On behalf of the North American District of the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies, I am happy to announce that we have been accepted as a Related Scholarly Organization by the American Academy of Religion.
The mission of the IASBS is to foster the development of international Shin and Pure Land Buddhist studies while providing a network for communication and the exchange of ideas and resources among its members. Membership of the North American District is diverse, as are our members’ academic interests, covering a broad range of Pure Land traditions across Asia and the West as well as range of methodological approaches, including textual, anthropological, historical, and biographical. The IASBS publishes an annual journal, The Pure Land, that publishes both translations of canonical texts as well as research articles, essays, and book reviews.
Being a RSO of the AAR will provide the North American District with a time and space to host annual meetings for the IASBS with the aim of providing a regular venue for scholars to meet and share their work on Pure Land Buddhism. Our hope is to be able to bring Pure Land Buddhist Studies to the attention of a broader array of religious studies scholars. The North American District Steering Committee plans to begin offering public events during the AAR annual meeting in 2013.
For more information, please visit the IASBS website.