East Asian Humanities Workshop: "The Emergence of Vegetarian Cuisine in Late Imperial China" by John Kieschnick

This event will take place on February 22nd, 2024, from 4:30-6:00 pm in East Asia Library room 338. Following the book talk, we will be hosting a dinner for all attendees in Knight Building room 102.     

If you would like to attend this talk, please RSVP by February 20th, 2024.     

Event details: Professor Kieschnick has begun a scholarly journey into the history of vegetarianism in China. This research is set to examine the practice of vegetarianism before the advent of Buddhism, discuss the Buddhist arguments for eschewing meat, and chart the historical progression of the meatless diet right up to the Republican period, potentially extending the analysis to the current day. In this talk, Professor Kieschnick will present preliminary findings for a chapter on the content of vegetarianism, inspired by the question: Before the modern period, what did Chinese vegetarians eat? The talk will be of interest to students and scholars of Buddhism, religious study, as well as anyone with special interest in vegetarianism, Chinese history, or food culture more broadly.  

About the speaker: Professor John Kieschnick is The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Professor of Buddhist Studies. He specializes in Chinese Buddhism, with particular emphasis on its cultural history. He is the author of the Eminent Monk: Buddhist Ideals in Medieval China and The Impact of Buddhism on Chinese Material Culture. His latest book, Buddhist Historiography in China examines how Buddhist doctrines influenced the search for the underlying principles driving history, the significance of genealogy in Buddhist writing, and the transformation of Buddhist historiography in the twentieth century.