Teaching Buddhism in the West: From the Wheel to the Web(Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism)

At a time when the popularity of Buddhism is at a peak in the west, both inside and outside the university setting, scholars and students alike are searching for guidance: How should Buddhism, a religion which is ultimately 'foreign' to western experience, be taught? How should one teach central Buddhist doctrines and ideas? Should one teach Buddhist practise; if so how? Until now, those interested in these and other related matters have been left with little guidance. Despite the wealth of scholarly publications on Buddhist traditions and the plethora of books about meditation and enlightenment, a serious lacuna exists in the sphere of teaching Buddhism. This book fills this lacuna, by providing a series of thematically arranged articles written by contemporary scholars of Buddhism throughout North America. Some of the major themes covered are the history of teaching Buddhism in Europe and North America (Reynolds, Prebish), the problem of representations of Buddhism in undergraduate teaching (Lewis), the problem of crossing cultural and historical divides (Jenkins), the place of the body and mind in the Buddhist classroom (Waterhouse), alternative pedagogical methods in teaching Buddhism (Wotypka, Jarow, Hori, Grimes) and the use of the Internet as a resource, and metaphor for teaching Buddhism (Fenn, Grieder).

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Introduction by Victor Sogen Hori List of Contributors Teaching Buddhism: Past and Present Teaching Buddhism in the Postmodern University: Understanding, Critique, Evaluation Frank E. Reynolds Buddhist Studies in the Academy: History and Analysis Charles S. Prebish What is Buddhism? Representations of Buddhism in Undergraduate Teaching: The Centrality of Ritual and Story Narratives Todd T. Lewis Moving Beyond the 'ism': A Critique of the Objective Approach to Teaching Buddhism O'Hyun Park Cultural Divides Black Ships, Bravatsky, and the Pizza Effect: Critical Self-Consciousness as a Thematic Foundation for Courses in Buddhist Studies Stephen Jenkins An End-run round Entities: Using Scientific Analogies to Teach Basis Buddhist Concepts William S. Waldron Skilful Means Engaging Buddhism: Creative Tasks and Student Participation Joanne Wotypka The Peripatetic Class: Buddhist Traditions and Myths of Pedagogy E.H. Rick Jarow Buddha Body, Buddha Mind Buddhism and the Teaching of Judo David Waterhouse Introducing Buddhism in a Course on Postmodernism Susan Mattis Zen in the Classroom Zen and the Art of Not Teaching Zen and the Arts: An Autopsy Ronald L. Grimes Liberal Education and the Teaching of Buddhism Victor Sogen Hori The Wheel Comes to the Web Teaching Buddhism by Distance Education: Traditional and Web-based Approaches Mavis L. Fenn Academic Buddhology and the Cyber-Sangha: Researching and Teaching Buddhism on the Web Brett Greider

About the Author :
Richard P. Hayes, Victor Sogen Hori, James Mark Sheilds