Overt and Covert Buddhism: The Two Faces of University-Based Buddhism in Beijing
As more and more students in China turn to religion, it follows that an increasing number of students in Chinese universities self-identify as Buddhist. Chinese academia has a tendency to treat this as problematic, offering reasons for this trend as well as solutions but neglecting to examine the na...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-03-01
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| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/3/131 |
| _version_ | 1828397115400781824 |
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| author | Joseph Chadwin |
| author_facet | Joseph Chadwin |
| author_sort | Joseph Chadwin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As more and more students in China turn to religion, it follows that an increasing number of students in Chinese universities self-identify as Buddhist. Chinese academia has a tendency to treat this as problematic, offering reasons for this trend as well as solutions but neglecting to examine the nature of student belief and identity. By utilising two case studies, this paper seeks to demonstrate how the Buddhist identity and practice of self-proclaimed Buddhist students in Beijing can manifest in two very different ways: overtly or covertly. More specifically, each case study provides an example of students in Beijing who very much break with the commonly held perception that students in China who self-identify as religious have a fundamentally flawed and limited understanding of their religion and rarely actually practice it. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:41:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-02c0c2ee17434f698d167cafb4fa579c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:41:07Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-02c0c2ee17434f698d167cafb4fa579c2022-12-22T01:55:51ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442020-03-0111313110.3390/rel11030131rel11030131Overt and Covert Buddhism: The Two Faces of University-Based Buddhism in BeijingJoseph Chadwin0Department of Religious Studies, University of Vienna, 1300 Vienna, AustriaAs more and more students in China turn to religion, it follows that an increasing number of students in Chinese universities self-identify as Buddhist. Chinese academia has a tendency to treat this as problematic, offering reasons for this trend as well as solutions but neglecting to examine the nature of student belief and identity. By utilising two case studies, this paper seeks to demonstrate how the Buddhist identity and practice of self-proclaimed Buddhist students in Beijing can manifest in two very different ways: overtly or covertly. More specifically, each case study provides an example of students in Beijing who very much break with the commonly held perception that students in China who self-identify as religious have a fundamentally flawed and limited understanding of their religion and rarely actually practice it.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/3/131chinese studentsbuddhismreligious identitybeijing |
| spellingShingle | Joseph Chadwin Overt and Covert Buddhism: The Two Faces of University-Based Buddhism in Beijing Religions chinese students buddhism religious identity beijing |
| title | Overt and Covert Buddhism: The Two Faces of University-Based Buddhism in Beijing |
| title_full | Overt and Covert Buddhism: The Two Faces of University-Based Buddhism in Beijing |
| title_fullStr | Overt and Covert Buddhism: The Two Faces of University-Based Buddhism in Beijing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Overt and Covert Buddhism: The Two Faces of University-Based Buddhism in Beijing |
| title_short | Overt and Covert Buddhism: The Two Faces of University-Based Buddhism in Beijing |
| title_sort | overt and covert buddhism the two faces of university based buddhism in beijing |
| topic | chinese students buddhism religious identity beijing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/3/131 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT josephchadwin overtandcovertbuddhismthetwofacesofuniversitybasedbuddhisminbeijing |