Roundtable Session In-person November Annual Meeting 2025

Contemplating the Dao: New directions in the study of Chinese religion and contemplative traditions, in response to the work of Harold D. Roth

Abstract for Online Program Book (maximum 150 words)

This roundtable brings together scholars of early Chinese religion, Daoist studies, and contemplative studies to explore new directions in their fields through the lens of Harold D. Roth’s influential work. Roth’s research has significantly impacted how scholars understand early Chinese texts and practices, emphasizing the central role of contemplative practice and challenging long-held assumptions about the context of textual production in early China. His contributions also extend to the study of classical Chinese thought more broadly, cross-cultural religious ethics, and the emerging field of contemplative studies. Panelists will reflect on Roth’s legacy, engage critically with his methods, and discuss how his work informs new research across religious studies, history, philosophy, contemplative studies, and more. Featuring diverse disciplinary perspectives, this session highlights the continued relevance of Roth’s scholarship while raising new questions for future inquiry.

Audiovisual Requirements
LCD Projector and Screen
Comments
I am proposing this roundtable session under the Daoist Studies and Chinese Religions Units, but it would make an excellent co-sponsored session, relevant to Contemplative Studies, Confucian Traditions, Mysticism, and Comparative Studies in Religion, and more. The planned presider, Sarah Allan (professor emerita, Dartmouth University) isn't showing up as an option in the AAR database, but I am not sure why. So, I included myself as presider, but we would still like Sarah listed as presider if possible; she has agreed to serve in that capacity.