RELIGION

Reda Shafeak Ghazy Bedeir
A Sociolinguistic Approach to Arab/American Cultural Dialogue
Visiting Fulbright Scholar from Al-Azhar University, Daqahliya, Egypt
Source: Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES)

James L. Ford
Upaya: Re-Imagining a Central Buddhist Concept in Japan from the Middle Ages to the Present
Source: Japan Foundation Research Fellowship

Dr. Ford will investigate "Upaya: Re-Imagining a Central Buddhist Concept in Japan from the Middle Ages to the Present." The important Buddhist doctrine of upaya (J: hoben), generally translated as skillful means, contends that the historical Buddha used his wisdom and compassion to determine the best means to communicate his teachings to audiences of different spiritual capacities. Dr. Ford will study various literary genres of medieval Japan, including doctrinal treatises, popular Buddhist tales, and ritual texts, to trace the transformation of this concept within Japanese Buddhism. He hopes that this research will contribute to a broader understanding of the contextual nature of religious concepts and the dialectical process of "meaning making" within changing political, religious, and socio-cultural contexts.