Fear Research Network Seminar Series – 'Harsh Truths and Mistaken Vows: The Ugly Side of Buddhist Charisma'
| Dates: | 16 October 2025 |
|---|
| Times: | 16:00 - 16:00 |
|---|
| What is it: | Talk |
|---|
| Organiser: | School of Arts, Languages and Cultures |
|---|
| Who is it for: | University staff, External researchers, Adults, Alumni, Current University students, General public |
|---|
|
Fear Research Network Seminar Series
'Harsh Truths and Mistaken Vows: The Ugly Side of Buddhist Charisma'
Dr Sara Swenson (Darmouth College)
In this talk, Dr Sara Swenson (Darmouth College) will examine "the ugly side" of Buddhist charisma through the case of an iconoclastic monk in Vietnam. Lay and monastic followers respected this monk for his extraordinary capacity to read minds and perceive karmic obstacles in the lives of others. He also defied conventional monastic vows by openly consuming meat and alcohol, wearing lay clothing, and teaching through insults. These behaviors had the deliberate effect of creating an uncomfortable, tense social environment among his visitors. The nun who introduced us explained that his harsh language and adversarial demeanor were a rare form of compassion that urged immediate awakening to Buddhist teachings. I analyze the dynamics of this Buddhist community through theories of charisma and moral aesthetics. While past studies of Buddhist antinomianism examine philosophical justifications for defying binaries of "right" and "wrong" behavior, my study considers why such monks successfully attract followers by cultivating negative affects of fear and shame.
Biogrphy:
Sara Ann Swenson is an Assistant Professor in Religion at Dartmouth College. She researches contemporary Buddhism in Vietnam. She holds aPhD and MPhil in Religion from Syracuse University, an MA in Comparative Religion from Iliff School of Theology, and a BA in English from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her book Near Light We Shine: Buddhist Charity in Urban Vietnam is forthcoming with Oxford University Press.
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
Williamson Building, Room 2.05
