Gia-fu Feng and the Popularization of Daoism in America
We are holding another Brown Bag event this month! Lucas Carmichael of the Department of Religious Studies will present on Gia-fu Feng and his important role in the development of Daoism in America.
American Daoist Masters have always operated in a hybrid space of Asian religions more broadly construed. Because of their eclectic backgrounds and their eclectic receptions, early figures associated with Daoism in the United States tend to be marginalized and understudied. Gia-fu Feng (1919-1985) is one of these Daoist Masters who has thus far received little attention. In addition to his Stillpoint Foundation, Feng made his most lasting impressions as a “Daoist Master” through his translations of the Daode jing (1972) and of the Zhuangzi (1974) and through his associations with Alan Watts, Jack Kerouac, and the founders of the Eslen Institute. Feng, his associates, and his texts deserve closer attention in order to better understand the transmission of Daoist teachings in America.
To see the event posting, please visit this page.
This Brown Bag event will be on Friday, October 25, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in Guggenheim 201E. We look forward to seeing you there!