About the Course
GASB33H3 - Global Buddhism in Historical and Contemporary Societies
This is an introductory survey of Buddhist thought, practice, culture and literature from the earliest period in its history to the contemporary period. We start by asking what we can know about the life and teachings of the Buddha before examining the development of the tradition in India during the first millennium of its growth. We also trace the spread of Buddhism to other parts of Asia, with particular emphasis on the ways in which it was transformed through contact with the cultures of China, Japan, Tibet and Southeast Asia. The course concludes by examining the major ways in which Buddhism has adapted to the modern world.
This course is part of the Global Asia Studies program.
About Professor Ian Harris
A Professor Emeritus at the University of Cumbria, Ian Harris has held previous visiting positions at the University of Oxford, the University of British Columbia, the National University of Singapore, and the Documentary Center of Cambodia in Phnom Penh.
Initially a student of Buddhist philosophy, his current academic interests focus on the modern and contemporary history of Cambodia, Buddhism and politics in Southeast Asia, Buddhist environmentalism, and landscape aesthetics. His most recent books are Cambodian Buddhism: History and Practice (2005), Buddhism Under Pol Pot (2007), and an edited volume entitled Buddhism, Power and Politics in Southeast Asia (2007).
