Program Unit Annual Meeting 2023

Buddhist Critical-Constructive Reflection Unit

Call for Proposals

The Buddhist Critical-Constructive Reflection Unit explores how Buddhist thought and practice can address contemporary issues and how Buddhist modes of understanding can inform or be informed by academic studies (in Religious Studies, Philosophy, Ethics, Theology, Sociology, Economics, etc.). We invite paper or panel proposals on any topic pertaining to our mission to engage in Buddhist critical and constructive reflection, but particularly on the following: 

  • Buddhist futures—visions of cosmological and existential transformation and resilience (Christina Kilby, kilbyca@jmu.edu)
  • Buddhism and racial justice in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic (Rachel Pang, rhpang@davidson.edu)
  • Buddhist feminisms
  • Buddhist responses to populism, nationalism, xenophobia
  • Defining the scope of Engaged Buddhism—debates in the field
  • Eco-Buddhism and Buddhist resources for an ethic of the more-than-human world (Colin Simonds, 11cs77@queensu.ca)
  • Transnational Buddhist networks
  • White House-US Buddhist Leadership Conference, eight years later
Statement of Purpose

The Buddhist Critical-Constructive Reflection Unit explores how Buddhist thought and practice can address contemporary issues and how Buddhist modes of understanding can inform or be informed by academic studies (in Religious Studies, Philosophy, Ethics, Theology, Sociology, Economics, etc.).

Chair Mail Dates
Barbra R. Clayton, Mount Allison University bclayton@mta.ca - View
Melissa Anne-Marie Curley curley.32@osu.edu - View
Steering Member Mail Dates
Kin Cheung cheungk@moravian.edu - View
Deba Barua, York University dmitra777@gmail.com - View
Hsiao-Lan Hu, University of Detroit Mercy hhu@udmercy.edu - View
Christina Kilby, James Madison University kilbyca@jmu.edu - View
Kim Lam kim.lam@deakin.edu.au - View
Bee Scherer profbscherer@gmail.com - View
Rachel Pang, Davidson College rhpang@davidson.edu - View
Review Process: Participant names are visible to chairs but anonymous to steering committee members until after final acceptance/rejection