From Buddhist Studies to Buddhist Theology: A Divinatory Reading of the Heart Sūtra
H. Shiu
Toronto Journal of Theology May 1, 2026 DOI: 10.3138/tjt-2025-0065 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Key points | Argues that Buddhist theology developed from early Christian-influenced readings into a distinct academic field, and proposes that interpreting the Heart Sūtra through Schleiermacher's divinatory method reveals its contemplative dimensions, which can be applied to contemporary life. |
Abstract
This article traces the development of Buddhist theology as an academic discipline, from its early emergence in missionary and Orientalist readings of Buddhism through a Christian lens to its later systematic formation as a field that runs parallel to, yet remains distinct from, Buddhist studies. Through this exploration, the article examines Buddhist theology as a means of constructive engagement with Christian theology, using the example of interpreting the Mahāyāna Buddhist scripture, the Heart Sūtra, through Friedrich Schleiermacher's divinatory method. In doing so, it brings into focus the contemplative dimensions of the Heart Sūtra and demonstrates how these may be meaningfully applied in contemporary life.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |