Religions of China and Japan

This course will take place on Tuesdays, February 18-March 18, 2025, 1:00-3:00 p.m. at St. Matthias Church in Minocqua, with David Barnhill.

The beliefs and practices of classical Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism, and Shinto will be examined. Special attention will be paid to theories of human nature and the natural world, which is considered the source and location of the sacred. Students will come out with a better understanding and appreciation of the rich and complex tradition of Chinese and Japanese religions.

1. Classical Confucianism (500 b.c.e. – 200 c.e.). We will focus on theories on morality, human nature, and politics.
2. Classical Daoism (500 b.c.e. – 200 c.e.). We will examine their theories of nature, human nature, and the relationship between them, as well as their theories of action. 
3. Chinese Buddhism (600 – 1644). Special attention will be given to the philosophical school of Huayan and Zen (Chan) Buddhism, including their views of nature and the practice of meditation. We will explore the development of Buddhism in Japan as well as China.
4. Neo-Confucianism (800 – 1900). Influenced by Buddhism and Daoism, Confucianism developed into a more complex religion. We will focus on theories of nature, human nature, and morality.
5. Shinto (Japan, 500 – present) and Japanese religious aesthetics. Shinto is the native religion of Japan, and we will explore its view of nature and divinity and its spiritual practices. We will also examine the complex tradition of the religious arts, especially in the Japanese medieval period

Requirements: The only requirement is an interest in the topic and an openness to study religious traditions quite different from those in the West. There will be no texts or homework, although sources for students to further explore the subject will be offered. There will be no printed materials and no homework. A  few handouts will be provided by the instructor in the class as well as uploaded onto the course website at www.feuniversity.org.

Register by February 4 to get a $5 Early Bird discount off the regular registration price of $55!

Instructor: David Barnhill

Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.

Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-2032 or (715) 476-2881.

Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Course Cancellations: Students are encouraged to register at least 2 weeks before the beginning of any Fe University course. A course with less than 4 students 2 weeks before the start date may be cancelled at instructor/FeU discretion, with students’ registrations refunded. If you’re interested in a class, please sign up early! Thank you.

Student Cancellations: If a registered student cancels, registration can be refunded if requested 4 or more days before the course’s start date. We’re afraid cancellation requests made 3 or fewer days before the course’s start date are unable to be refunded.