Ugo Dessì is currently a FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftichen Forschung) Professorial Fellow in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Vienna, Austria, and Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Publications on the interplay of Japanese Religions with global dynamics include Japanese Religions and Globalization (2013) and The Global Repositioning of Japanese Religions: An Integrated Approach (2017). The most recent book Religioni e globalizzazione: un’introduzione (2019) is a critical introduction to the comparative study of religion under globalization. CORRESPONDENCE: Department of Religious Studies, University of Vienna, Schenkenstraße 8-10, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
關鍵詞
East Asian Buddhism; South Africa; Kwan Um School of Zen; Soka Gakkai International; Foguangshan
摘要
In this article I take my cue from Michel Clasquin-Johnson’s reflections on six main themes (lay practice, gender equality, adhesion to democratic principles, impact of Western psychology, social engagement, creation of a non-sectarian tradition) underlying the development of mainstream South African Buddhism to explore three forms of East Asian Buddhism operating in the country: the Dharma Centre (Korean Sŏn)—a representative of mainstream South African Buddhism—and the local branches of two large new religious movements—the Japan-based Soka Gakkai International (Nichiren Buddhism) and the Taiwan-based Foguangshan (Chinese Pure Land/Chan Buddhism)—which include a more diverse section of the South African population. Besides providing a detailed analysis of these forms of East Asian Buddhism in the country, I test the applicability of Clasquin-Johnson’s themes to the case studies and explore four further topics for the comparative study of South African Buddhism: interactions with local religions, proselytization, hybridization, the promise of worldly benefits.
目次
ABSTRACT 435 Introduction 435 The Dharma Centre 437 SGI South Africa 439 Foguangshan South Africa 440 East Asian Buddhism in South Africa and Clasquin-Johnson’s six themes 441 Four further themes for the comparative study of East Asian Buddhism in South Africa 444 Conclusions 449 Acknowledgements 453 References 454
