| Part ofa series on |
| Buddhism |
|---|
 |
Buddhist studies, also known asBuddhology, is theacademic study ofBuddhism. The termBuddhology was coined in the early 20th century by theUnitarian ministerJoseph Estlin Carpenter to mean the "study of Buddhahood, the nature of the Buddha, and the doctrines of a Buddha", but the terms Buddhology and Buddhist studies are generally synonymous in the contemporary context.[1][2] According to William M. Johnston, in some specific contexts, Buddhology may be viewed as a subset of Buddhist studies, with a focus on Buddhisthermeneutics,exegesis,ontology and Buddha's attributes.[3] Scholars of Buddhist studies focus on thehistory,culture,archaeology,arts,philology,anthropology,sociology,theology,philosophy, practices, interreligious comparative studies and other subjects related to Buddhism.[3][4][5]
In contrast to the study ofJudaism orChristianity, the field of Buddhist studies has been dominated by "outsiders" to Buddhist cultures and traditions, hence it is not a direct subfield ofIndology orAsian studies. However,Chinese,Japanese andKorean universities have also made major contributions, as have Asian immigrants to Western countries, and Western converts to Buddhism.
In Asia,University of Tokyo andRissho University have long been major centers for Buddhist research, andNalanda University launched a master program at 2016.[6]
Most major universities in Japan have departments ofEastern philosophy, including Buddhist studies orIndian philosophy.
University of Tokyo (Dpt. of Indian Philosophy and Buddhist Studies) andKyoto University (Dpt. of Buddhist Studies) are public universities which have specialized Buddhist studies departments.
Toyo University (non-sect, but associated with the Honganji) a private university founded byInoue Enryo, is also renowned for its Buddhist studies.
Buddhist studies is also studied in universities run by various religious denominations.
The first graduate program in Buddhist studies in North America started in 1961 at the University of Wisconsin–Madision.[7] According to Prebish, Buddhist studies in the United States prior to 1975 was dominated by the University of Wisconsin, Harvard University and theUniversity of Chicago.[8] Prebish cites two surveys by Hart[full citation needed] in which the following university programs were found to have produced the most scholars with U.S. university posts: Chicago, Wisconsin, Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Virginia, Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton, Temple, Northwestern, Michigan, Washington, and Tokyo.[9]
Other regionally-accredited U.S. institutions with programs in Buddhism include theUniversity of the West,Institute of Buddhist Studies,Naropa University,Dharma Realm Buddhist University and theCalifornia Institute of Integral Studies.
A number of dharma centers offer semi-academic, unaccredited study, notably theBarre Center for Buddhist Studies[10] and theSati Center for Buddhist Studies.[11]
Prominent European programs includeOxford University andCambridge University,School of Oriental and African Studies,Humboldt University of Berlin,University of Hamburg,University of Munich,University of Heidelberg,University of Bonn,University of Vienna,Ghent University, and theSorbonne.
Charles Prebish, a scholar-practitioner and Chair of Religious Studies atUtah State University, states that the Buddhist studies and academics in North American universities include those who are practicing Buddhists, the latter he terms as “scholar-practitioners.”.[8]
Journals specializing in Buddhist Studies (in alphabetical order):
In addition, many scholars publish in journals devoted to area studies (such as Japan, China, etc.), general Religious Studies, or disciplines such as history, anthropology, or language studies. Some examples would be:
Major university presses that have published in the field include those of Oxford, Columbia, Cambridge, Indiana, Princeton, SUNY, and the Universities of California, Chicago, Hawaii, and Virginia. Non-university presses include E.J. Brill, Equinox, Palgrave, Routledge, Silkworm Books, and Motilal Banarsidass. A number of scholars have published through "dharma presses" such asBPS Pariyatti, Parallax Press, Shambhala, Snow Lion, and Wisdom Publications.
.svg)
