Ritual and Materiality in Buddhism and Asian Religions

In-person International Conference at Princeton University

Performance, ritualized actions, and praxis are central to Buddhism and the religions of Asia, and recently, scholarship has begun to appreciate the importance of objects and the human body in ritual. This conference is intended to foster work that explores the connections between ritual and different forms of materiality, including manuscripts, printed liturgies, paintings, images, statues, talismans, other ritual implements and technologies, and bodily engagement.
The keynote lecture (June 13) will be given by LIU Shu-fen (Academia Sinica). Discussants for the panels (June 14-15) will be Laurel Kendall (American Museum of Natural History) and Justin McDaniel (University of Pennsylvania). 21 scholars from Asia, Europe, and North America will discuss their papers. In addition, 20 Ph.D. students from across the globe have been accepted to take part in the discussion.

Discussion (in English) will focus not on panelists’ presentations but on pre-distributed papers, which will be made available to those who pre-register. Pre-registration is required. Pre-registration is for in-person attendance only; Zoom or remote options will not be available. The registration deadline is May 29, 2023.

Sponsored by the Glorisun Global Buddhist Network, the Humanities Council, the Tang Center for East Asian Art, the Department of Religion, and the Program in East Asian Studies.