The Making of American Buddhism - Free Online Sat. 2/24 @ 3 PM

Dean and Professor Scott Mitchell and Rev. Takashi Miyaji will be discussing the former’s The Making of American Buddhism as sponsored by the BCA and the Institute of Buddhist Studies as part of the BCA National Conference this weekend.

Catch the discussion live by clicking here at 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 24.

Even if Professor Mitchell had only written 2018’s Buddhism in America: Global Religion, Local Contexts, he would have done American Buddhism a great service by his data-driven survey of the many iterations of Buddhist traditions now available in the United States. In doing so he provides a balnced picture that embraces the many unsung ethnic communities simply continuing traditions in a new country.

But with The Making of American Buddhism he manages to place Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in front and center in historical and often personal perspective, as the traditions of Japan are creatively supported and enabled for a new home in the United States. In the process, he tells the fascinating stories of Nisei activists making an American Buddhism. They did so by building out spiritual infrastructure to allow Buddhism to be understood and grow in this country. It is that infrastructure which allows Buddhist tradition to flourish via a modernism that continues to create new homegrown Buddhists.

Bill Teague, Buddhist Education Committee