Time: March 5, 5:00 pm (Berkeley) | March 6, 9:00 am (Beijing/Taipei)
Venue: 315 Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley
Contact: Sanjyot Mehendale, Tel: (510) 643-5104, buddhiststudies@berkeley.edu
The lecture will be presented in English.
Abstract:
This presentation explores religious practices among the Chinese diaspora in Italy. Religions follow migration patterns, as exemplified by Chinese temples established throughout Southeast Asia as early as the late 17th century, and in the United States since the 19th century. More recently, in response to grassroots demand amid a shift to more settled migration, new Chinese temples and churches have emerged in Europe, where communities were previously mostly reliant on China-based institutions. Since the early 2000s, various types of new religious venues have been established in Italy. Supported by local Chinese communities, these venues reinforce Chinese identity, foster social ties, and serve as platforms for cultural negotiation with Italian society.
Italy’s Chinese communities exhibit religious diversity, non-exclusivism, and a communal focus. Most identify as Buddhist or Christian (mainly Evangelical), with Daoist and popular practices observed in smaller temples, alongside new religious movements. Many combine traditions, even self-declared atheists engaging in popular rites. The talk will first offer an overview of religions as practiced by Chinese in Italy, then provide a detailed examination of Buddhist sites and practices alongside permeable popular religious practices adopted across traditions.
Speaker: Ester Bianchi (University of Perugia, Italy)
About the Yin-Cheng Distinguished Lecture Series: Launched in September, 2021, the Yin-Cheng Distinguished Lecture Series (印證佛學傑出學術系列講座) is a collaborative, multi-university partnership between Peking University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Inalco (Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales), Princeton University, Harvard University, the University of British Columbia, University of California, Berkeley, SOAS, University of London, University of Tokyo, and Taiwan University. The Lecture Series is established in honour of Venerable Cheng-yen 證嚴, founder of Tzu Chi, and her mentor Yinshun 印順 (1906–2005), with the goal of promoting topics in Buddhist Studies.
Original source
