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Academic Year 2005/2006

Politicizing the Lotus: State Patronage of Buddhism, its Rituals, and its Art
CHUM 312 FA

A seminar treating the comparative political uses made of Buddhism, its rituals and, especially, its art in premodern times by governments in India, China, Korea and Japan. Since the topic is potentially enormous in its chronological as well as its geographical sweep, the course is necessarily selective in its coverage. Some likely topics are India under the Mauryans (3rd century B.C.E.) and the Kusans (late 1st/early 2nd century C.E.), China under the Northern Wei (late fifth-century) and the Sui dynasties (late sixth- century), Korea at the time of its late sixth- and early seventh-century unification struggles, and Japan in the seventh- and early eighth- centuries. Readings for the seminar will encompass both primary, in translation, and secondary historical and Buddhist sources as well as secondary sources treating Buddhist art history and archeology. Class discussions will be devoted to the analysis of both texts and images.

MAJOR READINGS

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS EAST    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Best,Jonathan W.   

Times: ...W... 01:10PM-04:00PM;     Location: DAC300;

Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 12)

SR. major: 3   Jr. major: 3

SR. non-major: 2   Jr. non-major: 2   SO: 2   FR: X

Special Attributes:

Curricular Renewal:    Reading Non-Verbal Texts, Writing

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006

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