Asian Religions Network at the University of Edinburgh

This is a presentation of the creation and activities of the Asian Religions Network at the University of Edinburgh.

The Network was founded in 2014 by Dr Gregory Adam Scott and Dr Naomi Appleton, then joined by Dr Halle O’Neal. They collated and circulated information about relevant events across the University, and organise public lectures as well as work-in-progress workshops and networking events. Indeed, this tradition of work-in-progress workshops started with the Asian Religions Network, and continues with Edinburgh Buddhist Studies.

 Public Lectures

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Conference poster ARN 2015 Charles Orzech

Since its founding in 2015, the Network has hosted some fascinating public lectures: Asian Religions: Boundaries, Connections, and Identities

Inaugurated in 2015, these lectures address broad themes around the connections and boundaries between religious traditions and groups across Asia.

 

 

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Conference poster ARN 2018 Prof Chakravarthi

Our inaugural lecture entitled ‘Asian Religions and World Religions: Reflections on Taxonomy and the Study of Buddhist Liturgy’ was given by Professor Charles Orzech of Glasgow University on Wednesday 2nd December 2015 in the Martin Hall, New College, Edinburgh. 

Our 2016 lecturer was Dr Carool Kersten (KCL) who gave a lecture entitled ‘Is there an Indonesian Islam?’ on Wednesday 2nd November 2016. 

The 2017 planned event was rescheduled on the 4th April 2018 with Professor Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad of Lancaster University giving a lecture entitled ‘The phenomenology of dispassion across Hindu and Buddhist traditions’.

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Conference poster ARN 2017 Bernard Faure

 

Khyentse Lecture in Buddhist Studies

This annual public lecture was generously supported by the Khyentse Foundation.

The inaugural lecture was given on 17th March 2016 by Professor Ashley Thompson (Hiram W. Woodward Chair in Southeast Asian Art of SOAS, University of London). She gave a talk entitled ‘Sisters in the Buddha: On a Cambodian Statuary Cult’.

The 2017 lecture was given by Prof Bernard Faure on Wednesday 5th April 2017, on ‘The Death of the Buddha as Seen from Japan’.

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Conference poster ARN 2018 Natalie Gummer

In 2018 our lecture was given by Professor Natalie Gummer (Beloit College) on Wednesday 11th April, on the subject ‘Reading Rituals: Sacrificial Hermeneutics and the Study of Mahayana Buddhist Sutras’.