Join us for this historic and intellectually enriching event as we come together to reflect on how religious dialogue can enhance our understanding of navigating differences and conflicts in the modern world. This conference also marks the founding of the Institute for Humanistic Buddhist Thought and Practice at Trinity College, University of Toronto.
We warmly invite scholars, graduate students, and monastics from around the world to participate, especially those engaged in Humanistic Buddhism, comparative theology, history, or interreligious studies.
The Institute for Humanistic Buddhist Thought & Practice at Trinity College, University of Toronto, is delighted to announce its International Inaugural Conference on the theme “Navigating Conflict: Humanistic Buddhism and Comparative Theology in a Divided World.”
This conference seeks to explore how Humanistic Buddhism can engage in comparative theological reflection with other religious traditions to deepen mutual understanding, spiritual insight, and ethical renewal, particularly in a divided global context. Rooted in the teachings of the historical Buddha and shaped by the Chinese Mahayana tradition, Humanistic Buddhism emphasises compassion, wisdom, and the transformation of everyday life—values that resonate across faiths and cultures. Yet what happens when traditions are themselves internally divided, or are located in a social-historical context that sets them in apparent opposition with another tradition?
Through conversation with theological traditions such as Christianity, this conference aims to examine how various strands of Buddhism contribute to, or perhaps even complicate, global theological discourse. How might Buddhist teachings on interdependence, emptiness, and compassion inform comparative theology’s search for peace and reconciliation across differences? Conversely, how might comparative theology illuminate new dimensions of Humanistic Buddhist thought and practice that may serve as resources for bridging or healing divides in the face of conflict?
Bringing together scholars, monastics, practitioners, and theologians from around the world, the conference invites fresh perspectives on how religious traditions can and do intersect positively (and sometimes negatively) in an age of global pluralism and shared humanity.
We welcome proposals on topics including, but not limited to:
Proposals adopting comparative, theological, or interdisciplinary approaches to Humanistic Buddhism are especially welcome.
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Please submit the following to [email protected]:
Deadline for submissions:Â December 8, 2025 Notification of acceptance:Â January 9, 2026
Accepted papers will have the opportunity to be included in an edited volume, which we hope to publish in collaboration with a reputable academic publisher.
We are honoured to welcome Prof. Francis X. Clooney, S.J. (Harvard University)—a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and one of the world’s foremost voices in Comparative Theology—as our keynote speaker.
