Old wisdom in the New World
Subtitle: Americanization in two immigrant Theravada Buddhist temples
By: Paul David Numrich.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: University of Tennessee Press
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Knoxville
Language: eng
Number of pages: 181
Subjects: Wat Dhammaram (Chicago) -- History.; Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara (Los Angeles) -- History.; Theravāda Buddhism -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
Description: Focusing on two well-established institutions - one in Chicago, the other in Los Angeles - Old Wisdom in the New World is the first systematic examination of the growing presence of Theravada Buddhist temples in the United States.

Paul David Numrich's socio-historical analysis highlights a number of classic Americanization themes of establishment, growth, and adaptation. These have surfaced, the author shows, in debates over the retention of Old World culture and language, the "problem" of the second generation, and the role of the laity in religious institutions.

Going beyond such familiar themes, Numrich also uncovers the intriguing phenomenon of ethnically defined "parallel congregations" in these temples, as he reveals the ways in which Asian-immigrant Buddhists and American converts pursue substantively different expressions of the Theravada tradition under the direction of a shared clerical leadership, the resident monks.

In the author's view, these Theravada case studies underline the complexity of the present Americanization process. By examining the intersection of two important trends - the steady growth of Asian immigration and an increasing indigenous interest in new religious movements, especially those of Asian origin - this book points to some fascinating new directions for the study of religious and cultural diversity in the United States.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [155]-176) and index
Table of contents: title: Theravada Buddhism; title: Theravada Buddhism in America; title: A study in Americanization; title: Chicago : Wat Dhammaram; title: Los Angeles : Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara; title: Temple life and focus; title: Chronologies of the schisms; title: Underlying tensions; title: The monastic staffs; title: Vinaya in america : dilemmas and adaptations; title: Ecumenism; title: The parallelism thesis; title: Evidence of parallelism; title: Implications of parallelism; title: Temple rituals and religious activities; title: Festivals; title: The second generation; title: Spiritual biographies; title: Personalities, perspectives, practices; title: Lay Ordination; title: Familiar themes; title: The (re)emergence of a new theme.