Module info

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

On successful completion of the course, a student should be able to demonstrate:

• A critical awareness of Buddhist Studies as a scholarly discipline, of its presuppositions and the main present trends in the field
• An awareness of the wide variety of sources available for the study of Buddhism and of the specific way each type of source can be assessed.
• The ability to identify the main patterns and dynamics of the transmission of the Buddhist traditions throughout Asia.
• An understanding of the centrality of Buddha figures, and of the ways by which distinct lineages derive authority from them.
• The ability to apprehend Buddhist institutions in their wider societal contexts, and to analyse their complex interactions with key actors of the socio-religious sphere.
• The ability to evaluate scholarly interpretations critically, and to take an informed position within a scholarly debate.
• The ability to approach a religious tradition broadly in its doctrinal, experiential, devotional and ritual dimensions.