The Rise of New Studies and Approaches in Korean Buddhism

Abstract

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, a major shift has been witnessed in the research topics of Korean Buddhist Studies. Instead of remaining fixated on Buddhism in the Three Kingdoms period, scholars have switched the bulk of their attention towards Buddhism during the Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910). Moreover, not only has the timeframe of scholarly interest shifted, but scholars have also come to redefine the study of religion more broadly. Rather than continuing to regard Buddhism as only an elitist venture, research now encompasses all human experiences related to the Buddhist tradition, particularly lay Buddhist practices of both male and female commoners. As a result, Buddhist practitioners who previously received very little, if any, scholarly attention are now in the limelight. Of course, we must not forget that such remarkable changes were brought about by both a shift in scholarly interest and more importantly by the discovery of new source materials, both domestically and internationally. Furthermore, the digitization of source materials and archives, along with research projects sponsored by the Korean government, have all contributed to bringing about a series of notable academic works to fruition. In highlighting some of these latest examples, this paper will analyze not only the current trends, but also gauge where and what the field is likely to explore in the future.