Note: please refer to our covid response page for the latest updates about course delivery method, mask and vaccine requirements, and other information as we navigate the pandemic. All fall 2021 courses will be offered remotely (online); we hope to offer some courses on site in spring 2022. All students and faculty are required to be fully vaccinated before entering an IBS facility.
The GTU Registrar’s Office is responsible for listing all courses offered throughout the GTU consortium. IBS courses are publicly listed via the GTU student information system, Sonis. Please visit GTU Sonis and search for courses by semester and school to see IBS’s current listings. Students should be aware that the information on the GTU Website is the most updated and correct version of courses currently available.
Current IBS students should log in to Populi to register for courses. GTU MA and Buddhist Chaplaincy Certificate students will need to log in to GTU Sonis.
* Note: While the IBS offers a set of classes each semester, there are instances in which a class may be cancelled due to low enrollment.
Fall 2021
| Course Number | Course Title | Faculty | Time/Delivery Method | Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HR-8107 | INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM AND BUDDHIST STUDIES | Montrose | Online | This course introduces the student to the Buddhist tradition and the academic study of Buddhism. The course covers the development of Buddhism across Asia, its history, major texts, lineages, practices and doctrines. Secondarily, we will discuss the academic discipline of Buddhist studies, its own historical development, methodologies, orientations and assumptions. It is required for the Certificate in Buddhist Studies. |
| HRHS-8151 | BUDDHIST TRDTNS OF SOUTH ASIA | Ramswick | Online | Introduces the Buddhist traditions as they originate in India and develop throughout south and southeast Asia. First half of the required year long introductory survey of the entire Buddhist tradition. Lecture/seminar. Requirements:1 research paper; 1 reflection paper; class presentation. Required course for: M.A. (Buddhist Studies), M.B.S, M.Div., Buddhist Chaplaincy Certificate Program, Kyoshi Cetificate. NOTE: This course is co-sponsored by SKSM. |
| HRPH-1614 | INTRO TO SHIN BUDDHIST THOUGHT | Bridge | Mondays, 9:40 - 12:30 [onsite or hybrid] | Introduces the major ideas of Shin thought in the context of contemporary religious and philosophic discussions. Evaluation based on participation in discussion forums and final research paper. Intended for MA/MTS and MDiv students. [HR 1510, HR 1550 or instructor's permission; Faculty Consent required] |
| HRIR-2000 | BUDDHISM AND WORLD RELIGIONS | Lin | TBD [concurrent hybrid or distance]; Tuesdays, 2:10-5:00 | Contextualizes the history, thought, and practice of Buddhism within the broad sweep of world religions, historically and contemporarily. |
| HR-3300 | TERMS, TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS | Payne | TBD [online] | A study of the key terminology of Buddhist studies across the tradition, the ways in which texts are studied, and issues of translation. These issues have all been central for the understanding of Buddhism as it has moved from one society to another, and this course examines how they affect the interpretation of Buddhism in the present. |
| HR-1630 | METHODS IN BUDDHIST STUDIES | Calobrisi | Fridays, 9:40 - 12:30 [most likely hybrid/online; contact instructor] | A survey of different approaches to the study of Buddhism, including textual, anthropological, sociological, historical, and bibliographic. Particular attention will be given to contemporary critical studies, appropriate historical and social contextualization of doctrinal claims, and relations between Buddhism and other religions in the modern world. May be upgraded for doctoral students. [Auditors with Faculty permission] |
| HRHS-8307 | HSTRY OF SHIN BUDDHIST TRDTN | Wondra | Online | HISTORY OF THE SHIN BUDDHIST TRADITION: PREMODERN A survey of themes and problems in the history of Jodoshinshu Buddhism, from Honen into the Tokugawa period, including doctrine but also other associated issues (institutionalization, women's roles, evolution of teachings, interaction with political and economic regimes, etc.). Online course, with readings and written interactions among students and instructor. Evaluation based on weekly student writings and a final paper. Primary aim is to establish basic knowledge, which may serve as foundation for subsequent studies. For all students concerned with Shin Buddhism's interaction with Japanese history, but assumes some general familiarity with Buddhist traditions. |
| HRPH-4568 | WORKS OF SHINRAN III | Miyaji | TBD | WORKS OF SHINRAN III: TEACHING, PRACTICE AND REALIZATION, CONTINUED Continuation of the study of Shinran's major treatise, which was taken up in HR 4567 Works of Shinran II. Course is recommended for ministerial aspirants. Fulfills the Area Distribution Requirement for Area I. [HR 4567 or equivalent as determined by the instructor; Faculty Consent required] |
| HR-8250 | ESOTERIC BUDDHISM | Payne | Online | A survey of the history, teachings, doctrines, practices, and textual traditions of esoteric, or tantric, Buddhism. Particular focus may be given to Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, or Japanese forms of esoteric Buddhism. As appropriate attention will also be given to basic introduction to the traditions of Indian tantra that provided the religious context for the development of the Buddhist tantric tradition. |
| HR-8145 | BUDDHIST JAPANESE I | Thompson | Online | This course introduces the basics of Japanese grammar, vocabulary, kana & kanji (Japanese characters), and dictionary work. Students will acquire knowledge of the characteristics of Japanese grammar and some Buddhist terminology. Students learn various types of sentences, which include simple and compound sentences. |
Spring 2022
| Course Number | Course Name | Faculty | Delivery Method | Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRHS-8152 | BUDDHIST TRDTNS OF EAST ASIA | Ramswick | Online | Introduces the Buddhist traditions transmitted to East Asia and the development of new traditions. Second half of the required year long introductory survey of the entire Buddhist tradition. Usually offered each Spring semester. Course format: Online discussion. Evaluation method: Participation/term paper. |
| HR-8150 | ZEN BUDDHISM | Pokorny | Online | A survey of the history, teachings, doctrines, practices and textual traditions of Zen Buddhism as this tradition developed in China, Korea, Japan, and its contemporary transmission to the West. Socio- historical aspects of the tradition’s development and history will also be considered. |
| HR-2850 | BUDDHISM AND THE WEST | Mitchell | TBD | This course surveys the history of Buddhist traditions in the West. Beginning with 19th century colonial contact and Asian immigration through 21st century global exchanges, we will explore the various ways that Buddhists, Buddhist communities, and Buddhist ideas have come to and developed in Western contexts. Previous Buddhist studies courses helpful but not required. |
| HR-8317 | READING IN MAHAYANA TEXTS: THE THREE PURE LAND SUTRAS | Bridge | Online | An introduction to selected Mahayana Buddhist texts in English translation. In this semester we will read the Three Pure Land Sutras: the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra, the Smaller Sukhavativyuha Sutra, and the Contemplation Sutra on the Buddha of Infinite Life. The course will introduce the overall structure of each text and examine major doctrinal issues which form the foundation of the Pure Land teaching. Course format: Lecture. Evaluation method: Participation/term paper. |
| HR-3017 | READING IN MAHAYANA TEXTS: THE BODHICARYĀVATĀRA | Lin | TBD | TBD |
| HRPH-8453 | WORKS OF SHINRAN I | Miyaji | Online | TBD |
| HRRS-4551 | TOPICS IN THERAVADA BUDDHIST STUDIES | Quli | TBD | TBD |
| New Course | TOPICS IN BUDDHIST PRACTICE: BUDDHISM AND MEDICINE | Bruntz | Online | This course surveys the intersections of Buddhism and medicine across Asia and introduces students to historical and contemporary healing practices of Buddhist communities. Students will examine Buddhist sources regarding the history of medicine, as well as rituals and practices related to notions of health, wellness, disease, death, and the body. This course will focus on how religious beliefs and rituals shape and interact with these cultural views, and furthermore, provides opportunity to question one’s own notions of “health,” “religion,” “healing,” and “medicine.” The course emphasizes Buddhism and healing traditions across South and East Asia, but will also examine the global spread of these practices, with focus on their presence in the United States. |
| PSHR-5160 | TOPICS IN BUDDHIST PASTORAL CARE | Kinst | TBD | TBD |
| HR-8146 | BUDDHIST JAPANESE II | Thompson | Online | Continues to develop technical Buddhist vocabulary in modern Japanese. As well as referencing classical Japanese, the Buddhist terms in Sanskrit and Chinese related to key technical terms will also be introduced. More complex grammar and longer selections will be worked with. |