David Chan

Research Interests:

I study Chinese Buddhism during the 5th century, with a focus on its soteriology and the so-called “sinicization” process of the Buddhist religion. I am mostly interested in how the Chinese came to terms with the Mahayana faith and its various ways of making and explaining the claim of the “Single Vehicle.” My dissertation looks at a 5th-century Chinese commentary on the Lotus Sūtra. In my current research, I deal with issues surrounding how the Chinese made sense of the Lotus Sūtra in early medieval China, the use of the Chinese exegetical repertoire by Chinese Buddhists in their efforts to ascertain and explain Mahayana soteriology, and the factors that drew their attention to and sustained their “belief” in this paradigm of salvation. My other research interests include the religio-intellectual history of Buddho-Daoism, expressions of religiosity in early medieval China, and Chinese soteriology. In general, I am fascinated by the ways in which religious ideas and practices travel from one environment to another.

At Michigan, I have taught a range of courses as a Graduate Student Instructor, including “Introduction to Buddhism,” Zen: History, Culture, and Critique,” “Introduction to Chinese Civilization,” and “Introduction to Asian Studies.”

List of Languages used for research:

• Cantonese
  
• Mandarin Chinese
  
• Classical Chinese
• Japanese
• French