
Reflections on the 2019 SBCS Meeting
By Kristen Largen
At the Society for Buddhist Christian Studies meeting last week at the American Academy of Religion Conference, we had two fabulous panels that I am still thinking about days later. In this blog post, I want to reflect on the first one, which was titled “Buddhist and Christian Resources for Addressing Sexual Violence.” We had six excellent panelists: John Sheveland and Cristina Lledo Gomez both discussed the abuse scandal by priests in the Catholic Church; Laura Schmidt Roberts presented on the abuse by John Howard Yoder and the challenges it has created for the Mennonite Church; and Amy Langenberg, Wakoh Shannon Hickey, and Panela Yetunde all spoke on the different abuse scandals in Buddhist communities in the United States.
I am not able here to summarize all six of the papers (but look for them in the 2021 issue of theJournal of Buddhist-Christian Studies), so I just want to offer some insights here that I hope give a sense of the great issues they raised.
I really appreciated Sheveland’s emphasis on a “victims-first” mentality, and the need for the Church to make a pivot in that direction. He also used the language of “soul murder” to describe what has happened to those children who were abused. Finally, he talked about the possibility of liturgical changes that might stimulate a transformation in the Church’s attitude, and concluded with prayers that might be used in a liturgical setting. [And, he directed us to this website for more information and resources: https://childprotection.unigre.it/]
Langenberg described her research using three case studies from American Buddhism, and the discussions she has had with her students—she observed how keyed-in they are to issues of sexuality and abuse. Roberts emphasized that because the Mennonite Church is a historic peace church, both Yoder’s actions and the failures of the Church to discipline him and support the women he abused cuts to the heart of Mennonite identity. She noted something that was echoed by all of the other panelists as well, and that is the tendency for institutions to protect themselves, and those who are in power. One of the questions her presentation also raised for me was how different institutions have specific structures and processes that both create possibilities for reform and also prevent internal policing that is critical for long-term survival. We can learn from each other, I think.
Hickey described herself as a “loyal critic of Soto Zen,” and argued that there are things American Buddhism can learn from Christianity, including practices around polity, professional education and the “priesthood of all believers.” It was interesting to hear her describe the lack of training that seems to be common for leaders of Buddhist communities in the United States—but, of course, she emphasized how in Zen Buddhism in particular, person-to-person Dharma transmission is much more important than training. In these situations [and in Christianity, I would argue] she noted how it is important “to reduce the power of charismatic authority.”
Gomez’s presentation was particularly interesting to me in that I didn’t know much about the situation of the Catholic Church in Australia, and she brought some great resources with her as well. She also noted the tendency of the Church to focus on “compliance” over conversion or healing—a clear problem for moving forward differently. Finally, Yetunde focused her presentation on teacher-student sexual relationships, and her conviction that procedures that seek to oversee them need to be “trauma-informed.”
Frankly, it was hard to process all of the information by the end, and we didn’t allow enough time for conversation and reflection [that’s on us]. I left with a renewed sense of how deeply painful and wounding it is when people who have religious power over others abuse that power. I don’t want to say it is “worse” than other kinds of abuses of power—comparing that kind of suffering seems unhelpful and unnecessary to me—but it certainly adds a level of betrayal that is cosmic in scope, and for some, ontological in effect. Those of us who have leadership in religious communities have to continue to speak out and work for change—and believe the victims.
Photo credit: Mark Unno
Tribute for Gene Reeves
Dr. Gene Reeves, longtime Treasurer of the Society, died on May 8 at his home in Chicago, cared for by his loving wife Yayoi. Here is a tribute to him by dear friend A. Charles Muller, Professor at Buddhist Culture Resource Center of Musashino University in Tokyo.
At Gene's passing, my first inclination was that of trying to help put together a proper, full, formal obituary. But when I began to consider the full scope of his long career, his diverse involvements with so many different groups and organizations (not to mention his full career at the University of Chicago before I met him), I felt that it would be rather beyond my means at the moment to try to put together a full account. Beyond his well-known deep involvement in the Risshō Kōsei Kai, he was an early and consistent support of the AAR (later on, especially in the Buddhist-Christian Studies Unit), and one of the central motivating figures in organizing conferences for the study of lay Buddhism.
My own friendship with Gene began soon after my 1994 arrival to Tokyo for my first academic teaching position. Actually, it was at the AAR (around '95 or '96) that we first met, and we had an instant bonding factor in our both being American expatriate scholars in Tokyo. Gene had been in Tokyo since 1990, and had recently retired from his position at Tsukuba University to take an important position in leading the Risshō Kōsei Kai into the direction of international scholarship. Gene very much wanted to establish an English-language Buddhist study group in Tokyo. We talked about it a couple of times, and then when Ken Tanaka arrived to Tokyo in 1997, the idea gelled, and we began to hold monthly meetings hosted by Gene and his angel of a wife, Yayoi, who prepared delicious dishes for our members every month.
The Tokyo Buddhist Discussion group [BDG] as it came to be known, held study sessions at Gene's apartment in Nakano on a monthly basis from then on. For many Westerners, it was nothing less than an intellectual oasis, as it allowed us a chance for paper presentations and rich discussions in the distinct North American style in which we had been trained. Gene delightfully led the challenges to the presentations, but we all joined in. We all learned a lot, and made many good friends. It was a great for we local regulars (continuing to present from the earliest days are Ken, me, Joe O'Leary, and Hiroshi Kanno) as well as all of the young scholars and visiting researchers who came and went during this period. Gene formed a community.
My friendship with Gene grew deep, such that we began to room together at the AAR, a tradition we continued for the greater part of a decade. I used to look forward to coming back to the room after a full day of sessions, meals, and whatever, and chat about what had transpired during the day. Gene was always traveling around the world, getting involved in new organizations, making friends, with his central driving force being the Lotus Sutra, the scripture that brought him to Japan and inspired his bodhisattva outlook. With the support of the Risshō Kōsei Kai, Gene established the annual Lotus Sutra seminar (which continues to the present), each year gathering specialists from all areas of Buddhist Studies and beyond, including Theologians, Confucians, and philosophers of every stripe to discuss this rich and enduring text. In 2008, Gene achieved a long-term goal of producing his own rendering of the sutra, titled The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classic (Wisdom, 2008). This was followed by the 2010 publication (also by Wisdom) of The Stories of the Lotus Sutra.
Through his involvement with the Lotus Sutra, Gene had also gradually developed relationships within the world of Buddhist Studies in China, and this would lead him to eventually return to the academic world at Renmin University (around 2010, if I recall correctly), where he taught for a few years before finally retiring. After returning to Tokyo, Gene and Yayoi also spent much time at his home in Chicago. It was during this time after the Renmin stint that Gene's back troubles began to become more serious, and it became gradually more difficult for him to get around. Eventually he became limited to using a wheelchair, but still made it to the AAR and the 2017 IABS in Toronto.
During his time these past six months staying in St. Luke's Hospital and Keisatsu Hospital in Nakano, my wife and I went to visit him (and Yayoi) several times. He never complained about his condition. Rather, he would strike up an academic discussion, and try his best to draw me into a debate over some doctrinal point or other. There would be occasions when other visitors were waiting to see him, and no matter how tired he was, he always showed his happy bodhisattva face. Gene loved being with people, and he loved intellectual interaction. We were lucky to have caught him once more, just a couple of days before he left Japan for his final trip to Chicago. He was cheerful as always, not giving the slightest hint of the seriousness of his condition.
We will miss him.
A. Charles Muller, Professor
Buddhist Culture Research Center
Musashino University
2018 Year in Review
2018 was a big year for SBCS, with our annual meeting held at the American Academy of Religions in Denver and participation in the Parliament of the World’s Religions just a few weeks earlier. Read about the year in review in our two newsletters, published in the spring and fall.
Our journal editors also have announced the publication of the most recent issue of Buddhist-Christian Studies (published November 18). This issue includes more than a dozen essays that grew from a conference on Ippolito Desideri and is one of the largest issues published in recent memory.
SBCS Board Members in Denver (November 2018): (left to right) Jonathan Seitz (Newsletter Editor), Paul Swanson (International Advisor), Mark Unno (Board Member), John Sheveland (Treasurer), Kristin Largen (President), Hsiao-Lan Hu (Board Member), Judith Simmer-Brown (Chair of Social Media Committee), Sandra Kunz (Secretary), Thomas Cattoi (Journal Co-Editor), Abraham Velez (Streng Award Co-Chair), Leo Lefebure (Vice-President)
News
Greetings!
My name is Jonathan Seitz and I teach at Taiwan Graduate School of Theology, via the Presbyterian Church (USA). I've been interested in Buddhist-Christian studies since an undergrad year in Beijing. In addition to editing SBCS's newsletters and editing the News & Views section for our journal, Buddhist Christian Studies, I will also run a section here where we people are free to post informational items.
We welcome announcements in blog format to share about upcoming events or activities. These announcements may be:
· About academic conferences, consultations or events
· About activities for practitioners, religious communities or activists
· About upcoming resources (new journals, books, etc.)
· Eulogies or memorials
In general these should be community events or resources, not ads or information on products. You can contact us via email or the contact form.
Jonathan Seitz