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Plowing the Zen Field: Trends Since 1989 and Emerging Perspectives
Author(s) -
Mohr Michel
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
religion compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.113
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 1749-8171
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-8171.2011.00335.x
Subject(s) - scholarship , scope (computer science) , buddhism , field (mathematics) , object (grammar) , psychology , epistemology , sociology , political science , philosophy , theology , law , computer science , linguistics , mathematics , pure mathematics , programming language
This survey article focuses on the object and scope of Zen Studies, and on trends visible since 1989. It argues that scholarship about Chan, Zen, Chan, Seon, and Thiên should be more closely integrated with Buddhist Studies, and that the boundaries of this field need to be expanded. Critical and epistemologically aware scholarship only emerged in the 1990s. Hence, scholars need to make a concerted effort in devoting more attention to methodological issues. This in turn ought to be skillfully distilled to non‐academic audiences.