Lyudmila Klasanova
Bucharest hosted the 22nd Conference of the European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR), held jointly with the Regional Conference of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR), from 20–25 September under the theme “Religions 360°.” The conference brought together more than 700 papers by scholars from 57 countries and 315 institutions across five continents and marked two decades since the first EASR conference was held in Bucharest in September 2006. Its programme reflected the broad interdisciplinary character of contemporary religious studies, encompassing history, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, politics, literature, art, and emerging approaches to religion.
Buddhism occupied a substantial place within this diverse programme, featuring in discussions that ranged from European religious identities, historical texts, and ritual practices to artificial intelligence, contemporary politics, caste, and artistic expression. Across the conference, Buddhism was presented both as an established subject of academic inquiry and as a dynamic religious tradition whose presence, practices, and interpretations continued to evolve across different cultural and social contexts.
One of the highlights of the conference was the dedicated roundtable “Buddhism in Europe,” which brought together contributors to the forthcoming two-volume Handbook of Buddhism in Europe. Participants included Jørn Borup, Knut Jacobsen, Almut-Barbara Renger, Samuel Thevoz, Marzenna Jakubczak-Borge, Anita Stasulane, Katarina Plank, Martin Rötting, Franz Winter, and Lyudmila Klasanova.
The roundtable began from the observation that Buddhism had become an established part of Europe’s religious landscape, while its contemporary forms and future remained dynamic and diverse. The discussion addressed the fundamental question, “What, if anything, was distinctively European about Buddhism in Europe?” Among the issues examined were the usefulness of categories such as “migrant” and “convert,” the ways in which European intellectual traditions, political structures, and cultural imaginaries had shaped Buddhist thought and practice, the dynamics of secular reinterpretation, and the ways diasporic communities had negotiated Buddhist identity.
The panel also addressed the question, “What futures were emerging for Buddhism in Europe?” Discussion focused on demographic and generational change, migration, social engagement, emerging ethical debates, and transformations within Buddhist communities.
For us as participants, the roundtable provided a particularly meaningful opportunity to bring together perspectives developed through our individual research and to consider them within a broader European context. From my perspective, it was especially valuable to reflect on how Buddhism is not simply a tradition that was brought to Europe, but one that has been continuously interpreted, negotiated, and transformed within diverse European social, intellectual, cultural, and religious contexts. The discussion also reaffirmed the importance of approaching contemporary European Buddhism as a dynamic and diverse field, shaped by ongoing processes of adaptation, transformation, and negotiation.
The conference also presents diverse research on Buddhism in Asia, spanning contemporary communities and practices, historical and textual studies, and new encounters between Buddhism and technology. Further sessions examine Buddhist influences on contemporary art in East Asia, as well as the intersections of Buddhism with history, politics, caste discourse, and the revival of Buddhist heritage in the Indian Himalayas. Buddhism also appears in the congress’s keynote program. Almut-Barbara Renger of the University of Basel and Free University Berlin presents “A 360° View of Mindfulness: Religious Concepts in Motion,” one of five keynote lectures.
* Image courtesy of Lyudmila Klasanova and the Society for the History of Religions, Bucharest
Religions 360°: Bucharest Hosts 22nd Conference of the European Association for the Study of Religions
https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/religions-360-bucharest-hosts-22nd-conference-of-the-european-association-for-the-study-of-religions/
Handbook of Buddhism in Europe
