Asian Languages & Civilization 253 - Theravada Buddhism

Spring
2016
01
4.00
Maria Heim
TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Amherst College
ASLC-253-01-1516S
FROS 211
mrheim@amherst.edu
RELI-253-01,ASLC-253-01

(Offered as RELI 253 and ASLC 253 [SA].) This course introduces the history and civilization of Theravada Buddhism. The Theravada (the “Doctrine of the Elders”) is the dominant form of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar (Burma); in recent decades it has also found a following in other regions in Asia and the west. We will trace the Theravada’s origins as one of the earliest sectarian movements in India to its success and prestige as a religious civilization bridging South and Southeast Asia. We will also consider this tradition’s encounter with modernity and its various adaptations and responses to challenges in the contemporary world. No previous background in Buddhism is required.


Spring semester. Professor M. Heim.

Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.