Buddhist Activism and Chinese Modernity

• Main Author: Hung-yok Ip
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Lucerne 2015-02-01
• Series: Journal of Global Buddhism
• Online Access: http://www.globalbuddhism.org/jgb/index.php/jgb/article/view/92

The history of modern Chinese Buddhism has begun to attract attention in recent years. Some scholars have done inspiring research as they unravel the integration of Buddhism into the highly secularized process of Chinese modernity by drawing on the repository of knowledge on modern China. While this special issue joins this exciting endeavor, it also uses Buddhism as a window to reflect on scholarship on Chinese modernity. Conceptually, this special issue presses scholars in the field of modern China to rethink the place of tradition in the course of modernity. Thematically we show the expansionist impulse of Chinese Buddhism: In addition to envisioning the geographical expansion of their religion, Chinese Buddhists have endeavored to enhance the significance of Buddhism in various dimensions of Chinese society in particular and human life in general.