RELB 5680 - Pure Land Buddhism

Course focuses on religious doctrines and practices that surround several Buddhas and bodhisattvas that became the object of devotional cults. Developments in at least three countries are considered: India, China, and Japan. Among the issues considered are debates concerning the balance between mediation an recitation of the Buddha’s name, the balance between faith and works, the influence of modern Japanese scholarship on our interpretations of Chinese Buddhism, and the influence of teachings about the decline or end of Buddhism. Prerequisite: once course in Buddhism.

Credits: 3