Conferences

22 March 2018, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington DC, USA
Inaugural Theravada Studies Conference 2018

Dear colleagues,

We are delighted to announce that the Inaugural Theravada Studies Conference 2018 will take place at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington DC, USA, March 22, 2018.

The study of Theravada Buddhism is undergoing significant reconceptualization in recent years that reflect broader developments in the humanities and social sciences. While seeing Theravada practices no longer as discrete foci of study, Theravada studies as a field ascertains Buddhist formations, practices and sentiments as broadly informed by an imaginaire that is derived in part from a prestige language, Pali, and its literary concerns. Recent work on Theravada Buddhist formations emphasizes comparisons among Theravada iterations, their intersections in world history, social networks and aesthetic formations across regions in South and Southeast Asia, global diasporas and interactions with other religions and cultures.

The Theravada Studies Group, established in 2013 in affiliation with the Association for Asian Studies, invites scholars and doctoral students in history, art history, textual studies, anthropology, regional and global studies, political science, environmental studies, migration studies, and related fields to submit proposals for presentations at this inaugural conference. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, Theravada material culture, spirit cults, tricksters, ethics, rethinking lay-monastic relations, secularisms and transnational linkages, among other possible themes. 

Submission Guidelines:

Proposals for panels and individual papers should be submitted electronically at [email protected] no later than October 1, 2017. Formats may include thematic panels (three papers with respondent or four without), roundtables with pre-circulated position papers; and individual paper proposals. Panel proposals must include an abstract (100 words) describing the significance of the panel’s scope and abstracts (100 words) for each paper.

Following a peer review of submissions, participants will be notified by November 1, 2017 to allow for travel planning in conjunction with the 2018 AAS meetings (March 22-25, 2018). The Theravada Studies Group has some limited funds to assist (especially graduate students) with one night’s accommodation. Registration is free and required at Theravadaciv.org. For further information, please email [email protected].

The conference is organized by the Theravada Studies Group and supported by a grant to the Theravada Civilizations Project from the Henry Luce Foundation’s Asia Program. Logistical support is provided by the Association for Asian Studies and Arizona State University.

On behalf of the organizing committee.

http://theravadaciv.org/inaugural-theravada-studies-conference-2018/

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