REL 208 - Introduction to Buddhism

4 Hour(s)
General Education P2 and CCD

This course provides an introduction to the academic study of Buddhism and its manifestations in different areas of the world. It will survey the historical development of Buddhism and its core religious and philosophical principles - its theory of liberation, cosmology and ethics. Building on these foundations, the course will present significant case studies of contemporary Buddhism drawn from around the world (e.g.: Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, United States). Through the analysis of these selected cases, students will have an opportunity to study how different Buddhist traditions have adapted and reacted to a modern and globalized world. By investigating these attempts at survival and promotion in the contemporary global context, students will explore the challenges of perpetuating tradition and orthodoxy, and the emerging commercialization of Buddhism in the name of its survival as a significant world religion.

SP