This research project is funded by the Henry Luce Foundation and based at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Tokyo. It is directed by Yoshiko Ashiwa (PI), Visiting Professor, GRIPS, and David Wank (Co-Pi), Research Affiliate, Oriental Library, Tokyo.

Description

In the early twenty-first century, Buddhism from China has become increasingly globalized through promotion by the Chinese state and mobilities of people and practices. This project focuses on the period since 2012 when the Chinese leader Xi Jinping asserted China’s great power aspirations by positing the Chinese Dream, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and Buddhism as a living Chinese culture to be globally promoted. The project seeks to elucidate the processes of this globalization, local reactions in other countries, and their effects on Buddhism and links to China. The hypothesis is that state promotion varies by such factors as a country’s history of Buddhism, patterns of Chinese migration, and strategic interest to the PRC state. This multi-sited research is expected to offer a holistic view of the processes, scope, and scale of Chinese Buddhism in globalization.

The research will be conducted regarding three kinds of countries. First are Asian countries with a long history of Buddhism and economic dependency on China (i.e., Sri Lanka, Vietnam). Second are Western countries with more recent histories of Buddhism, growing popular appreciation of Buddhist culture as Asian culture, and strong multiculturalism policies (i.e., Canada, France). Third are Asian countries–India, Japan, Taiwan–that are geopolitical rivals to China and competitive for global status in Buddhism. Sites within these countries include overseas branches of Chinese temples, religious organizations, Buddhist academies, foreign policy establishments, and Buddhist media. The research will be pursued through mixed methods, including fieldwork and documentary, to discern the actors, interests, discourses, and local reactions, including other Buddhisms, constituting each site. The multidisciplinary team of researchers has deep expertise in the empirical study of contemporary Chinese Buddhism.

The project consists of four kinds of activities. (1) Research conducted by members in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. (2) Workshops for researchers to discuss research in progress. (3) Symposia for guest speakers on topics related to the project, such as other religions in globalization and religion and diplomacy. These are open to those who register in advance (see Seminar link). (4) The final conference in 2023, which will result in a publication. Additionally, these activities aim to establish a network for the empirical study of contemporary Chinese Buddhism. News about the project is regularly updated on this website.

Researchers

Yoshiko Ashiwa (PI)

David L Wank (Co-PI)

Ester Bianchi, Associate Professor of Chinese Society and Culture, University of Perugia (Perugia, Italy)

Pascal Bourdeaux, Maître de conférences, École Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE) (France)

Jack Meng-Tat Chia, Assistant Professor of History and Religious Studies, National University of Singapore (Singapore)

Weishan Huang, Associate Professor of Sociology, Hong Kong She Yan University (Starting September 1st) (Hong Kong)

Ji Zhe, Professor of Sociology, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO), (France)

André Laliberté, Professor of Political Studies, University of Ottowa (Ottawa, Canada)

Erik Schicketanz, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Kokugakuin University (Tokyo, Japan)

Utiraruto Otehode, Researcher, Australian National University (Canberra, Australia)

Affiliates

Peter Mandaville, Professor of International Affairs, George Mason University (Virginia, US)

Stefan Kukowka, Doctoral Candidate, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO) & National Cheng Chi University (Taiwan)

Lufeng Xu, Doctoral Candidate, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO) (France)

Yasemin Soysal, Professor of Global Sociology, University of Essex (UK) (Visiting Professor, Hitotsubashi University)