Chinese Culture: Tradition (edX)
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Lang Chen
Dr Lang Chen’s research interests focus on the religious ideas, praxis, and pursuits of urban, educated Chinese from the late imperial period on. Her book project aims to uncover the often-neglected history of Tiantai Buddhism in the 16th to 17th century. It examines the lay and clerical networks centering on the leading Tiantai monk Youxi Chuandeng (1554-1628) and their interactions with Chan Buddhism. Contrary to the widespread impression of Tiantai as a school for detached pundits, her research shows that it was supported by many liberal literati to be an alternative approach to Chan, seeking to make Buddhist doctrines and practices comprehensible for average people. Dr Chen’s side projects explore how the religious tradition of Chinese literati seen in the 16-17th century has been influencing and adapted in modern and contemporary China. For example, in her journal articles, she situates contemporary writer Shi Tiesheng (1951-2010)’s “syncretic,” non-institutional religious thought within this historical context, showing the continuity of Chinese literati's religious life.