UCC Research Profiles: B.Bocking@ucc.ie, Study of Religions

Contact Details

Emeritus Professor of The Study of Religions
Study of Religions
Study of Religions Dept
College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences
University College Cork (UCC)
Cork
Ireland

E: studyofreligions@ucc.ie
W: http://research.ucc.ie/profiles/A040/bbocking

Biography

Brian Bocking was educated at Lancaster University and took his MA (Religious Studies) and PhD from the University of Leeds, UK. He taught in the universities of Stirling (Scotland), Tsukuba (Japan), Bath Spa (UK) and was from 1999-2007 Professor of the Study of Religions at SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He was appointed Professor of the Study of Religions and Head of the newly established Study of Religions Department at UCC in January 2008. From July 2013 to August 2014 he was Acting Head of the School of Asian Studies at UCC. He served as Secretary of the ISASR, the Irish Association for the Academic Study of Religions from 2012-15 and as Publications Officer (2005-10) and Treasurer (2010-15) of the IAHR, the International Association for the History of Religions. He retired in August 2015. Professor Bocking's publications include works on Japanese religions and Buddhism as well as essays and articles on the Study of Religions as taught in universities. His books include the first English translation of the 5th century Chinese text of Nagarjuna's Middle Treatise (1995); a Dictionary of Shinto (1996) and a study of the changing form and interpretations over four centuries of a key Japanese religious scroll known as 'The Oracles of the Three Shrines' (in Japanese: Sanja Takusen) (2000). He has written many articles on Japanese religions, especially New Religions and Shinto, as well as working on theoretical and pedagogical issues in the study of religions including religious 'experience', the teaching of 'Asian' religions in a globalising society and the possibilities for new fields of research opened up by digital humanities resources. Since 2009 he has been researching, with Alicia Turner (York University, Toronto) and Laurence Cox (NUI Maynooth), the life and career of the forgotten 'Irish Buddhist' U Dhammaloka (?1856-?1914), a pioneer Western Buddhist monk celebrated throughout S/E Asia in the early 1900s, and with Laurence Cox and Yoshinaga Shin'ichi (Maizuru College) the life of the Irish Japanologist and pioneer London Buddhist missionary Charles J W Pfoundes (1840-1907). Recent co-edited publications include Religious Education in a Global-Local World (2016, with Jenny Berglund and Yafa Shanneik) and the 2017 JISASR special issue Representing Sikhism: Essays in Memory of the Irish scholar Max Arthur Macauliffe (with Christopher Shackle).

	Year	Publication
	(2017)	'Representing Sikhism: Essays in Memory of the Irish scholar Max Arthur Macauliffe' Shackle, Christopher and Bocking, Brian (2017) 'Representing Sikhism: Essays in Memory of the Irish scholar Max Arthur Macauliffe'. Journal of the Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions, 4 :1-7 [Details]
	(2015)	'Religion, Education, and Religious Education in Irish Schools' Hyland, Áine; Bocking, Brian (2015) 'Religion, Education, and Religious Education in Irish Schools'. Teaching Theology & Religion, 18 (3):252-261 [DOI] [Details]
	(2014)	'The First Buddhist Mission to the West: Charles Pfoundes and the London Buddhist mission of 1889 – 1892' Brian Bocking, Laurence Cox, Shin'ichi Yoshinaga (2014) 'The First Buddhist Mission to the West: Charles Pfoundes and the London Buddhist mission of 1889 – 1892'. Diskus, 16 (3):1-33 [Details]
	(2013)	'Flagging up Buddhism: Charles Pfoundes (Omoie Tetzunostzuke) among the international congresses and expositions, 1893-1905' Bocking, Brian (2013) 'Flagging up Buddhism: Charles Pfoundes (Omoie Tetzunostzuke) among the international congresses and expositions, 1893-1905'. Contemporary Buddhism, 14 (1):17-37 [Details]
	(2013)	'Special Issue: A Buddhist crossroads: pioneer western Buddhists and Asian networks 1860-1960' Brian Bocking, Phibul Choompolpaisal, Laurence Cox, Alicia Turner (2013) 'Special Issue: A Buddhist crossroads: pioneer western Buddhists and Asian networks 1860-1960'. Contemporary Buddhism, 14 (1):1-186 [Details]
	(2013)	'A Buddhist crossroads: pioneer European Buddhists and globalizing Asian networks 1860 – 1960' Bocking, B; Cox, L; Turner, A (2013) 'A Buddhist crossroads: pioneer European Buddhists and globalizing Asian networks 1860 – 1960'. Contemporary Buddhism, 14 (1):1-16 [Details]
	(2012)	'U Dhammaloka The Irish Pongyi (1856-1914) in India, Nepal and Tibet' Bocking, Brian (2012) 'U Dhammaloka The Irish Pongyi (1856-1914) in India, Nepal and Tibet'. South and Southeast Asia Culture and Religion, VI :73-86 [Details]
	(2010)	'Review of: DuBois (ed.). Casting Faiths: Imperialism and the Transformation of Religion in East and Southeast Asia' Bocking, B; (2010) 'Review of: DuBois (ed.). Casting Faiths: Imperialism and the Transformation of Religion in East and Southeast Asia'. NUMEN: International Review for the History of Religions, 57 (1):114-117 [Details]
	(2010)	'Beachcombing, going native and freethinking: rewriting the history of early Western Buddhist monastics' Turner, A; Cox, L; Bocking, B; (2010) 'Beachcombing, going native and freethinking: rewriting the history of early Western Buddhist monastics'. Contemporary Buddhism, 11 (2):125-147 [Details]
	(2010)	'U Dhammaloka, `The Irish Buddhist': rewriting the history of early western Buddhist monastics: Guest-Edited Issue of the journal Contemporary Buddhism' Turner, A; Cox, L; Bocking, B (2010) 'U Dhammaloka, `The Irish Buddhist': rewriting the history of early western Buddhist monastics: Guest-Edited Issue of the journal Contemporary Buddhism'. Contemporary Buddhism, 11 (2):229-280 [Details]
	(2010)	''A Man of Work and Few Words? - Dhammaloka Beyond Burma'' Bocking, B (2010) ''A Man of Work and Few Words? - Dhammaloka Beyond Burma''. Contemporary Buddhism, 11 (2):229-280 [Details]
	(2010)	'Review of: Ninian Smart: World Philosophies' Bocking, B; (2010) 'Review of: Ninian Smart: World Philosophies'. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 73 (1):146-147 [DOI] [Details]
	(2006)	'Signs of Liberation? A semiotic approach to wisdom in Chinese Madhyamika Buddhism' Bocking, B. and Wang, Y.; (2006) 'Signs of Liberation? A semiotic approach to wisdom in Chinese Madhyamika Buddhism'. Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 33 (3):371-392 [Details]
	(2006)	'Mysticism: No Experience Necessary?' Bocking B; (2006) 'Mysticism: No Experience Necessary?'. DISKUS, 7 [Details]
	(1997)	'Buddhism and Shinto in The Oracles of the Three Shrines' Bocking B; (1997) 'Buddhism and Shinto in The Oracles of the Three Shrines'. Yuan Kang Buddhist Journal, 2 :121-142 [Details]
	(1995)	'Fundamental Rites? Religion, State, Education and the Invention of Sacred Heritage in post-Christian Britain and pre-War Japan' Bocking, B.; (1995) 'Fundamental Rites? Religion, State, Education and the Invention of Sacred Heritage in post-Christian Britain and pre-War Japan'. RELIGION, 25 (3):227-247 [Details]
	(1995)	'Quality Time: Evaluating Religious Studies in Higher Education' Bocking B; (1995) 'Quality Time: Evaluating Religious Studies in Higher Education'. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 16 (2):18-24 [Details]
	(1995)	'`Is Nothing Sacred? The Protestant Ethos and the Spirit of Buddhism¿ (in Japanese trans.)' Bocking B; (1995) '`Is Nothing Sacred? The Protestant Ethos and the Spirit of Buddhism¿ (in Japanese trans.)'. The Journal of Oriental Studies, 5 :88-106 [Details]
	(1993)	'`Is Nothing Sacred? The Protestant Ethos and the Spirit of Buddhism¿' Bocking B; (1993) '`Is Nothing Sacred? The Protestant Ethos and the Spirit of Buddhism¿'. The Japan Society: Proceedings, 121 :33-55 [Details]
	(1989)	'Factionalism in Japanese Religion' Bocking B; (1989) 'Factionalism in Japanese Religion'. Japan Forum, 1 (2):141-150 [Details]
	(1982)	'Comparative Studies of Buddhism and Christianity' Bocking B; (1982) 'Comparative Studies of Buddhism and Christianity'. Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 10 (1):87-110 [Details]
	(1982)	'The Concept of Peace in Religious Traditions' Bocking B; (1982) 'The Concept of Peace in Religious Traditions'. Heiwa Kenkyu, 4 :204-218 [Details]
	(1981)	'Reflections on Soka Gakkai. Reprinted in Scottish Journal of Religious Studies' Bocking B; (1981) 'Reflections on Soka Gakkai. Reprinted in Scottish Journal of Religious Studies'. Proceedings of the British Association for Japanese Studies, 2 (1):38-54 [Details]
	(1980)	'Neo-Confucian Spirituality and the Samurai Ethic' Bocking B; (1980) 'Neo-Confucian Spirituality and the Samurai Ethic'. RELIGION, 10 :1-15 [Details]

Edited Books

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	Religious Education in a Global-Local World Berglund, Jenny, Shanneik, Yafa, Bocking, Brian (Ed.). (2016) Religious Education in a Global-Local World Switzerland: Springer International. [Details]
	(2014)	A Buddhist Crossroads: Pioneer Western Buddhists and Asian Networks 1860-1960 Alicia Turner, Laurence Cox, Phibul Choompolpaisal, Brian Bocking (Ed.). (2014) A Buddhist Crossroads: Pioneer Western Buddhists and Asian Networks 1860-1960 A Buddhist Crossroads: Pioneer Western Buddhists and Asian Networks 1860-1960. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. [Details]
	(2010)	IAHR World Congress Proceedings Tokyo 2005. Religion and Society: an Agenda for the 21st Century Bocking, B (Ed.). (2010) IAHR World Congress Proceedings Tokyo 2005. Religion and Society: an Agenda for the 21st Century IAHR World Congress Proceedings Tokyo 2005. Religion and Society: an Agenda for the 21st Century. Cambridge: Roots and Branches. [Details]

Books

	Year	Publication
	(2000)	The Oracles of the Three Shrines (Sanja Takusen). Bocking B; (2000) The Oracles of the Three Shrines (Sanja Takusen). London: Curzon Press. [Details]
	(1996)	A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Bocking B; (1996) A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. London: Curzon Press. [Details]
	(1995)	Nagarjuna in China: A Translation of the Middle Treatise. Bocking B; (1995) Nagarjuna in China: A Translation of the Middle Treatise. Lewiston & Lampeter. University of Bristol Centre for Buddhist Studies Series: The Edwin Mellen Press. [Details]

Book Chapters

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	'Religion, Education and Religious Education in Irish Schools' Hyland, Aine and Bocking, Brian (2016) 'Religion, Education and Religious Education in Irish Schools' In: Berglund, Jenny, Shanneik, Yafa, Bocking, Brian (eds). Religious Education in a Global-Local World. Switzerland: Springer International. [Details]
	(2016)	'Introduction' Berglund, Jenny, Shanneik, Yafa, Bocking, Brian (2016) 'Introduction' In: Berglund, Jenny, Shanneik, Yafa, Bocking, Brian (eds). Religious Education in a Global-Local World. Switzerland: Springer International. [Details]
	(2015)	'Tracing the “Non-Denominational”: Japan and the UK' Bocking, B (2015) 'Tracing the “Non-Denominational”: Japan and the UK' In: Peter Antes, Armin Geertz, Mikael Rothstein (eds). Contemporary Views on Comparative Religion In Celebration of Tim Jensen’s 65th Birthday. Sheffield: Equinox. [Details]
	(2008)	'Tracing the Non-Denominational in Japan and the UK' Brian Bocking; (2008) 'Tracing the Non-Denominational in Japan and the UK' In: Sekulerlesme ve Dini Canlama [Secularism and Religiosity]. Ankara: TAHR. [CORA Link] [Details]
	(2005)	'Shinto' Bocking B; (2005) 'Shinto' In: Encyclopedia of Religion (2nd Edition). usa: Gale Macmillan. [Details]
	(2004)	''The meanings of Shinto' in Christoph Kleine, Monika Schrimpf and Katja Triplett (eds.)' Bocking B; (2004) ''The meanings of Shinto' in Christoph Kleine, Monika Schrimpf and Katja Triplett (eds.)' In: Unterwegs, Neue Pfade in der Religionswissenschaft (New Paths in the Study of Religions). Munich: Biblion Verlag. [Details]
	(2004)	'Study of Religions: the New Queen of the Sciences?' Bocking B; (2004) 'Study of Religions: the New Queen of the Sciences?' In: Religion: Empirical Studies. Ashgate Press: Ashgate Press. [Details]
	(2004)	'BASR Occasional Paper' Bocking B; (2004) 'BASR Occasional Paper' In: Study of Religions: the New Queen of the Sciences?. Univ. of Leeds: Univ. of Leeds. [Details]
	(2000)	'Changing Images of Shinto' Bocking B; (2000) 'Changing Images of Shinto' In: The Oracles of the Three Shrines¿ in Shinto in History: Ways of the Kami. London, Curzon Press: London, Curzon Press. [Details]
	(1997)	'The Origins of Japanese Philosophy¿' Bocking B; (1997) 'The Origins of Japanese Philosophy¿' In: Companion Encyclopaedia of Asian Philosophy. London, Routledge: London, Routledge. [Details]
	(1995)	'Of Priests, Protests and Protestant Buddhists: the case of Soka Gakkai International' Bocking B; (1995) 'Of Priests, Protests and Protestant Buddhists: the case of Soka Gakkai International' In: Japanese New Religions in the West. London, Curzon Press: London, Curzon Press. [Details]
	(1994)	'Japanese Religions' Bocking B; (1994) 'Japanese Religions' In: Attitudes to Nature. London, Pinter Press: London, Pinter Press. [Details]
	(1994)	'Mapping Invisible Worlds' Bocking B; (1994) 'Mapping Invisible Worlds' In: If You Meet the Buddha on the Map: The Notion of Mapping Spiritual Paths. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press. [Details]
	(1994)	'RAP, RFL and ROL: Language and Religion in Higher Education¿' Bocking B; (1994) 'RAP, RFL and ROL: Language and Religion in Higher Education¿' In: Aspects of Religion: Essays in Honour of Ninian Smart. New York, Peter Lang: New York, Peter Lang. [Details]
	(1990)	'The Need for Certainty' Bocking B; (1990) 'The Need for Certainty' In: Ojo. Chugai Nippo: Chugai Nippo. [Details]
	(1987)	'The Japanese Religious Traditions in Today¿s World¿' Bocking B; (1987) 'The Japanese Religious Traditions in Today¿s World¿' In: Religion in Today¿s World Edinburgh. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. [Details]

Other Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2007)	'Studying Asian Religions in the European Classroom' Bocking B; (2007) 'Studying Asian Religions in the European Classroom' The Council of Societies for the Study of Religion Bulletin, 36 (4) :107-110. [Details]

Book Reviews

	Year	Publication
	(2010)	Review of: Bernard FAURE, Michael COMO, IYANAGA Nobumi (eds.) Rethinking Medieval Shintō. Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie 16 (2006/2007) Kyoto; École Française d'Extrême-Orient Centre de Kyoto. x + 392pp. Bocking, B.; (2010) Review of: Bernard FAURE, Michael COMO, IYANAGA Nobumi (eds.) Rethinking Medieval Shintō. Cahiers d'Extrême-Asie 16 (2006/2007) Kyoto; École Française d'Extrême-Orient Centre de Kyoto. x + 392pp. SOAS, London: Book Reviews [Details]
	(2009)	Review of: Lucia Dolce (ed.): The Worship of Stars in Japanese Religious Practice. (Special double issue of Culture and Cosmos: A Journal of the History of Astrology and Cultural Astronomy Vol. 10, nos. 1 & 2, Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter 2006.) 264 pp. Bristol: Culture and Cosmos, 2007. Bocking, B.; (2009) Review of: Lucia Dolce (ed.): The Worship of Stars in Japanese Religious Practice. (Special double issue of Culture and Cosmos: A Journal of the History of Astrology and Cultural Astronomy Vol. 10, nos. 1 & 2, Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter 2006.) 264 pp. Bristol: Culture and Cosmos, 2007. Cambridge: Book Reviews [DOI] [Details]

Video recording / TV

	Year	Publication
	(2013)	'Representing Sikhism' Macauliffe Centenary Conference - Interview Prof Brian Bocking. Bocking, Brian (2013) 'Representing Sikhism' Macauliffe Centenary Conference - Interview Prof Brian Bocking. Cork: Video recording / TV [Details]
	(2011)	The Lost Buddhist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mUil5bVPsI. Brian Bocking; (2011) The Lost Buddhist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mUil5bVPsI. Cork: Video recording / TV [Details]
	(2010)	The Study of Religions in a Smart Society - UCC Inaugural Lecture. Brian Bocking; (2010) The Study of Religions in a Smart Society - UCC Inaugural Lecture. UCC, Cork: Video recording / TV [Details]

Professional Activities

Professional Associations

Association	Function	From / To
Irish Association for Asian Studies	Acting President	05-NOV-14 / 21-MAY-15
ASIA - Asian Studies Ireland Association	President	01-OCT-13 / 30-SEP-14
ISASR Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions	Acting secretary 2011-2012, Secretary 2012-2015	19-FEB-11 / 13-MAY-15
IAHR International Association for the History of Religions	IAHR Treasurer and member of Executive Committee 2010-2015	18-AUG-10 / 31-DEC-15
IAHR International Association for the History of Religions	IAHR Publications Officer and Member of IAHR Executive Committee 2005-2010	01-JAN-05 / 31-DEC-10
RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) 2001	Vice-Chair of TRS Panel	01-JAN-01 / 31-DEC-01
AUDTRS (Association of University Departments of TRS)	President 2000-2004	01-JAN-00 / 31-DEC-04
BASR British Association for the Study of Religions	Member since 1975, President 1994-1997	01-JAN-75 / 31-DEC-15
RAE Research Assessment Exercise 1996	Member, TRS Panel	01-JAN-96 / 31-DEC-96

Conference Contributions

	Year	Publication
	(2015)	XXI IAHR World Congress, Brian Bocking (2015) Charles Pfoundes and the forgotten first Buddhist Mission to the West, London 1889. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], XXI IAHR World Congress, Erfurt, Germany , 23-AUG-15 - 29-AUG-15. [Details]
	(2015)	ISASR 4th Annual Conference 2015: The Study of Religions in Ireland: People, Places, Projects, Brian Bocking (2015) Keynote Lecture: The Study of Religions in Ireland - Topics for the Future. [Keynote Speaker], ISASR 4th Annual Conference 2015: The Study of Religions in Ireland: People, Places, Projects, TCD , 11-MAY-15 - 11-MAY-15. [Details]
	(2014)	Asian Buddhism: plural colonialisms and plural modernities - workshop #3 – Kyoto, Bocking, B (2014) The Buddhist Spokesman at the Hub of Empire: Charles Pfoundes in London, 1878-1892. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Asian Buddhism: plural colonialisms and plural modernities - workshop #3 – Kyoto, Ryukoku University, Kyoto , 12-DEC-14 - 14-DEC-14. [Details]
	(2014)	UCC Study of Religions Dept Staff/Postgraduate Research Seminar series, Bocking, B (2014) Collaborative research and digital resources; opportunities and problems for early-career researchers in the study of religions. [Oral Presentation], UCC Study of Religions Dept Staff/Postgraduate Research Seminar series, UCC , 24-SEP-14 - 24-SEP-14. [Details]
	(2014)	International Sikh Research Conference, Bocking, B (2014) Panel chair and plenary discussant. [Chair Sessions at Symposia], International Sikh Research Conference, Warwick University , 28-JUN-14 - 28-JUN-14. [Details]
	(2014)	Religion and Remembering: 3rd Annual ISASR Conference, Bocking,B (2014) Forgetting to remember: towards an alternative Irish religious history?. [Oral Presentation], Religion and Remembering: 3rd Annual ISASR Conference, QUB, Belfast , 23-MAY-14 - 24-MAY-14. [Details]
	(2014)	Emerging Trends And Developments In Sikh & Punjabi Studies, Bocking, B (2014) 2nd Max Arthur Macauliffe Conference. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Emerging Trends And Developments In Sikh & Punjabi Studies, UCC, Cork , 22-MAR-14 - 22-MAR-14. [Details]
	(2013)	The 5th Annual Conference of A.S.I.A. - Conflict and Communication: a Changing Asia in a Globalizing World, Brian Bocking (2013) Charles Pfoundes, Ireland's First and Lost Japanologist. [Oral Presentation], The 5th Annual Conference of A.S.I.A. - Conflict and Communication: a Changing Asia in a Globalizing World, Dublin City University, Dublin , 15-NOV-13 - 16-NOV-13. [Details]
	(2013)	Ireland-India-Asia: Entangled Histories and Cultural Processes, Brian Bocking (2013) The Irish Buddhist’ U Dhammaloka in India and Beyond. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Ireland-India-Asia: Entangled Histories and Cultural Processes, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) New Delhi , 28-OCT-13 - 29-OCT-13. [Details]
	(2013)	Bordering the Borderless: Faces of Modern Buddhism in East Asia, Brian Bocking (2013) Mirrors in a reflection? Asian Buddhists from colonial Ireland, 1863-1913. [Plenary Lecture], Bordering the Borderless: Faces of Modern Buddhism in East Asia, Duke University, North Carolina USA , 04-OCT-13 - 05-OCT-13. [Details]
	(2013)	Launch of Laurence Cox's 'Buddhism and Ireland: From the Celts to the Counter-culture and Beyond' (Equinox, 2013), Brian Bocking (2013) Forgotten but not gone: recognising Ireland’s Buddhist heritage in colonial Asia. [Invited Oral Presentation], Launch of Laurence Cox's 'Buddhism and Ireland: From the Celts to the Counter-culture and Beyond' (Equinox, 2013), Trinity College Dublin , 26-SEP-13 - 26-OCT-13. [Details]
	(2013)	RELIGION, MIGRATION, MUTATION: European Association for the Study of Religions Annual Conference & International Association for the History of Religions Special Conference, Brian Bocking (2013) Early Migrant Buddhism? The first London Buddhist Mission, 1889. [Oral Presentation], RELIGION, MIGRATION, MUTATION: European Association for the Study of Religions Annual Conference & International Association for the History of Religions Special Conference, Liverpool Hope University , 03-SEP-13 - 06-SEP-13. [Details]
	(2013)	RE21 – Religious Education in a Global-Local World, Brian Bocking, Yafa Shanneik, Karl Kitching, Isabelle Ruane, (2013) International Conference on Religious Education. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], RE21 – Religious Education in a Global-Local World, UCC, Cork , 29-AUG-13 - 30-AUG-13. [Details]
	(2013)	2nd ISASR Annual Conference, Brian Bocking, Cox L, Yoshinaga S (2013) Rewriting the history of UK Buddhism: the Buddhist Propagation Society in London, 1889. [Oral Presentation], 2nd ISASR Annual Conference, Clinton Institute, UCD, Dublin , 10-MAY-13 - 12-MAY-13. [Details]
	(2013)	Early Western Buddhists in Asia: transnational lives, hidden histories, colonial encounters, Brian Bocking (2013) Why did Dhammaloka come from the West? Dhammaloka in Australia, Feb-May 1912. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Early Western Buddhists in Asia: transnational lives, hidden histories, colonial encounters, UCC , 08-MAY-13 - 08-MAY-13. [Details]
	(2013)	Early Western Buddhists in Asia: transnational lives, hidden histories, colonial encounters, Brian Bocking (2013) Public Conference funded by IRC. [Conference Organising Committee Member], Early Western Buddhists in Asia: transnational lives, hidden histories, colonial encounters, Study of Religions Dept., School of Asian Studies, UCC , 08-MAY-13 - 08-MAY-13. [Details]
	(2013)	'Representing Sikhism', Bocking, Brian (2013) Conference honouring the Irish Sikh scholar Max Arthur Macauliffe on the centenary of his death. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], 'Representing Sikhism', UCC, Cork, Western Gateway Building , 15-MAR-13 - 15-MAR-13. [Details]
	(2012)	Ireland-Japan Association Public Lecture, Brian Bocking (2012) A difficult character to remember? The Irish Japanologist Charles J. W. Pfoundes (1840-1907) in Meiji Japan. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Ireland-Japan Association Public Lecture, Royal Hibernia Institute, Dublin , 20-OCT-12 - 20-OCT-12. [Details]
	(2012)	SE Asia as a crossroads for Buddhist exchange:Pioneer European Buddhists and Asian Buddhist networks 1860 – 1960, Brian Bocking (2012) “Flagging up Buddhism: Charles Pfoundes (Omoie Tetzunostzuke) among the Oriental Congresses and Expositions 1893-1905.”. [Oral Presentation], SE Asia as a crossroads for Buddhist exchange:Pioneer European Buddhists and Asian Buddhist networks 1860 – 1960, Study of Religions Dept., UCC, Cork , 13-SEP-12 - 15-SEP-12. [Details]
	(2012)	Ends and Beginnings: Annual conference of the EASR / Special Conference of the IAHR, Brian Bocking (2012) Panel 07. New Studies of Religions in Ireland. [Chair Sessions at Symposia], Ends and Beginnings: Annual conference of the EASR / Special Conference of the IAHR, Sodertorn University, Stockholm, Sweden , 24-AUG-12 - 24-AUG-12. [Details]
	(2012)	Ends and Beginnings: EASR Annual Conference / IAHR Special Conference, Brian Bocking (2012) New Studies of Religions in Ireland: re-centreing the margins. [Oral Presentation], Ends and Beginnings: EASR Annual Conference / IAHR Special Conference, Sodertorn University, Stockholm, Sweden , 24-AUG-12 - 24-AUG-12. [Details]
	(2012)	1st Conference of ISASR (Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions), Brian Bocking (2012) The First Irish Buddhist Missionary? Charles Pfoundes in Meiji Japan. [Oral Presentation], 1st Conference of ISASR (Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions), STudy of Religions Dept., UCC, Cork , 25-MAY-12 - 26-MAY-12. [Details]
	(2011)	The Open University: Religious Studies Digital Humanities series, Brian Bocking (2011) Piecing Together: Captain Daylight, the Buddhist Bishop of Rangoon, and collaborative digital research. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], The Open University: Religious Studies Digital Humanities series, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK , 13-DEC-11 - 13-DEC-11. [Details]
	(2011)	UCC Japan Society: Japanese Culture Evening, Brian Bocking (2011) The Irish Buddhist at a Japanese University. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], UCC Japan Society: Japanese Culture Evening, UCC , 16-NOV-11 - 16-NOV-11. [Details]
	(2011)	3rd Annual Conference of the Asian Studies Ireland Association, Brian Bocking; (2011) Globalisation, rationality and pan-Asian Buddhism for a new century: the mission of The Irish Buddhist U Dhammaloka. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], 3rd Annual Conference of the Asian Studies Ireland Association, UCC , 30-SEP-11 - 30-OCT-11. [Details]
	(2011)	Digital Cultures Workshop, Brian Bocking; (2011) Digital-based research on 'the Irish Buddhist' U Dhammaloka. [Oral Presentation], Digital Cultures Workshop, UCC , 29-SEP-11 - 29-SEP-11. [Details]
	(2011)	Launch of the Irish Institute for Japanese Studies, Brian Bocking; (2011) Pioneer Irish Buddhists in Meiji Japan: Condor Pfoundes and U Dhammaloka. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Launch of the Irish Institute for Japanese Studies, UCC, Cork , 12-SEP-11 - 12-SEP-11. [Details]
	(2011)	4th SSEASR Conference, Thimphu, Kingdom of Bhutan, Brian Bocking; (2011) U Dhammaloka The Irish Pongyi (ca.1856-1914) in India, Nepal - and Tibet?. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], 4th SSEASR Conference, Thimphu, Kingdom of Bhutan, Thimphu, Bhutan , 30-JUN-11 - 30-JUN-11. [Details]
	(2011)	UCR Religious Studies Seminar, Brian Bocking; (2011) Rewriting the Origin-Myth of Western Buddhism: U Dhammaloka 'The Irish Buddhist' in Colonial Asia. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], UCR Religious Studies Seminar, Univ of California at Riverside, USA , 16-MAY-11 - 16-MAY-11. [Details]
	(2011)	Stanford University Japanese Buddhism Lectures 2010-11, Brian Bocking; (2011) Dhammaloka in Tokyo: The Hidden History of Early Western Buddhist Monastics. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Stanford University Japanese Buddhism Lectures 2010-11, Stanford University, USA , 12-MAY-11 - 12-MAY-11. [Details]
	(2011)	Dhammaloka Day, Brian Bocking; (2011) Dhammaloka's Irish connections: Letitia Jephson, Edward Morphy, Daniel Twomey and others. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Dhammaloka Day, UCC , 19-FEB-11 - 19-FEB-11. [Details]
	(2011)	Dhammaloka Day, Brian Bocking; (2011) 'Introducing Dhammaloka'. [Oral Presentation], Dhammaloka Day, UCC, Cork , 19-FEB-11 - 19-FEB-11. [Details]
	(2011)	Dhammaloka Day, Brian Bocking; (2011) Public conference celebrating the January 31 trial for sedition of U Dhammaloka 'The Irish Buddhist' in Rangoon. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Dhammaloka Day, UCC , 19-FEB-11 - 19-FEB-11. [Details]
	(2010)	SOAS Buddhist Forum and SOAS Centre for the Study of Religions joint seminar, Bocking, B., Cox, L.; (2010) 'Dhammaloka in Tokyo: the hidden history of Western Buddhist monastics'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], SOAS Buddhist Forum and SOAS Centre for the Study of Religions joint seminar, SOAS School of Oriental and African Studies, London , 16-DEC-10 - 16-DEC-10. [Details]
	(2010)	Seminar series: Methods and approaches in the study of Buddhist religions, Brian Bocking; (2010) Collaborative and Translocative research in Buddhism: the case of U Dhammaloka 'the Irish Buddhist'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Seminar series: Methods and approaches in the study of Buddhist religions, Munich University , 18-JUN-10 - 18-JUN-10. [Details]
	(2010)	Religious Studies Seminar Series, Marburg University, Brian Bocking; (2010) Shinto and Buddhism in 'The Oracles of the Three Shrines'. [Invited Oral Presentation], Religious Studies Seminar Series, Marburg University, Marburg University, Germany , 16-JUN-10 - 16-JUN-10. [Details]
	(2009)	Alternative spiritualities, the New Age and new religious movements in Ireland, Brian Bocking; (2009) Catholicism as a New Religious Movement. [Oral Presentation], Alternative spiritualities, the New Age and new religious movements in Ireland, NUIM Maynooth , 30-OCT-09 - 31-OCT-09. [Details]
	(2010)	IAHR XXth World Congress: 'Religion: A Human Phenomenon (Toronto), Bocking, B.; (2010) Panel Chair: 'Islam in Ireland: Issues and Challenges in Researching on a Muslim Community in Europe'. [Other], IAHR XXth World Congress: 'Religion: A Human Phenomenon (Toronto), Toronto , 15-AUG-10 - 21-AUG-10. [Details]
	(2010)	IAHR XXth World Congress 'Religion: A Human Phenomenon' (Toronto), Bocking, B.; (2010) Paper: 'A Man of Work and Few Words?: Dhammaloka Beyond Burma' in the panel 'Rewriting the History of Early Western Buddhist Monastics'. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], IAHR XXth World Congress 'Religion: A Human Phenomenon' (Toronto), Toronto , 15-AUG-10 - 21-AUG-10. [Details]
	(2009)	Can Religious Studies survive without religion? (Cardiff), Bocking, B.; (2009) RELIG Seminar Series, Religious Studies Department. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Can Religious Studies survive without religion? (Cardiff), Cardiff University , 15-OCT-09 - 15-OCT-09. [Details]
	(2013)	SOAS Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions/SOAS Buddhist Forum, Brian Bocking (2013) 'The forgotten first London Buddhist mission, 1889-1892: Charles J W Pfoundes and the kaigai senkyōkai'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], SOAS Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions/SOAS Buddhist Forum, SOAS, University of London , 12-DEC-13 - 12-DEC-13. [Details]
	(2014)	Working Group on Intercultural Performance, Adaptation and Translation Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, CACSSS, Bocking, Brian (2014) Charles Pfoundes and Annie Besant: a clash of Irish esoteric Buddhisms in Victorian London. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Working Group on Intercultural Performance, Adaptation and Translation Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, CACSSS, Granary Theatre, UCC , 24-FEB-14 - 24-FEB-14. [Details]
	(2013)	Ireland-India-Asia: Entangled Histories and Cultural Processes, Brian Bocking (2013) ‘The Irish Buddhist’ U Dhammaloka in India and Beyond’. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Ireland-India-Asia: Entangled Histories and Cultural Processes, Centre for Historical Studies, JNU, New Delhi , 28-OCT-13 - 29-OCT-13. [Details]

Committees

Committee	Function	From / To
Academic Council UCC	Member	2008 /
Academic Council Student Experience Committee	Member	2011 /
Student Discipline Committee (UCC)	Member	/
Student Affairs Committee (CACSSS)	Chair	2012 /
College Executive Management Committee (CACSSS)	Member	2012 /
International Committee (CACSSS)	Member	2011 /
College Council (CACSSS)	Member	/
College Assembly (CACSSS)	Member	/

Employment

Employer	Position	From / To
SOAS School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London	Professor of the Study of Religions	01-SEP-99 / 31-DEC-07
Bath Spa University	Professor and Head of the Study of Religions Dept.	01-SEP-86 / 31-AUG-99
University of Tsukuba, Japan	Monbusho-British Council Visiting Foreign Lecturer (Gaikokujin Kyoshi)	15-DEC-81 / 14-DEC-82
University of Stirling	Lecturer in Religious Studies	01-SEP-77 / 31-AUG-86

Outreach Activities

	Description
	23 Dec 2014 Interviewed by Sean Moncrieff for Newstalk on 'Captain Charles Pfoundes of Wexford and the London Buddhist Mission'.
	Cork Lifelong Learning Festival 2011: Workshop Tues 12 April 2011 on whether U Dhammaloka visited Lhasa. Description: Brian Bocking, Professor of the Study of Religions at UCC, will tell the remarkable story of `the Irish Buddhist' U Dhammaloka, lost to history and recently rediscovered by a team of scholars from Cork, Dublin and Toronto. Dhammaloka was probably born Laurence Carroll, of Blackrock, Dublin. He crossed America as a hobo, sailed to Japan and ended up in 1880s Burma where he became one of the very earliest European Buddhist monks. A working-class `freethinker', Buddhist monk, temperance campaigner and opponent of Christian missionaries, Dhammaloka was celebrated throughout Asia as `the Irish Buddhist' and became a thorn in the side of the British colonial government. His story includes a number of Munster links. In a public career full of remarkable achievements, the fame of one exploit even travelled to the other side of the world, making headlines in the Irish Sunday Independent exactly a century ago. Dhammaloka, it was reported, had many years earlier journeyed to Lhasa, remote capital of Tibet, becoming the first European ever to be welcomed by the Dalai Lama. Was this a complete fabrication, the unvarnished truth, or somewhere in between? We'll attempt to sift fact from fiction by examining fascinating and conflicting references to Dhammaloka and his travels from original newspaper items, travel books and missionary reports of the 1900s.
	17/3/2011 National Public Radio interviewed on Japanese religious responses to the tsunami http://www.npr.org/2011/03/17/134597421/after-tsunami-japanese-turn-to-ancient-rituals
	14/3/2011 CNN.com website. Interviewed on Japanese religious responses to disaster http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/14/how-japans-religions-confront-tragedy/
	Chair and introduction at launch of A New History of Shinto by John Breen and Mark Teeuwen, Daiwa Foundation Japan House, London, 29 April 2010

Other Activities

	Description
	Advisory Board, SOAS Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions
	Editorial Advisory Board, NUMEN
	International Editorial Board, DISKUS
	Editorial Board, Fieldwork and Religion
	Editorial Board, Journal of Beliefs and Values

Welcome to University College Cork

Brian Bocking