Pacific World at 100: Women in American Buddhism

Please join us at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in San
Diego on Friday November 22 for a roundtable discussion and reception to celebrate
the 100th anniversary of The Pacific World: Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies.
Founded by Yehan Numata in 1925 while he was a graduate student at the University of
California, Berkeley, the Pacific World was originally a monthly publication fostering
inter-cultural connection between the United States and Japan. The journal featured
articles on Japanese Buddhism and culture and was distributed widely across North
America and Asia. Due to funding issues, the Pacific World ceased publication after four
years.

With the generous support of Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, founded by Yehan Numata in the
post-war years, the Institute of Buddhist Studies revived the Pacific World as an annual
academic journal in 1982. Now in its fourth series, the Pacific World is a peer-reviewed,
open-access journal produced by the Institute and supported by BDK America.

The International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies is proud to co-host a roundtable
discussion and reception to celebrate the Pacific World’s long history.

The roundtable discussion, featuring notable scholars across multiple disciplines and
methodologies, will discuss the topic of women in Buddhist America, inviting dialogue
between feminist ethics, philosophy, comparative studies, anthropology, and historical
studies. Whereas Buddhist American studies has gained attention within Buddhist
Studies more broadly, with welcome attention to the racial dimensions of Buddhist
practice and scholarship, the topic of American Buddhist women remains a lacuna. This
panel aims to draw attention to this area by generating questions and sharing insights
from each scholar’s area of expertise with the hope of inspiring future research on the
representations, contributions, and experiences of American women across Buddhist
traditions.

Panelists include Paula Arai (Institute of Buddhist Studies), Courtney Bruntz
(Institute of Buddhist Studies), Hsiao-Lan Hu (University of Detroit Mercy), and Nalika
Gajaweera (independent scholar), with Natalie Quli (Institute of Buddhist Studies)
serving as moderator.

A reception will follow the discussion.

Pacific World at 100: Women in American Buddhism

Friday, November 22, 2024, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Omni Hotel
675 L St.
San Diego, CA 92101
Grand C (Fourth Floor)

This event is open to the public; registration for the annual meeting of the American
Academy of Religion is encouraged but not required. For more information on the
annual meeting, please visit the AAR’s website and online program. https://papers.aarweb.org/online-program-book