Japanese Religions We will begin our study of Japanese religions with the ancient mythology that forms the basis of Shinto (the way of the kami, or gods). We will then consider the introduction of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism to Japan and examine how these traditions were accepted, absorbed, and adapted. We will also investigate Japanese reactions to Christianity in the 16th century and the appearance of "new" Japanese religions starting in the 19th century. Throughout, we will ask how and why Japanese have both adhered to tradition and been open to new religions.

Seminar in Buddhist Studies: Buddhists and Others in China The Buddha encouraged students to spread his teachings, thus giving rise to the world’s first major missionary religion. As the Buddhist tradition took root across Asia, Buddhists interacted with many other religions and cultures. We will explore a series of these encounters in China, ranging from rivalry and opposition to cooperation to synthesis, along with comparative case studies from elsewhere in the Buddhist world. We will also take up the question of religious labels and affiliation, especially in late imperial China, when many did not confine themselves to one tradition, and explicit commitment to the combined “three teachings” of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism became a distinct form of religious practice. In the end, who is Buddhist, and who is other? 3 hr. sem.

The Buddhist Tradition Buddhists “take refuge in the three jewels”: the Buddha, his teachings, and the community he founded. After a grounding in the context and content of early Buddhism, we will use texts and images to explore these three categories and what they have meant to Buddhists in different times and places. We will pay special attention to changing views of the Buddha, later developments in Buddhist thought and practice, and the spread of the Buddhist tradition throughout Asia and beyond, which has involved adaptation to a startling array of cultures and societies – as well as modernity.

Chinese Religions An introduction to the rich religious history of China, with an emphasis on primary sources. Topics will include: the ideas and practices of ancient China, the teachings of Confucius and early Taoist (Daoist) thinkers, the introduction of Buddhism to China and its adaptation to Chinese culture, the complex interaction of Buddhism with the Confucian and Taoist traditions, the role of the state in religion, the "popular" Chinese religion of local gods and festivals, and the religious scene in modern Taiwan and mainland China.

The Buddhist Tradition in East Asia An introduction to the development of Buddhism within the East Asian cultural sphere of China, Korea, and Japan. We will consider continuities of thought, institution, and practice with the Indian Buddhist tradition as well as East Asian innovations, particularly the rise of the Chan/Zen and Pure Land schools.

Persecution and Revival of Religion in Modern China In this study of the dramatic recent religious history of China, we will begin with "modern" critics and reformers at the end of the imperial era and then consider the communist suppression of religion and the "cult of Mao." Our focus, however, will be the remarkable revival of religion since Mao's death in 1976. We will investigate the activity itself-ranging from traditional practices to new religious movements to various forms of Christianity—and the complex cultural and political dynamics involved in this "return" to religion.

Early Taoist Texts In this course we will concentrate on the two great early Taoist (Daoist) texts, the Tao te ching (Daode jing) and the Chuang–tzu (Zhuangzi), both of which date from the Warring States period (475 -221 b.c.e.) of China and yet remain widely read and studied. We will read them closely, in multiple translations, and consider questions of authorship, audience, and philosophical and religious content. We will wrestle at length with these wonderful and difficult texts, with attention first to their original context and then to their reception and interpretation in later East Asian religion, philosophy, and literature. (This course is not open to students who have taken RELI 0227).

The Lives of the Buddha What is a buddha? How does a person become one? The life of the Buddha is one of the most influential stories ever, but it was not the focus of the earliest Buddhist literature. When narratives of his life (and previous lives) first appear in word and image, which concerns dominate them? How and why do later groups of Buddhists tell, interpret, and ritually enact his life story differently? We will focus on the telling and retelling of these lives over the long span and wide spread of the Buddhist tradition - and what they reveal about doctrine and practice as well as issues of gender, authority, and religious aspiration.

Karma Why do things happen to us as they do? For many throughout Asia, the answer has been or is karma, the ancient Indian notion that over multiple lifetimes individuals reap the effects of past actions. We will examine this powerful idea of moral causality in depth, considering striking variations in classical Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, and compare it to other theories of causation, both religious and scientific. We will also study the wealth of practices believed to improve future lives (and ultimately lead to liberation) and investigate diverse, surprising consequences of karma in some Asian societies, including justification of social hierarchy, mistreatment of some groups, and vegetarianism.

Early Daoist Texts The two great early Daoist (Taoist) texts, the Daodejing (Tao te ching) and the Zhuangzi (Chuang–tzu)/, date from the Warring States period (475 -221 BCE) of China and remain widely read and studied. We will read them closely and slowly, considering questions of authorship, audience, philosophical and religious content, and translation. We will wrestle at length with these wonderful and difficult texts, with attention primarily to their original context and secondarily to their reception and interpretation in later religion, philosophy, and literature in East Asia and beyond.

Food in East Asian Religions One might think that food and eating have nothing to do with the lofty concerns of religious traditions. In fact, many religions bring their fundamental principles to bear on the questions of what, how, and with whom to eat; many also revolve around “feeding” gods and other spiritual beings. In this course, we will examine East Asian religions through the lens of eating practices. We will study Confucian feasting and fasting, various Chinese, Korean, and Japanese rituals offering food to ancestors and gods, Buddhist vegetarianism and its critics, unusual Taoist eating regimens, and the ancient cosmological ideas underlying traditional Chinese medical ideas of healthy eating.

“The Religious Life”: Buddhist and Christian Monastic Traditions Compared Both Buddhism and Christianity include traditions of  monasticism, of men and women leaving home for “the religious life.” In this course, we will study and compare Buddhist and Christian monasticism from historical and religious perspectives. We will read primary sources, from the Life of St. Anthony and the Rule of St. Benedict to the verses  attributed to the first Buddhist nuns and a Zen monastic code. We will examine monastic vocation, the integration of monasteries into society, and the adaptation of monasticism to different cultures. Throughout, we will  highlight the role of gender. We will conclude with attention to contemporary manifestations of monastic culture. This course is equivalent to INTL 0472 and RELI 0472. Pre-1800 3 hr sem.

“The Religious Life”: Buddhist and Christian Monastic Traditions Compared Both Buddhism and Christianity include traditions of  monasticism, of men and women leaving home for “the religious life.” In this course, we will study and compare Buddhist and Christian monasticism from historical and religious perspectives. We will read primary sources, from the Life of St. Anthony and the Rule of St. Benedict to the verses  attributed to the first Buddhist nuns and a Zen monastic code. We will examine monastic vocation, the integration of monasteries into society, and the adaptation of monasticism to different cultures. Throughout, we will  highlight the role of gender. We will conclude with attention to contemporary manifestations of monastic culture. This course is equivalent to HIST 0472 and INTL 0472. 3 hr sem.

Elizabeth Morrison

Reviews and ratings for Elizabeth Morrison at Middlebury College.Elizabeth Morrison teaches Japanese Religions, Seminar in Buddhist Studies, The Buddhist Tradition and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Elizabeth Morrison good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Professor Morrison is extremely helpful and accommodating. The class talks about different Buddhism traditions and Chinese philosophies. However, it is more of a historical approach rather than a philosophy one. The discussion is provoking and slow paced.

I had no prior knowledge of religion or Japan coming into this course - I am a STEM major who just needed the distribution requirements. However, I feel like I learned a lot and Morrison was incredibly good at teaching concepts that I didn't have a lot of experience with. There are 2 analytical papers, 1 research paper, and 2 short essays on readings, and no other graded assignments besides class participation. I did not find it super easy to stay engaged with the lecture but did still feel like I learned a lot. 

I took this course for a distribution requirement and I was pleasantly surprised! I found the content to be so interesting and I often was able to translate ideas from class to my daily life. I will say however, some of the readings were dense and super hard to get through as a non-humanities major. Prof Morrison is very kind and accommodating, she is clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about her studies. 