Trajectories of East Asian Buddhism in South Africa: a comparative perspective
In this article I take my cue from Michel Clasquin-Johnson’s reflections on six main themes (lay practice, gender equality, adhesion to democratic principles, impact of Western psychology, social engagement, creation of a non-sectarian tradition) underlying the development of mainstream South Africa...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2022
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| In: |
Journal of contemporary religion
Year: 2022, Volume: 37, Issue: 3, Pages: 435-455 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Republic
/ Buddhism
/ Sŏn
/ Nichiren
/ Fo Guang Shan
/ Motif
/ Comparative religion
/ History 1965-2022
|
| IxTheo Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy AZ New religious movements BL Buddhism KBN Sub-Saharan Africa TK Recent history |
| Further subjects: | B
Foguangshan
B Kwan Um School of Zen B South Africa B Soka Gakkai International B East Asian Buddhism |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | In this article I take my cue from Michel Clasquin-Johnson’s reflections on six main themes (lay practice, gender equality, adhesion to democratic principles, impact of Western psychology, social engagement, creation of a non-sectarian tradition) underlying the development of mainstream South African Buddhism to explore three forms of East Asian Buddhism operating in the country: the Dharma Centre (Korean Sŏn)—a representative of mainstream South African Buddhism—and the local branches of two large new religious movements—the Japan-based Soka Gakkai International (Nichiren Buddhism) and the Taiwan-based Foguangshan (Chinese Pure Land/Chan Buddhism)—which include a more diverse section of the South African population. Besides providing a detailed analysis of these forms of East Asian Buddhism in the country, I test the applicability of Clasquin-Johnson’s themes to the case studies and explore four further topics for the comparative study of South African Buddhism: interactions with local religions, proselytization, hybridization, the promise of worldly benefits. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-9419 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of contemporary religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13537903.2022.2124684 |