| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, May 4, 2015 | 10:00AM - 12:00PM | Seminar Room 208N, Munk School of Global Affairs 1 Devonshire Place M5S 3K7 |
This presentation addresses the contemporary ambition of Buddhist actors and institutions to redefine and affirm their place in South Korean society. On the basis of ethnographical and sociological data, it presents how Buddhist temples in Seoul have undertaken massive development projects and broadened their activities in order to adapt to the population’s demands and to promote a formal religious adhesion both on individual and collective basis. In a context of strong concurrence among religious groups, and especially between Buddhist temples and Protestant churches, many Buddhist leaders aim at strengthening their religious denomination by developing a more “conscious”, “proud” and “collective” affiliation among the believers, with the explicit aim that religiously educated and socialized Buddhists would contribute to represent Buddhism in society and subsequently to its influence. By analyzing this phenomenon, this paper will explore the ambivalent relationship of Buddhism with the Protestant “megachurch” model and the new positioning of temples in Seoul.
Florence Galmiche’s research interest lies in examining the place and roles of religion in contemporary Korean society. She received her Ph.D in sociology at the EHESS in 2011 with a dissertation on urban Buddhism in South Korea. She is now maître de conférence (associate professor) in Korean Studies at the University Diderot-Paris 7. She is a member of the research units CESSMA (Centre d’études en sciences sociales sur les mondes africains, américains et asiatiques) and CCJ (Chine, Corée, Japon).
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