The History of the Formation of Early Chinese Buddhism: A Study on Discourse Characteristics is set to be published in October 2023. We are proud to highlight the involvement of our alumnus, Dr. Ron Dziwenka, as one of its translators. Dziwenka obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona in 2010, guided by Dr. Jiang Wu. He is now an adjunct faculty member in the History Department at Salisbury University.
The History of the Formation of Early Chinese Buddhism: A Study on Discourse Characteristics analyzes the process of the sinicization of Buddhism. It provides a comprehensive investigation on how the perceived similarities between Buddhism and Daoism originated and how traditional Daoist terminologies were applied in the translation of Buddhist texts. By doing so, the text critiques the Daoistization of Buddhism and also offers a comparative overview of the general human ways of thinking in India and China by focusing on the relationship between universal ways of understanding the world during the Wei-Jin era. By analyzing commentaries by scholarly Chinese monks in the Wei-Jin era, and the philosophical nature of Neo-Daoism thought that played the most direct role in the Chinese transformation of Buddhism, this book is an attempt to understand why discourses on topics such as imperishability of the spirit became main discussion topics in early Chinese Buddhism.
Review
"Ronald Dziwenka and Alexander Choi, in translating In-sub Hur's History of the Formation of Early Chinese Buddhism, have given global Buddhist studies a rare gift. Philosopher Hur has spent a lifetime of research developing his synoptic understanding of the complex intricacies of the sinicization of Buddhism and, on this basis, has been able to advance a compelling argument for the central roles that early Daoist cosmology and its Wei-Jin Neo-Daoist evolution have played in the Chinese domestication of Buddhist philosophy. He is keenly sensitive to the hermeneutical need for interpretive context as he leads us across this broad historical and intellectual landscape."
-- Roger T. Ames, Peking University
"The History of the Formation of Early Chinese: A Study on Discourse Characteristics stands as the first translated comprehensive history of Chinese Buddhism written by a distinguished Korean scholar. It is an essential read for anyone seeking a profound understanding of the intricate interplay between Buddhism, Daoism, and the cultural tapestry of ancient China. This remarkable work also engages in a comparative analysis of the prevailing cognitive frameworks in India and China during the Wei-Jin era, spotlighting the profound interplay of universal ways of comprehending the world."
-- Jiang Wu, The University of Arizona
About the Author
In-sub Hur was professor of philosophy at a number of prestigious institutions throughout his career, mainly at Duksung Women's University, but also including Yonsei University, Kyonghee University, Jingak University, and Episcopalian University.
Ron Dziwenka is adjunct faculty member in the History Department at Salisbury University.
Alexander Choi is headmaster of Taekwondo at Choi's Martial Arts.