Buddhist Critical-Constructive Reflection Unit

The Buddhist Critical-Constructive Reflection Group explores how Buddhist thought and practice can address contemporary issues and how Buddhist modes of understanding can inform or be informed by academic studies (in Religious Studies, Philosophy, Ethics, Theology, Sociology, Economics, etc.). We invite paper or panel proposals on the following topics as they pertain to our mission to engage in Buddhist critical and constructive reflection. Please note that in 2020 we will again particularly invest in the roundtable format so as to enhance discussion.

(1) Roundtable discussion on efforts to address sexual misconduct in Buddhist monastic contexts;
(2) Buddhist responses to apocalypse—climate emergency, nationalist violence, etc.;
(3) Racism, ethnocentrism, homophobia, and transphobia in non-Western contexts, and the strategies/pedagogies to address them;
(4) Intersectional wisdom: How can the Buddha dharma be expanded/enriched/revalorized with womanism, critical race theory, queer theory, trans* theory, and perspectives of the subaltern in general;
(5) Liberation through life-stories;
(6) Trauma-informed Buddhist teachings;
(7) How the Buddhist Critical-Constructive Reflection Unit has changed since its inception.