Religious Studies Speaker Series: Jonathan H.X. Lee, Ph.D.

The Religious Studies Speaker Series and Oakton COMPASS Present

Jonathan H. X. Lee, Ph.D.

2:00PM-3:30PM, Tuesday September 24. Register here to attend via Zoom.

“Buddhist Death Rituals and Religious Syncretism in Chinese Popular Religions”

Various religions and traditions have significantly shaped "Chinese popular religion." Buddhism, for instance, has introduced funerary rituals and spiritual helpers such as Buddhas and bodhisattvas—compassionate beings dedicated to guiding others toward enlightenment. Taoism has also contributed by influencing funerary practices and providing a pantheon of deities who interact with the lives of believers. Confucianism's impact includes a focus on social harmony and the veneration of ancestors, emphasizing respect and remembrance for one's forebears.

Additionally, native Chinese folk traditions have enriched Chinese popular religion with concepts like yin and yang, which represent opposing yet complementary forces, and practices such as fengshui, the ancient art of arranging environments to enhance the flow of qi (life force).

Chinese folk religion offers a diverse array of beliefs, rituals, myths, and principles, deeply influencing followers' daily lives, social interactions, and perceptions of their place within the cosmos. This discussion will delve into how Buddhism has transformed Chinese popular religion, particularly focusing on the experiences of Chinese Americans within the global diaspora. We will examine how death rituals shape identity and intersect with the racialized perceptions of Chinese Americans as both "American" and "non-American."

Jonathan H. X. Lee, PhD, is a professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. His family survived the Cambodian genocide and arrived to the United States in 1981 when he was 5 years old. He identifies as Chinese-Vietnamese-Cambodian American. He received his doctorate in religious studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2009. He has published 16 books, and numerous articles and essays on Asian American histories, the intersectionality of LGBTQQIA+ Asian Americans, religion and race, folklore, and cultures. Since 2013 he has served as editor-in-chief of Chinese America: History & Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal published by the Chinese Historical Society of America. He is dedicated to anti-racist pedagogy in higher education and has been invited by several Silicon Valley corporations and public agencies to speak on equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging issues as well as training on LGBTQQIA+ gender and sexual identities. He and his husband are the fathers of two adopted sons.

The Religious Studies Speaker Series is made possible by a grant from Oakton’s Educational Foundation. This event is co-sponsored by Oakton’s COMPASS and AANAPISI programming.