Buddhist studies

Buddhist studies, also known as Buddhology, is the academic study of Buddhism. The term Buddhology was coined in the early 20th century by the Unitarian minister Joseph Estlin Carpenter to mean the "study of Buddhahood, the nature of the Buddha, and doctrines of a Buddha", but the terms Buddhology and Buddhist studies are generally synonymous in the contemporary context.^[1]^[2] According to William M. Johnston, in some specific contexts, Buddhology may be viewed as a subset of Buddhist studies, with a focus on Buddhist hermeneutics, exegesis, ontology and Buddha's attributes.^[3] Scholars of Buddhist studies focus on the history, culture, archaeology, arts, philology, anthropology, sociology, theology, philosophy, practices, interreligious comparative studies and other subjects related to Buddhism.^[3]^[4]^[5]

In contrast to the study of Judaism or Christianity, the field of Buddhist studies has been dominated by "outsiders" to Buddhist cultures and traditions, hence it is not a direct subfield of Indology or Asian studies. However, Chinese, Japanese and Korean universities have also made major contributions, as have Asian immigrants to Western countries, and Western converts to Buddhism.

^ Buddhology, Oxford English Dictionary
^ Amos Yong (2000), On Doing Theology and Buddhology: A Spectrum of Christian Proposals, Buddhist-Christian Studies, Vol. 31, University of Hawai'i Press pp. 103-118
^ ^a ^b William M. Johnston (2013). Encyclopedia of Monasticism. Routledge. pp. 225–226. ISBN 978-1-136-78716-4.
^ Minoru Kiyota (1984), "Modern Japanese Buddhology: Its History and Problematics", The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 7 (1), 17–33
^ Paul David Numrich (2008). North American Buddhists in Social Context. BRILL Academic. pp. 4–13. ISBN 978-90-04-16826-8.

[1] Buddhology, Oxford English Dictionary

[2] Amos Yong (2000), On Doing Theology and Buddhology: A Spectrum of Christian Proposals, Buddhist-Christian Studies, Vol. 31, University of Hawai'i Press pp. 103-118

[Johnston225-3] William M. Johnston (2013). Encyclopedia of Monasticism. Routledge. pp. 225–226. ISBN 978-1-136-78716-4.

[4] Minoru Kiyota (1984), "Modern Japanese Buddhology: Its History and Problematics", The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 7 (1), 17–33

[5] Paul David Numrich (2008). North American Buddhists in Social Context. BRILL Academic. pp. 4–13. ISBN 978-90-04-16826-8.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]