DOCSLIB.ORG

Divergent Responses to the Human Predicament: a Case Study in New Comparativism

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Divergent Responses to the Human Predicament: a Case Study in New Comparativism University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2011 Divergent Responses to the Human Predicament: A Case Study in New Comparativism Mark Toole University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Buddhist Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons Recommended Citation Toole, Mark, "Divergent Responses to the Human Predicament: A Case Study in New Comparativism" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 654. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/654 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. DIVERGENT RESPONSES TO THE HUMAN PREDICAMENT: A CASE STUDY IN NEW COMPARATIVISM __________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology Joint PhD Program University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by Mark A. Toole August 2011 Advisor: Jacob N. Kinnard ©Copyright by Mark A. Toole 2011 All Rights Reserved Author: Mark A. Toole Title: DIVERGENT RESPONSES TO THE HUMAN PREDICAMENT: A CASE STUDY IN NEW COMPARATIVISM Advisor: Jacob N. Kinnard Degree Date: August 2011 ABSTRACT The enterprise of comparison has been regarded by some as one of the most vital characteristics of a healthy academic study of religion. However, the failed legacy of Eliadian Comparativism has caused others to suggest that the art of comparison has not yet lived up to its promise. This study brings together the best tools of what the author calls “Smithian New Comparativism.” In order to demonstrate concretely a rigorous and responsible critical comparative analysis, and to chart a course for academically beneficial future cross-cultural comparisons, this project presents a case study that compares two religious traditions’ doctrinal responses to a conceptually analogous ontological presupposition. Specifically, it comparatively analyzes the Reformed Christian doctrine of limited atonement and the J!do Shinsh" Buddhist doctrine of akunin sh!ki. The comparative examination of these teachings illuminates the respective traditions’ doctrinally divergent responses to a common understanding of the human predicament, reveals previously unseen structural and conceptual parallels between the traditions by examining deeply-rooted Western ideas through the lens of Buddhist theories, and suggests finally that despite the appearance of surface resemblances between Shin Buddhist and Reformed Christian thought the two religious paths lead ultimately to differing religious ends. ii Acknowledgements I am deeply indebted to Dr. Jacob N. Kinnard, Associate Professor of Comparative Religious Thought at Iliff School of Theology, who served as my advisor and offered his support and wisdom throughout my time in the Joint Ph.D. program. Two distinguished members of my committee, Dr. Ginny Ishimatsu and Dr. Gregory Robbins, were quick to help shape these pages and lend their vast expertise to this project. Many of the central ideas in this dissertation were first formulated with early dialogue partners Dr. William Dean and Dr. George Keyworth. I am equally grateful to Dr. Sheila Daveney for introducing me to the work of Jonathan Z. Smith. Special thanks go to mentor and friend Dr. Rodney Taylor, who gave me my first opportunity to teach comparative religious studies. My cohort in the Joint Doctoral Program—specifically Dr. Brett Opalinski, Dr. Terry Clark, and Dr. Jeff Scholes—challenged me as a scholar while providing perspective and good humor. I am indebted especially to Dr. Clint Corcoran, Chairperson of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at High Point University, for his support of the comparative endeavor. I also appreciate my current and past students who remind me every day why I love being in the classroom. Sara Miller and Julia Ridley Smith served as readers and helped shape this final product. Special thanks to everyone who ensured this project reached its conclusion, including: Patricia and Gary Toole; the Miller, Herbenick, Hunter and Henderson families; and friends in Chicago, Denver, Greensboro and elsewhere who have all shared in this process. Finally, much gratitude to my wife, Mary, who has walked with me every step of the way and to our daughters, Maura and Kara, who were overheard debating recently whether Daddy will be writing a dissertation every year. iii Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction ...................................................................................................1 Comparison – “Surely It Is Possible” ......................................................................1 Brief Reflections on History of the Comparative Endeavor ...................................8 Chapter Two: From Poverty of Conception to “New Comparativism”.............................22 Prior Comparisons of Shin Buddhism & Reformed Christianity ..........................27 The Call for “New Comparativism” ......................................................................36 Meet the New Comparativists ...............................................................................42 Revisiting a Case Study Anew...............................................................................48 Alles’s Analogical Cart..........................................................................................56 Applying the Tools of New Comparativism .........................................................57 Rationale for Methodology ...................................................................................60 Chapter Three: Akunin Sh!ki Setsu .................................................................................62 Dharmalogical Influences on the Doctrine ............................................................74 Contextual Rationale for Development of Doctrine ..............................................95 Akunin Sh!ki Setsu According to the Tannish!....................................................99 Chapter Four: The Doctrine of Limited Atonement ........................................................112 Theological Influences on the Doctrine ..............................................................117 Contextual Rationale for Development of Doctrine ............................................151 Limited Atonement According to The Canons of Dort ......................................161 Chapter Five: Critical Cross-Cultural Comparison .........................................................174 Smells Like Christianity ......................................................................................174 Bridge Concepts...................................................................................................183 An Occasion for Comparative Thought...............................................................187 Disciplined Exaggeration in the Service of Knowledge .....................................215 Chapter Six: Conclusion and Comparative Implications.................................................219 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................226 Appendix .........................................................................................................................257 ! iv Chapter One: Introduction Each of the modes of comparison has been found problematic. Each new proposal has been a variant of an older mode . We know better how to evaluate comparisons, but we have gained little over our predecessors in either the method for making comparisons or the reasons for its practice.—Jonathan Z. Smith, Imagining Religion (1982)1 Comparison—“Surely It Is Possible” The enterprise of comparison has been called the “most central and distinguishing characteristic” of the modern academic study of religion.2 Some have suggested that cross-cultural and trans-historical comparisons are perhaps “our greatest claim[s] to originality as an independent academic discipline, distinguished from other disciplines like theology or anthropology.”3 Others have argued that critical comparative analysis is “intrinsic to the process through which we construct and apply” categories to interpret religious phenomena “such as symbol, myth, ritual, scripture, law, ethics, and mysticism.”4 One of the leading historians in the field of religious studies has even characterized the subdiscipline of comparative religious studies in this way: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 Jonathan Z. Smith, Imagining Religion: From Babylon to Jonestown (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982), 35. 2 Hugh B. Urban, “Making A Place To Stand: Jonathan Z. Smith and the Politics and Poetics of Comparison,” Method & Theory in the Study of Religion 12, no. 1-3 (2000): 340. William E. Paden affirms this notion when he argues, “it is the comparative, cross-cultural nature of religious subject matter which constitutes and justifies religious studies as a secular field of knowledge.” See William E. Paden, “Elements of a New Comparativism,” Method & Theory in the Study of Religion 8, no. 1 (1996): 5. 3 Urban, “Making A Place To Stand,” 340. 1 So compelling has comparative religion become that it now
Load more

Recommended publications
  • After Kiyozawa: a Study of Shin Buddhist Modernization, 1890-1956
    After Kiyozawa: A Study of Shin Buddhist Modernization, 1890-1956 by Jeff Schroeder Department of Religious Studies Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Richard Jaffe, Supervisor ___________________________ James Dobbins ___________________________ Hwansoo Kim ___________________________ Simon Partner ___________________________ Leela Prasad Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Religious Studies in the Graduate School of Duke University 2015 ABSTRACT After Kiyozawa: A Study of Shin Buddhist Modernization, 1890-1956 by Jeff Schroeder Department of Religious Studies Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Richard Jaffe, Supervisor ___________________________ James Dobbins ___________________________ Hwansoo Kim ___________________________ Simon Partner ___________________________ Leela Prasad An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Religious Studies in the Graduate School of Duke University 2015 Copyright by Jeff Schroeder 2015 Abstract This dissertation examines the modern transformation of orthodoxy within the Ōtani denomination of Japanese Shin Buddhism. This history was set in motion by scholar-priest Kiyozawa Manshi (1863-1903), whose calls for free inquiry, introspection, and attainment of awakening in the present life represented major challenges to the
    [Show full text]
  • APA Newsletter on Asian and Asian-American Philosophers And
    NEWSLETTER | The American Philosophical Association Asian and Asian-American Philosophers and Philosophies FALL 2018 VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 1 Prasanta Bandyopadhyay and R. Venkata FROM THE EDITOR Raghavan Prasanta S. Bandyopadhyay Some Critical Remarks on Kisor SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND Chakrabarti’s Idea of “Observational INFORMATION Credibility” and Its Role in Solving the Problem of Induction BUDDHISM Kisor K. Chakrabarti Madhumita Chattopadhyay Some Thoughts on the Problem of Locating Early Buddhist Logic in Pāli Induction Literature PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE Rafal Stepien AND GRAMMAR Do Good Philosophers Argue? A Buddhist Approach to Philosophy and Philosophy Sanjit Chakraborty Prizes Remnants of Words in Indian Grammar ONTOLOGY, LOGIC, AND APA PANEL ON DIVERSITY EPISTEMOLOGY Ethan Mills Pradeep P. Gokhale Report on an APA Panel: Diversity in Īśvaravāda: A Critique Philosophy Palash Sarkar BOOK REVIEW Cārvākism Redivivus Minds without Fear: Philosophy in the Indian Renaissance Reviewed by Brian A. Hatcher VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 1 FALL 2018 © 2018 BY THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION ISSN 2155-9708 APA NEWSLETTER ON Asian and Asian-American Philosophy and Philosophers PRASANTA BANDYOPADHYAY, EDITOR VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 1 | FALL 2018 opponent equally. He pleads for the need for this sort of FROM THE EDITOR role of humanism to be incorporated into Western analytic philosophy. This incorporation, he contends, has a far- Prasanta S. Bandyopadhyay reaching impact on both private and public lives of human MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY beings where the love of wisdom should go together with care and love for fellow human beings. The fall 2018 issue of the newsletter is animated by the goal of reaching a wider audience. Papers deal with issues SECTION 2: ONTOLOGY, LOGIC, AND mostly from classical Indian philosophy, with the exception EPISTEMOLOGY of a report on the 2018 APA Eastern Division meeting panel on “Diversity in Philosophy” and a review of a book about This is the longest part of this issue.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Bibio
    Recommended Books Revised March 30, 2013 The books listed below represent a small selection of some of the key texts in each category. The name(s) provided below each title designate either the primary author, editor, or translator. Introductions Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction Damien Keown Taking the Path of Zen !!!!!!!! Robert Aitken Everyday Zen !!!!!!!!! Charlotte Joko Beck Start Where You Are !!!!!!!! Pema Chodron The Eight Gates of Zen !!!!!!!! John Daido Loori Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind !!!!!!! Shunryu Suzuki Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening ! Stephen Batchelor The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation!!!!!!!!! Thich Nhat Hanh Buddhism For Beginners !!!!!!! Thubten Chodron The Buddha and His Teachings !!!!!! Sherab Chödzin Kohn and Samuel Bercholz The Spirit of the Buddha !!!!!!! Martine Batchelor 1 Meditation and Zen Practice Mindfulness in Plain English ! ! ! ! Bhante Henepola Gunaratana The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English !!! Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Change Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Buddhist Meditation ! Paramananda Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice !!!! Thich Nhat Hanh The Heart of Buddhist Meditation !!!!!! Thera Nyanaponika Meditation for Beginners !!!!!!! Jack Kornfield Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path !! Ayya Khema The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Meditation in Plain English !!!!!!! John Daishin Buksbazen and Peter
    [Show full text]
  • 14Th Sakyadhita International Conference for Buddhist Women
    14th Sakyadhita International Conference for Buddhist Women http://www.sakyadhita.org/conferences/14th-si-con/14th-si-con-abstracts... Home Conferences Act Locally Resources Contact Online Resources 14th Sakyadhita International Conference June 23-30, 2015 "Compass ion & Social Justice" Yogyakarta, Indonesia Conference Program* *Please note this program is subject to change. - Bahasa Indonesa Language Program - English Language Program - French Language Program - German Language Program Register for the 14th SI Conference Click here to register for the 14th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women. 14th SI Conference Brochure Conference Abstracts: Click here to download a brochure for the 2015 SI Conference on Buddhist Women. Additional "Compassion and Social Justice" languages below: 14th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women - Bahasa Indonesia Language Brochure Yogyakarta, Indonesia - Simplified Chinese Language Brochure June 23-30, 2015 - Traditional Chinese Language Brochure - English Language Brochure - French Language Brochure A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z - German Language Brochure - Japanese Language Brochure - Korean Language Brochure Read All Abstracts - Russian Language Brochure - Spanish Language Brochure PDF of this page - Tibetan Language Brochure Conference & Tour Details Click here for more information on the 14th SI A Conference, and tour details. Yogyakarta, Indonesia Ayya Santini Establishing the Bhikkhuni Sangha in
    [Show full text]
  • The Tulku System in Tibetan Buddhism: Its Reliability, Orthodoxy and Social Impacts
    The Tulku System in Tibetan Buddhism: Its Reliability, Orthodoxy and Social Impacts By Ramin Etesami A thesis submitted to the graduate school in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at the International Buddhist College, Thailand March, 20 Abstract The Tulku institution is a unique characteristic of Tibetan Buddhism with a central role in this tradition, to the extent that it is present in almost every aspect of Tibet’s culture and tradition. However, despite this central role and the scope and diversity of the socio-religious aspects of the institution, only a few studies have so far been conducted to shed light on it. On the other hand, an aura of sacredness; distorted pictures projected by the media and film industries;political propaganda and misinformation; and tendencies to follow a pattern of cult behavior; have made the Tulku institution a highly controversial topic for research; and consequently, an objective study of the institution based on a critical approach is difficult. The current research is an attempt to comprehensively examine different dimensions of the Tulku tradition with an emphasis on the issue of its orthodoxy with respect to the core doctrines of Buddhism and the social implications of the practice. In this research, extreme caution has been practiced to firstly, avoid any kind of bias rooted in faith and belief; and secondly, to follow a scientific methodology in reviewing evidence and scriptures related to the research topic. Through a comprehensive study of historical accounts, core Buddhist texts and hagiographic literature, this study has found that while the basic Buddhist doctrines allow the possibility for a Buddhist teacher or an advanced practitioner to “return back to accomplish his tasks, the lack of any historical precedence which can be viewed as a typical example of the practice in early Buddhism makes the issue of its orthodoxy equivocal and relative.
    [Show full text]
  • Conflicting Translations of Rūpa
    CONFLICTING TRANSLATIONS OF RŪPA Seth Evans ABSTRACT Rūpa is a well common concept within Buddhist literature found in teachings covering all aspects of the Dhamma. From meditation teachers to academics, it is one of the staples of how objects of consciousness are explained. What may be uncertain though is its intended meaning when in use over two millennia ago. While the accepted literal translation of the word is shape, or color, there are various interpretations of what that means, ranging from the ‘physical body’ to all that is ‘matter’. This disagreement may imply confusion from Buddhist scholars, as such, an attempt at a more unifi ed and accepted meaning of rūpa should be considered. This article will look at the various translations of rūpa in the Pāli Canon made by Rhys Davids, Walshe, Bhikkhu Bodhi and others as well as post canonical texts, such as the Vissudhimagga, to show possible confusion concerning rūpa and the importance for a solution. It is suggested that rūpa is a most diffi cult concept to translate into contemporary English and that further usage should be done with great care and consideration. This paper aims to exhibit the possible confusion of the modern day understanding of rūpa and hopes to stress that while the use of the word is necessary, a consensus in its meaning is also important for the sake of understanding. Keywords: Rūpa, Body, Matter, Form The Journal of The International Buddhist Studies College 19 INTRODUCTION What did the Buddha mean when he said rūpa? The amount of varying defi nitions of this concept may suggest that we are not sure what he meant at all.
    [Show full text]
  • Karma and the Animal Realm Envisioned Through an Early Yogācāra Lens
    Article Becoming Animal: Karma and the Animal Realm Envisioned through an Early Yogācāra Lens Daniel M. Stuart Department of Religious Studies, University of South Carolina, Rutledge College, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; [email protected] Received: 24 April 2019; Accepted: 28 May 2019; Published: 1 June 2019 Abstract: In an early discourse from the Saṃyuttanikāya, the Buddha states: “I do not see any other order of living beings so diversified as those in the animal realm. Even those beings in the animal realm have been diversified by the mind, yet the mind is even more diverse than those beings in the animal realm.” This paper explores how this key early Buddhist idea gets elaborated in various layers of Buddhist discourse during a millennium of historical development. I focus in particular on a middle period Buddhist sūtra, the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthānasūtra, which serves as a bridge between early Buddhist theories of mind and karma, and later more developed theories. This third- century South Asian Buddhist Sanskrit text on meditation practice, karma theory, and cosmology psychologizes animal behavior and places it on a spectrum with the behavior of humans and divine beings. It allows for an exploration of the conceptual interstices of Buddhist philosophy of mind and contemporary theories of embodied cognition. Exploring animal embodiments—and their karmic limitations—becomes a means to exploring all beings, an exploration that can’t be separated from the human mind among beings. Keywords: Buddhism; contemplative practice; mind; cognition; embodiment; the animal realm (tiryaggati); karma; yogācāra; Saddharmasmṛtyupasthānasūtra 1. Introduction In his 2011 book Becoming Animal, David Abram notes a key issue in the field of philosophy of mind, an implication of the emergent full-blown physicalism of the modern scientific materialist episteme.
    [Show full text]
  • Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women
    University of San Diego Digital USD Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship Department of Theology and Religious Studies 2019 Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women Karma Lekshe Tsomo PhD University of San Diego, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/thrs-faculty Part of the Buddhist Studies Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Digital USD Citation Tsomo, Karma Lekshe PhD, "Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women" (2019). Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship. 25. https://digital.sandiego.edu/thrs-faculty/25 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Digital USD. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Digital USD. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Section Titles Placed Here | I Out of the Shadows Socially Engaged Buddhist Women Edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo SAKYADHITA | HONOLULU First Edition: Sri Satguru Publications 2006 Second Edition: Sakyadhita 2019 Copyright © 2019 Karma Lekshe Tsomo All rights reserved No part of this book may not be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage or retreival system, without the prior written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations. Cover design Copyright © 2006 Allen Wynar Sakyadhita Conference Poster
    [Show full text]
  • SBCS Newsletter Vol 59 Spring Summer 2017 Final
    SBCS Newsletter 1! SPRING 2017 Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies Vol. 59 Spring 2017 News of the Society In this Newsletter Our Newsletter includes information that will appear later in Buddhist-Christian Studies: ▪ An overview of the 2016 Annual Meeting, including board and members meetings and panels ▪ Streng Award Announcement ▪ Reports on Conferences In this issue we also include: ▪ Information shared on upcoming events ▪ Announcement of a new journal ▪ Q&A on membership Concurrent with American Academy of Religions Annual Meeting ! ! San Antonio, TX, US November 18-19, 2016 The Annual Meeting of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies Sandra Costen Kunz SBCS Newsletter 2! SPRING 2017 • the board’s delight over how effectively newsletter editor Jonathan Seitz (in A pervasive background to this year’s annual Taipei) and treasurer Glenn Willis (in meeting was distress over the inaccuracy and Pennsylvania) were able to contribute to incivility of much of the discourse surrounding the its meeting via video conferencing – US presidential election – and the polarization and the implications of this success for fostered by such discourse. The society’s mission the increased involvement of can be seen, in part, as fostering discourse about international advisors, difference and common ground more honestly, happily, and hopefully – by “supporting activities • the board’s approval of University of related to the comparative study of, and the Hawai’i Press’ offer to make the journal practical interaction between, Buddhism and available
    [Show full text]
  • Information to Users
    INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has bean reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6a x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. Bell & Howell Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DIVERSITY IN PRACTICE: PEACEMAKING AMONG SINHALESE AND AMERICANS AT THE WASHINGTON BUDDHIST VIHARA by Bridget Fitzpatrick submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology Chain Geoffrey Burkhart ljuLd2JltsyTj^£t______________________ Brett Williams o — _______________ Elizabeth Sheehan Dean of the College JO _______________________ Date 2000 American University Washington, D.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Tion in Interreligious Theology ODDBJØRN LEIRVIK
    NORSK TIDSSKRIFT FOR MISJON 3–4/2006 283 The double sense of recogni- tion in interreligious theology ODDBJØRN LEIRVIK The title of the following reflection on similarities and differences across religious boundaries has got two cues: “recognition” and “interreligious theology”. In the English idiom, recognition can either mean rediscovery of things familiar (in Norwegian: “gjenkjenning”) or acknowledg- ment of something that may be distinctively unfamiliar but is still worthy of appreciation (in Norwegian: “anerkjennning”, cf. the English expression “politics of recognition”). In the encounter with other faiths, I may recognize essential features of faith that are equally dear to me. But just as often, I face the challenge of coming to terms with conceptions and practices that are foreign and do not give any immediate sense to me. Can I still acknow- ledge and appreciate such conceptions and practices, as expres- sions of a God-given diversity? Sometimes I can, in other cases not. In this essay, I will reflect upon the double sense of recogniti- on (as rediscovery and appreciation) in interreligious theology. I use the term “interreligious theology” as a reference to dialogical reflection on ultimate questions, carried out in the space between different religious universes. With “the space between”, I allude to Martin Buber’s conception of a sacred realm which opens when people of different faiths speak profoundly to one another, from heart to heart: 284 NORSK TIDSSKRIFT FOR MISJON 3–4/2006 In the most powerful moments of dialogic, where in truth “deep calls unto deep”, it becomes unmistakably clear that it is not the wand of the individual or of the social, but of a third which draws the circle round the happening.
    [Show full text]
  • ¬¬Journal of Buddhist Ethics
    ISSN: 1500-0713 ______________________________________________________________ Article Title: How Many Bodies Does It Take to Make a Buddha? Dividing the Trikāya among Founders of Japanese Buddhism Author(s): Victor Forte Source:Japanese Studies Review, Vol. XXIV (2020), pp. 35-60 Stable URL: https://asian.fiu.edu/projects-and-grants/japan- studies-review/journal-archive/volume-xxiv-2020/forte-victor- how-many-bodies.pdf ______________________________________________________________ HOW MANY BODIES DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A BUDDHA? DIVIDING THE TRIKĀYA AMONG FOUNDERS OF JAPANESE BUDDHISM Victor Forte Albright College Introduction Much of modern scholarship concerned with the historical emer- gence of sectarianism in medieval Japanese Buddhism has sought to deline- ate the key features of philosophy and praxis instituted by founders in order to illuminate critical differences between each movement. One of the most influential early proposed delineations was “single practice theory,” ikkō senju riron 一向専修理論 originating from Japanese scholars like Jikō Hazama 慈弘硲 and Yoshiro Tamura 芳朗田村.1 This argument focused on the founders of the new Kamakura schools during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries like Hōnen 法然, Shinran 親鸞, Dōgen 道元, and Nichiren 日蓮, claiming that each promoted a single Buddhist practice for the attainment of liberation at the exclusion of all other rival practices. In recent scholarship, however, single practice theory has been brought into question.2 As an alternative method of delineation, this study proposes the examination of how three major premod- ern Japanese founders (Kūkai 空海, Shinran, and Dōgen) employed the late Indian Mahāyāna notion of the three bodies of the Buddha (Skt. trikāya, Jp. sanshin 三身) by appropriating a single body of the Buddha in order to distin- guish each of their sectarian movements.
    [Show full text]