Prajñā Vihāra: Journal of Philosophy and Religion

THE BUDDHIST ABSOLUTE AND THE NECESSITY OF THE INFINITE: A PHILOSOPHICAL COMPARISON BETWEEN BUDDHISM AND SKEPTICISM

Aldo Stella — 2025-01-10

This article examines, from a skeptical perspective, the theme of foundation and its relationship with the founded, highlighting significant correspondences between the metaphysical conception, which emerges already in ancient Greek philosophy, and Buddhist philosophy. The finite proves insufficient unto itself, and such insufficiency cannot be overcome through relation with another finite, but only by virtue of the vertical emergence of the absolute foundation. However, the latter does not enter into relation with the founded, as it unilaterally conditions them, such that the unconditioned and absolute condition cannot be determined nor, consequently, reduced to a sum of determinates, i.e., to a “totality.”

MISSIO AD GENTES IN THE CHINESE CONTEXT: FROM MAXIMUM ILLUD TO THE PROVISIONAL AGREEMENT

Peter Zhao Jianmin — 2025-01-10

Pope Benedict XV, who is often known as the "missionary pope" or the “unknown Pope,” developed a missiological approach which was especially significant for the Far East, especially China. His focus on missionary work or missio ad gentes is a reflection on the very nature of the Church itself. In his apostolic letter Maximum illud he describes it according to three principles. The first is on the obligations of the laity to act as 'missionary disciples.' The second stresses the non-political nature of mission. An the third describes the local nature of mission. While the political, economic and missiological situation has changed since these documents, these three principles still remain relevant. The obligations of missio ad gentes, both in relation to faith within the Church (ad intra) and in relation to local communities (ad extra) remains important for the whole Catholic Church, and especially for the Chinese Catholic Church. This essay will explore the relevance of mission ad intra and ad extra for the Catholic Church in China.

KEY ELEMENTS IN BUDDHIST ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION IN A SUFFERING WORLD

Anthony Le Duc — 2025-01-10

Religious environmental communication plays a crucial role in addressing the ecological crisis, with Buddhism—recognized for its environmental potential—offering valuable contributions through its religious and lay leaders. Despite a substantial body of literature on religious environmentalism, discussions specifically on Buddhist environmental communication remain limited or only briefly mentioned in most publications. This paper seeks to address this gap by proposing a Buddhist environmental communication approach comprised of six key elements: 1) communicating prophetically; 2) communicating from the stance of faith; 3) communicating as “people on the ground;” 4) communicating to energize; 5) communicating to criticize; and 6) communicating through exemplary actions. By synthesizing insights from Buddhist and non-Buddhist scholars, the paper advocates for these elements to be incorporated into environmental communication, enabling Buddhist leaders to more effectively challenge destructive and oppressive social and environmental systems and to foster a comprehensive ecological ethos across society.

THE YIJING AND THE GENERATION OF INTERPRETATIONS: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE JESUIT FIGURIST INTERPRETATION OF THE YIJING IN CONTRAST TO THE XIANGSHU AND YILI INTERPRETATIONS

Chunxin Wang — 2025-01-10

This paper explores the innovative interpretation of the Yijing by Jesuit Figurists during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This paper examines how Figurists, such as Joachim Bouvet, endeavored to connect the Yijing’s teachings with Christian theology, suggesting that the hexagrams of the Yijing contained subtle connections to Christian truths. The study contrasts Figurism with the traditional Chinese methodologies of Xiangshu and Yili,
highlighting the Figurists’ efforts to establish a theological dialogue between Eastern and Western intellectual traditions. The paper also discusses the varied scholarly responses to
Figurism, from criticisms of its selective interpretation of Chinese symbols, to positive appraisals of its crosscultural bridge-building. Ultimately, this underscores the
Yijing’s interpretive richness and its capacity to facilitate intercultural and interreligious engagement, advocating for a nuanced approach that respects the text’s indigenous
symbolic depth.

SPLIT-LEVEL CHRISTIANITY IN THAILAND: A SURVEY OF LOCAL THAI BELIEFS AND PRACTICES AMONG THAI CATHOLICS

Sigit Setyo Wibowo — 2025-01-10

Popular religiosity, which involves a mixture of older local beliefs and practices, with newer more universal religious practices, is very common in Thailand. These older beliefs and practices are rooted in animistic beliefs and practices present before the coming of other religious traditions. This phenomena – which is often described as syncretism – has
been well documented with regard to Thai Buddhism. But what has not been investigated is its presence in Thai Catholicism and Christianity. While Thai Catholics confess themselves as Catholics, in their daily lives, they still hold older local Thai beliefs and practices. This paper will consider this phenomenon through the concept of ’split-level Christianity,’ a term coined by Jaime Bulatao. And it will discuss the attempts of the Catholic Church in Thailand to accommodate those local Thai beliefs and practices through various kinds of inculturation.

PHOTO ESSAY: THE ART OF GROWING FACES: ON LAMPU KANSANOH AND EXAGGERATION AS PRAXIS

Anders Kølle — 2025-01-10

This Photo Essay examines the work of the Thai artist Lampu Kansanoh. Her work is distinctive in the exaggerated size and depiction of the human heads and faces. Refection on her art allows one to consider the human condition in the media age where the role of the human face is amplified. These paintings not only express themes of Thai identity, they also teach us about the status of beauty and ugliness, and the exaggerated role of the face in popular culture.