In-person November Annual Meeting 2025 Program Book

This paper examines the evolution of the Ming philosopher Wang Yangming’s 王陽明 (1472–1529) poetry and his invention of “song poems” (歌詩 geshi).  Through examining the rhyming and stylistic features of Wang's invention of the “Singing Method Synchronizing the Nine Tones and the Four Seasons” (jiusheng siqi gefa 九聲四氣歌法), a compositional method that sacrificed literary refinement for musical consistency, the paper explores what it means for Wang Yangming to create poetic form without content, the implications of pursuing morality without a moral reference, and how Wang’s invention of the “song poem” aligns with, complicates, and potentially jeopardizes his philosophical vision.

This paper investigates the poiesis of language in Song Emperor Taizong’s 宋太宗 (r. 976–997) poetic compositions—Mizang quan 祕藏詮 (Explanation of the Secret Treasure) and Xiaoyao yong 逍遥詠 (Chants of the Unfettered)—completed around 988 and preserved in the Korean Buddhist Canon. Blending Buddhist gāthā, Daoist chant, and Sinitic poetic and commentarial forms, these works exemplify a syncretic style that allowed the emperor to shape new religious meanings through poetic expression. The texts’ flexible form, interlinear commentary, and rhetorical ambiguity enabled the integration of Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian elements while advancing esoterism as a central theme. This paper argues that it was through the poiesis of language—the creative shaping of meaning via hybrid poetic form—that Taizong articulated his role as interpreter and harmonizer of the Three Teachings, utilizing poetry as a powerful medium of imperial ideology and religious synthesis.

This paper will trace the development of Quaker argumentation over women's ministry as expounded in three Quaker tracts in the 1650s, by Richard Farnworth; Priscilla Cotton and Mary Cole; and George Fox. The first two feature a higher degree of spiritualization of the Apostle Paul's passages on gender and women's ministry, both making the argument that "women" should mean those who are "weak in the spirit," mostly male priests. Fox's tract balances support of women's prophesying with traditional views of women's submission to husbands. This paper considers the role that such differences likely played in the substantial divisions that developed among Quakers in England, most notably between George Fox on the one hand with his traditional views, and that of James Nayler and Martha Simmons on the other hand, as they enacted a Christological sign of Nayler's 1656 entry into Bristol, similar to Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem

This paper discusses the methodological framework and initial findings of the first-ever World Survey of Friends in 2024, which was conducted among the participants of the World Plenary held by the Friends World Committee for Consultation in 2024. The survey was run by Woodbrooke's Centre for Research in Quaker Studies, which has a 35-year track record in surveying Quakers in Britain, and it gathered responses of Quakers from across the world and the breadth of theological traditions. In that context, this paper compares the challenges of constructing a new, global and multilingual survey with those of administering a well-established survey within a single territory. I argue that the quantitative approach to such a survey has academic value but that it can be significantly enhanced when combined with qualitative comments and interviews detailing individual experiences.

Quaker women in Kenya express their faith through the “Kuhambiza itaya” (Lighting the lamp) ritual, symbolizing the Quaker belief in the inner light—the idea that everyone carries “that of God” within them. This ceremony celebrates women’s servant-leadership in socio-cultural and religious spheres, honoring their exemplary service and achievements within the Quaker church. Blending Quaker spirituality with African cultural traditions, the ritual uses modern artifacts like the lantern lamp to embody existential spirituality. This study explores how Kenyan Quaker women integrate Quaker existential spirituality with cultural practices through Kuhambiza itaya, highlighting the localization of a global religious tradition. Conducted in Western Kenya, where Quakerism has deep roots since 1902, the research employs field studies, interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations. Grounded in Webster’s (2009) theory of existential spirituality, it examines how individuals derive meaning and purpose through relational experiences, offering insights into the ritual’s cultural and spiritual significance.

This paper surveys the Buddhist meditation technique known as the reflection on the repulsiveness of food (Skt. āhārepratikūla saṁjñā), tracing its origins in early canonical texts to its eventual decline in Mahāyāna Buddhism. It explores how food is interwoven with Buddhist concepts such as suffering, non-self, and dependent origination. Within this framework, contemplating food—by eliciting loathing toward both food and the body—reinforces the realization of non-self, fostering disenchantment and ultimately leading to nirvāṇa. Early Buddhist texts, including the Pāli Nikāyas and Chinese Āgamas, employ vivid similes to depict food consumption as an experience of suffering, while later Abhidharma traditions of both Theravāda and Sarvāstivāda systematized the practice. With the rise of Mahāyāna Buddhism, doctrinal shifts emphasizing emptiness led to its reconfiguration, as reflected in widely circulated Mahāyāna texts. Overall, the paper examines the relationship between this practice and the evolving doctrinal understanding of food in Buddhism.

This paper examines representations of disability in Chinese narrative tradition from the fourth to tenth century, arguing that disability is not a fixed category, but a fluid condition embedded in broader discourses of the body, suffering, and karma. Through an analysis of both translated Indian avadāna literature and indigenous Chinese miracle tales, I explore how these texts frame disability in shifting and context-dependent ways, sometimes as karmic retribution, sometimes as a contingent condition to be healed, and sometimes as an ambiguous marker of distinction. Rather than reinforcing a moralist view of disability as punishment, Buddhist narratives allow space for an empathetic recognition of disability as a shared yet transient condition among all sentient beings. Engaging with scholarship on disability aesthetics and ethics, this paper highlights how Buddhist texts mobilize bodily difference not only to elucidate doctrine but also to invite moral reflection, compassion, and a reimagination of embodied experience.

This paper explores the treasure origin (gter 'byung) genre in Tibetan literature, focusing on the works of Guru Chowang (1212–1270 CE.) and Ratna Lingpa (1403–1478), whose works provide some of the earliest systematic reflections on treasure revelation. These texts serve dual purposes: they not only theorize the nature of treasures—defining their origins, categories, and legitimacy—but also offer richly detailed narratives of the discovery process. These accounts describe how revealers located treasures through visions, prophecies, and signs in the landscape, how they negotiated with guardian spirits, and how they verified and authenticated their finds. By examining both the theoretical frameworks and vivid discovery narratives, this study sheds light on how treasures shaped Tibetan Buddhist understandings of revelation, sacred geography, and lineage.

This paper explores the reframing of Buddhism as ‘culture’ amid its growing popularity in South Korea. Recent Buddhist events like DJ NewJeansNim’s Lantern Festival performance and the Seoul International Buddhism Expo have attracted immense public attention despite declining interest in organized religion. Notably, both non-Buddhist audiences and Buddhist organizers increasingly describe Buddhism as a ‘culture’ rather than ‘religion.’ This study examines how the categories of religion and culture are being understood in post-COVID South Korea, the consumerist impetus behind articulating Buddhism as culture, and the tension that arises when organized Buddhism engages in propagation within this climate. I argue that the concept of culture operates on two main levels: as a consumable form of popular culture and as national heritage. While this strategy enhances Buddhism’s visibility, it also raises questions about the intersection of propagation and consumerism, ultimately highlighting the fluid and contested nature of religion in contemporary, non-Western societies.