Annual Kawamura Seminar at the University of Calgary

Leslie Kawamura at the Confluence of Transnational Buddhism and Buddhist Studies
By Dr. John Harding, University of Lethbridge
In our 2014 book, Flowers on the Rock: Global and Local Buddhisms in Canada, Victor Sōgen Hori, Alexander Soucy, and I argue “All forms of Buddhism are imbedded in Global networks of shared information, persons, culture, and resources. Scholars seeking to understand these forms of Buddhism must pay attention to both these larger networks and each local constituent” (15). This applies to Buddhists and scholars of Buddhism as well. Leslie Kawamura was both, and drawing examples from his life and work provides a multifaceted instantiation of a number of global trends for the development and study of Buddhism while fittingly challenging conventional categories and assumptions. For this seminar, I reference Leslie Kawamura’s contributions nurturing and extending transnational networks and his proficiency for navigating global currents for Buddhism and its study — including dynamics for religious studies more generally, such as the fluctuation of insider and outsider roles.

About the Speaker:
John S. Harding is a Professor in the Department of History and Religion, former Chair of Religious Studies, and founding Coordinator of Asian Studies at the University of Lethbridge. His research includes Japanese Buddhism and the cross-cultural exchanges within and beyond Asia that have shaped developments of modern and global Buddhism in Japan, North America, and worldwide in the past 160 years. Along with books, articles, and conferences focused on these interests, his collaborative scholarship also extends to textbooks and readers devoted to the academic study of religion and Buddhism. He loves to ski with his family, play volleyball and tennis, and relax at home with Lisa and their three dogs.