Religion as practices of attachment and materiality: the making of Buddhism in contemporary London

This article aims to explore Buddhism’s often-overlooked presence on London’s urban landscape, showing how its quietness and subtlety of approach has allowed the faith to grow largely beneath the radar. It argues that Buddhism makes claims to urban space in much the same way as it produces its faith, being as much about the practices performed and the spaces where they are enacted as it is about faith or beliefs. The research across a number of Buddhist sites in London reveals that number of people declaring themselves as Buddhists has indeed risen in recent years, following the rise of other non-traditional religions in the UK; however, this research suggests that Buddhism differs from these in several ways. Drawing on Baumann’s (2002) distinction between traditionalist and modernist approaches to Buddhism, our research reveals a growth in each of these. Nevertheless, Buddhism remains largely invisible in the urban and suburban landscape of London, adapting buildings that are already in place, with little material impact on the built environment, and has thus been less subject to contestation than other religious movements and traditions. This research contributes to a growing literature which foregrounds the importance of religion in making contemporary urban and social worlds

The Buddhist Tradition: Religious Beliefs and Healthcare Decisions, 2001

Chicago, IL: Park Ridge Center for the Study of Health, Faith, and Ethics published this handbook on Buddhism as part of a series entitled Religious Traditions and Healthcare Decisions . Sections include Buddhism and: Beliefs Relating to Healthcare, p. 2 Overview of Religious Morality and Ethics, p. 3 The Individual and the Patient-Caregiver Relationship, p. 4 Family, Sexuality, and Procreation, p. 5 Genetics, p. 6 Organ and Tissue Transplantation, p. 7 Mental Health, p. 8 Medical Experimentation and Research, p. 9 Death and Dying, p. 9 Special Concerns, p. 11https://institutionalrepository.aah.org/alldocuments/1373/thumbnail.jp

Religion and Community in the New Urban America

https://ecommons.luc.edu/facultybooks/1117/thumbnail.jp

Characteristics of Budhism in Australia

Research on Buddhism in Australia has tended to focus on demographics, ethnic identity and the migrant experience, and history. This paper uses the literature and material from Internet sites on Australian Buddhist groups to identify characteristics of Buddhism in Australia; it aims to both contribute to the understanding of the growth of Buddhism in Australia and to facilitate comparison with similar studies of American and European forms of Buddhism. New information is presented on the number of Buddhist groups in Australia, their geographical location, and the traditions and lineages represented. It is made apparent that more detailed information is needed, and suggestions are made for further research in a variety of areas