Prof. Dr. Michael Pye, Visiting Professor, Otani University

Global Society and the Study of Religions

-- Academic responsibilities in an uneasy world --

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Michael Pye as a visiting professor from this coming semester (April 2005). Prof. Pye will deliver lectures in the graduate school. It is a great opportunity for us to be given lectures based on his academic research and relating to urgent problems concerning religions. In addition, two public lectures will be given as shown below, to which we welcome your attendance. The lectures will be based on a Powerpoint presentation and given in Japanese.

MICHAEL PYE

- LECTURE -

We have already given the first lecture.
First lecture

Theme : The study of religions
and faith-standpoints in global perspective

Date : 16:00-18:00, 22. February 2005 JST
(9 hours ahead of GMT)

The first lecture On-Demand Webcast,please click the above button.

Second lecture

Theme: Religion and social responsibility:
- War and peace: the future role of religious education -

Date: 16:00-18:00, 8. March 2005 JST
(9 hours ahead of GMT)

Both lectures will be webcasted live. To see the lectures, please click the above button.

Both lectures will be webcasted live. To see the lectures, please click "Live" button. Only live webcast available. The webcast on this site can be viewed with the following settings:

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- SUMMARY -

The study of religions is a science that seeks to compare different religions in an objective manner. Problems concerning religions, such as the relationship between fundamentalism and politics, are increasing in number and importance these days and the question of the social responsibility of academics is increasingly being raised. These lectures will consider, in a global perspective, what kind of social responsibility specialists in the study of religions have and in particular how this should be related to religious education.

- ABOUT LECTURER -

< ABOUT LECTURER >

Michael Pye was born in 1939 in Shropshire, England, and studied Modern Languages and Theology at Cambridge, England (1958-61). He then held lecturing posts in Religious Studies at Lancaster and Leeds. Since 1982 he has been Professor of Religious Studies at Marburg University, Germany. He was President of the International Association for the History of Religions (1995-2000). He is a visiting professor at OtaniUniversity, Kyoto, Japan.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

- Buddhismus und Christentum (Hrg.) EB Verlag, Hamburg, 2000

- Buddhismus und Christentum vor der Herausforderung der Sakularisierung (Hrg.) EB Verlag, Hamburg 2004

- Skilful Means : A Concept in Mahayana Buddhism, London, Duckworth 1978, Routledge 2003

- Tominaga Nakamoto: Emerging from Meditation, Translated with an Introduction, London, Duckworth 1990

- Comparative Religion: An Introduction Through Source Materials, Newton Abbot(UK), David & Charles 1972

at Media Hall, Koru-Kan, Otani University

These lectures are free and open to the public.