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In or Out: Homosexuality, the Church, and the Sangha October 21, 2007
Session 1: Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies
2007 Annual Meeting Schedule, San Diego California
(Open and free to public.)
These meetings occur just prior to and during the American Academy of Religion/Society for Biblical Literature Annual Meeting.
Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies Panel Session #1
Friday, 11/16 4:00-6:00
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, Manchester G
Theme: “In or Out: Homosexuality, the Church, and the Sangha”
Description: This session will explore and compare issues and practices relating to sexual identity and sexual codes within the Buddhist and Christian traditions. This session has been organized in honor of Professor Roger Corless, a long time member of the Society for Christian Buddhist Studies, a dual practitioner of Roman Catholicism and Vajrayana Buddhism, and a voice for "queer sangha", who left us in January, 2007.
Harry Wells, Humboldt State University, Presiding
Robert Fastiggi, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit
“The Catholic Church and Homosexuality”
Ilene Stanford, Harvard University
“In or Out? Marriage as a Social Practice”
José Ignacio Cabezón, University of California, Santa Barbara
“Is Homosexual Sex ‘Sexual Misconduct’? Critical Reflections on Some Classical Indo-Tibetan Sources.”
Michael Sweet, University of Wisconsin, Madison
“Shameless Discretion: Insider and Outsider Perspectives
of Homoeroticism in the Sangha”
Respondent: Richard Reilly, St. Bonaventure University
“The Thought and Legacy of Masao Abe October 21, 2007
Session 2: Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies
2007 Annual Meeting Schedule, San Diego California
(Open and free to public.)
Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies Panel Session #2
Saturday, 11/17 4:00-6:30
San Diego Convention Center, 31C
Theme: The Thought and Legacy of Masao Abe
Description: This roundtable discussion will feature ten-minute opening statements by eight participants familiar with the thought of Masao Abe (1915-2006) and his contributions to Zen Studies, interfaith dialogue, and comparative philosophy. Their presentations will be followed by a 70-minute discussion with the audience.
Christopher Ives, Stonehill College, presiding
Panelists:
Donald W. Mitchell, Purdue University (10 min)
Michiko Yusa, Western Washington University (10 min)
James Fredericks, Loyola Marymount University (10 min)
John B. Cobb, Jr., Claremont School of Theology (10 min)
Stephen Rowe, Grand Valley State University (10 min)
William R. LaFleur, University of Pennsylvania (10 min)
Steven Heine, Florida International University (10 min)
Discussion (70 min)
Call for Papers for Annual Meeting Sessions of Society March 18, 2007
This is a call for papers for the program session of the SBCS annual meeting to be held on Friday, November 16, 2007 in San Diego, CA just prior to the annual meeting of American Academy of Religion. Please note the submission deadline and guidelines below.
"IN OR OUT?: HOMOSEXUALITY, THE CHURCH, AND THE SANGHA"
The current controversy within the Anglican Communion over the ordination of openly homosexual clergy and installation of an openly gay bishop raises the question again-what perspectives come to bear on the question of sexual identity in the Buddhist and Christian traditions? Historical, theological, social, and personal perspectives may frame the presentation or paper, and include a range of foci, including queer theology, queer dharma, sexual identity and religious practices, theological and spiritual reflections on homosexuality and homoeroticism, celibacy and homosexuality, historical case studies, contemporary case studies, and Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual sanghas or congregations. This topic was selected in honor of Professor Roger Corless, a long time member of the Society for Christian Buddhist Studies, a dual practitioner of Roman Catholicism and Vajrayana Buddhism, and a voice for "queer sangha", who left us in January, 2007. Please submit a paper proposal, limit 250 words, in WORD format to Alice Keefe -- akeefe@uwsp.edu-- by April 15, 2007.
In Memoriam March 18, 2007
ROGER JONATHAN CORLESS (1938-2007)
Roger Jonathan Corless died on January 12, 2007, in San Francisco, California from complications associated with cancer. Born in Merseyside, England in 1938, he began studying religion at the age of sixteen, understanding himself as being Buddhist, though attending Christian churches. He studied theology at King¹s College at the University of London, receiving a Bachelor of Divinity in 1961. In wrestling with the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible, and particularly in the sacrament of the Eucharist, Roger experienced God's presence.
He was baptized into the Roman Catholic church in 1964 after coming to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from which he received that degree in 1973. From there, he joined the Department of Religion at Duke University and remained there until his retirement in 2000. In 1980, Roger took refuge as a Gelugpa Buddhist under Geshela Lhundup Sopa, having first obtained permission from his Catholic spiritual director and having explained to Geshela what he was doing. His refuge or dharma name was Lhundup Tashi, 'spontaneous fortune' or 'luck.' Later, Roger also became a Benedictine oblate, taking Gregory as his Oblate name after Pope Gregory, whose instruction to Augustine of Canterbury was not to destroy the pagan temples, but to bring them into the church by trying to find what was good and preparatory to the Gospel. Roger understood himself as a dual practitioner, but did not seek to blend the two practices or traditions. Rather, he sought to be present to each in their own irreconcilable differences and deep riches.
Roger was always reflecting and writing on something, wanting to be open to the insights emerging from his studies and practices. His works are prolific. Over the past thirty years, he published three monographs (The Art of Christian Alchemy: Transfiguring the Ordinary Through Holistic Meditation, Paulist Press, 1981; I am Food: The Mass in Planetary Perspective, Crossroad, 1981 and Wipf and Stock 2004; The Vision of Buddhism: The Space Under the Tree, Paragon House, 1989 ), one edited volume (with Paul Knitter, Buddhist Emptiness and Christian Trinity: Essays and Explorations, Paulist Press, 1990), essays in 31 books, 37 articles in 20 journals, articles in six encyclopedias, along with 27 papers. Before his death, he had also completed six additional essays, forthcoming in edited volumes, and a draft of another monograph, Where Do We Go From Here?: The Many Religions and the Next Step. Over the years, his works examined Buddhist teachings and practices, Christian teachings and practices, Buddhist-Christian dialogue, interreligious dialogue, and more recently his focus had turned to queer dharma topics and same-sex issues.
A memorial service, We are Life, Its Shining Gift, was held for Roger on March 10, 2007 in San Francisco. Friends and colleagues spoke of Roger¹s life and accomplishments and his impact on their lives. There was Buddhist chanting and Christian hymns, with the service opening and closing with two musical pieces selected by Roger for that purpose, "The Swan of Tuonel" by Jean Sibelius and "The Lark Ascending" by Sir Ralph Vaughn William. Monetary memorial gifts are being received by the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies to be used in some fashion toward the 8th International Buddhist-Christian Dialogue to be held in 2009. Gifts should be sent to SBCS Corless Memorial Fund, CSSR Executive Office, Rice University MS 156, P. O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892, or to donate by credit card, call 713-348-5721.
THE PILGRIMAGE OF THE MASS
THE SONG OF ALL SONGS
I remember,
long ago,
long, long ago,
the sun came up at midnight,
seen by no one but myself
and my room was filled with light
and grew so hugh
(Vimalakirti, do you hear?)
that nothing was not there.
I sang from the Song of Songs
and the sun relaxed, and listened,
shining and still and blest,
and said, “Yes,
it is good, it is good, it is good.”
the earth was made again,
the brown earth smiled,
and her creatures ran in her robes,
and there was great peace.
I could have called it Paradise;
yet it was but the forecourt—
an earnest of that endless day
(Abelard, is it true?)
in which the Saints embrace—
for the sun went down before dawn,
falling behind the dew and the birdsong,
and I walked on morning mists to Mass
like Lao-tzu riding the clouds.
long, long ago
+may all beings be happy+
--Roger Corless
In Memoriam October 8, 2006
Masao Abe, 91
Leader in Buddhist-Christian Dialogue
Professor Masao Abe, a pioneer in the international dialogue among Christians and Buddhists, died in Kyoto, Japan, on 10 September. He was 91 years old. Professor Abe was given a quiet funeral service reserved to family and close friends, according to sources in Kyoto
After the death of his mentor, D.T. Suzuki, Abe became a leading exponent of Zen in the West and a driving force in the encounter between Buddhism and Christianity. Abe must be credited with much of the intellectual vitality of this dialogue, as well as its relevance to contemporary social problems.
Abe was a tireless exponent of the Buddhist doctrine of emptiness as the standpoint for realizing the True Self, yet was also willing to place this basic Buddhist teaching in dialogue with Christianity. Rejecting the notion that Christianity and Buddhism were either fundamentally similar or completely different, Abe saw in inter-religious dialogue an opportunity for the mutual transformation of dialogue partners and pursued dialogue to help Buddhists and Christians in confronting the threat of nihilism of the modern world.
In the ruins of post-War Japan, Abe began his studies with Hajime Tanabe at the University of Kyoto, a prominent figure in the Kyoto school of contemporary Zen Buddhist philosophy in Japan. But it was his encounter with Shin'ichi Hisamatsu, another philosopher of Zen at the University of Kyoto, that would be decisive for Abe¹s turn to Zen. In a series of Zen retreats with Hisamatsu at Myoshinji Temple in western Kyoto, Abe was forced to confront the reality of nihilism within himself and eventually resolve this problem by entering the Zen standpoint of emptiness, wherein the enlightened self arises.
At age 40, Abe left Kyoto for New York in order to study at Union Theological Seminary with two of the most prominent Christian theologians of his day, Paul Tillich and Reinhold Niebuhr. This began a distinguished career of teaching, writing and, above all, dialogue with leading Christian thinkers, including David Tracy, Langdon Gilkey, Rosemary Radford Reuther, Jurgen Multmann and Hans Kung. Abe served as visiting professor at the University of Chicago, Purdue, Claremont, Columbia, Princeton, the University of Hawaii and other schools. In Germany, Abe taught at Heidelburg, Tubingen, and Munich.
In addition to his many Japanese publications, Abe wrote extensively in English. These works include Zen and Western Thought, an award-winning collection of essays and a ground-breaking reflection on Christian belief in Christ interpreted from a Buddhist perspective, "Kenotic God and Dynamic Sunyata." This essay appeared in conjunction with responses from several Christian and Jewish theologians, making the book itself a dialogue. Abe also engaged Jewish intellectuals with his Buddhist reflection on the Holocaust.
In 1984, Abe and John Cobb convened a group of Buddhist and Christian intellectuals from Japan, North America and Europe for dialogue in depth over a sustained period of time on a number of fundamental issues. He was also a guiding influence on the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, which continues his work of dialogue today.
Masao Abe is survived by his wife, Ikuko Abe, his constant companion in a life of sojourn and dialogue in the West.
Program Schedule for the Annual Meeting of the Society in Washington DC
July 26, 2006
Nov. 17, Friday 9:00-11:30 am and 1:00-3:30 pm
Board Meetings
Nov. 17, Friday 4:00-6:30 First Program Session
Washington Convention Center, Room 208A
Sandra Costen Kunz, Princeton Theological Seminary
"Christian and Buddhist Confession, Affiliation and Countercultural
Action"
Gene Reeves, International Buddhist Congregation
“Hoza: The Dharma Teacher Chapter Embodied”
Duane R. Bidwell, Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University
“Practicing the Religious Self: Buddhist-Christian Identity as Social
Artifact”
Nov. 18, Sat. 9:00-11:30 am Second Program Session
Washington Convention Center, Room 203B
Kenneth K. Tanaka, Musashino University
“The Individual in Relation to the Sangha in American Buddhism: An
Examination of ‘Individualized Religion’”
Joseph A. Bracken, Xavier University
"Dependent Co-Origination and Universal Intersubjectivity."
Jonas Barciauskas, Boston College will demonstrate the Buddhist-Christian Studies Database: A Web-Searchable Resource
Business meeting at 11:00 am
Call for Papers for Annual Meeting Sessions of Society
April 2, 2006
This is a call for papers for the program sessions of the SBCS annual
meeting to be held on Friday, November 17, 2006 in Washington DC just prior
to the annual meeting of American Academy of Religion. Please note the
submission deadline and guidelines below.
Topic: "Religious Self-Fashioning and the Role of Community in Contemporary
Buddhist and Christian Practice"
Many contemporary persons, at least in the United States, appear to adhere
to the notion that one can fashion Buddhist and Christian lives
individually. Many American Buddhists claim their attraction to Buddhism is
its "self-reliance" and are "book Buddhists," shaping their own version of
practice separate from any tangible sangha. For several decades, persons
have been dropping out of church congregations, while continuing to identify
themselves as Christians. How central is the nature of sangha and church
to Christian or Buddhist practice? What is the importance of religious
institutions in Buddhism and Christianity? Can one "go it alone" as a
Christian or Buddhist? Paper submissions are invited from various
perspectives: Theological/philosophical, doctrinal, sociological, personal
reflection, creative writing, etc., or a combination of perspectives.
Please submit a paper proposal, limit 500 words, in WORD format to Alice
Keefe, akeefe@uwsp.edu by April 15, 2006.
Links update March 19, 2006
Check out the new links section, including the Buddhist-Christian Studies Database and an online discussion group. If you have a Buddhist-Christian event, on-going or upcoming, that you would like to be considered for posting, please email a description of the event, contact information, and website address (if applicable) to hlw2@humboldt.edu. Coming very soon--the call for papers for the SBCS annual meeting.
A domain name to call our own February 28, 2006
Thanks to Gene Reeves for donating money, the SBCS website now has it's own domain name and server. There have also been some other updates: the past newsletters are now available for download, there are more pictures of the Governing Board, and there is a new upcoming event.
Site Launch February 11, 2006
Welcome to the revamped SBCS website! We hope you will visit the site regularly, as we will be updating it with upcoming events and new links monthly. Coming soon will be a collage of images from the Seventh International Buddhist-Christian Conference! Be sure to check out the retreats and other opportunities as well. And you can now download our semi-annual newsletter in PDF format. Our sincere hope is that our efforts here serve to deepen our spiritual paths in fellowship with each other.
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