REL 295-01 - Special Topic: Gender and Sexuality in Buddhist Communities

4 credits (Fall)

Seen as androcentric and misogynist by some, and liberating and non-judgmental by others, Buddhism and Buddhist institutional attitudes related to gender and sexuality have been imagined through complex interactions between ancient traditions and the different cultures Buddhism has developed in as it has traveled. This course will explore some of these re-imaginings in India, China, Tibet, Japan, Thailand and Korea and will anchor these explorations in theoretical considerations of gender, sexuality and religion.

Prerequisite: REL 101, REL 102, REL 103, REL 104, or second-year standing.
Instructor: Amy Holmes-Tagchungdarpa