Focus and Scope

The Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies is a scholarly peer-reviewed, open access, online publication covering all aspects of Buddhist studies. The editorial board recognises the inherently interdisciplinary and international nature of contemporary Buddhist studies and is open to submissions from scholars working in, but not limited to, anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, history and religious studies. Articles may focus on any region or historical period. Scholars do not have to be affiliated with a Canadian university to submit.

The Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies welcomes articles on classical textual and intertextual analysis, including work on hagiography, Buddhist art, ritual, doctrinal questions and lineage formation, and work on contemporary Buddhist communities concerning, for example, the implications of fluid demographic transformations, cultural hybridity, and challenges associated with communal continuity of praxis and doctrine in a context of global mobilities.

The Canadian context is a key concern of Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies. However, global realities of migration, rapidly changing mass media and telecommunications, and the associated ascendancy of mobilities perspectives in the social sciences necessitate inclusion of articles on Buddhists in countries other than Canada.

Peer Review Process

Articles are subject to a blind peer review process. No manuscript will be considered for publication if it is concurrently under consideration by another journal or press or if it has been published or is soon to be published elsewhere.

Before being sent to an area specialist for review, on recommendation from our editorial board, the editor will make a decision as to the appropriateness of an article’s general content and quality for publication in the journal. Normally articles will be reviewed within six weeks of submission and a report sent to the author or authors. An additional four weeks is allocated for revision and the aim is to have the article ready for publication within six months of submission.

Articles are evaluated based on the level of rigour undertaken in the research process and demonstrated familiarity with the current state of research and methodology in the domain under discussion. Also considered are the originality of the insights offered and contributions to ongoing discussions or debates in the field.

Article Submission

While Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies accepts articles all year, we have a submission deadline for each issue. Please contact the Journal and CJBS News Blog Manager at contact@thecjbs.org to inquire about upcoming submission deadline and consult our submission guidelines before submitting an article.

Book Review

Scholars interested in reviewing any titles from our list and/or suggest a book for review are welcome to fill out the forms and contact our Book Review Editor Bruno Shirley at bms297@cornell.edu for further information.

Publication Frequency

The Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies is published once per year.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Editorial Team

Co-Editors
  • Michael Ium, University of Toronto
    • Michael was born and raised in Toronto as the child of South Korean immigrants, before going on to complete degrees at the University of Toronto (B.Sc.), Maitripa College (M.A.), and the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Department of Religious Studies (M.A., Ph.D.). Currently, he is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the University of Toronto’s Department for the Study of Religion and The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Studies. A historian of religion, his research focuses on the religions of Tibet and South Asia, and in particular, the early history of the Geluk tradition in Tibet. Along with promoting the study of Buddhism in Canada as an academic discipline, Michael is interested in exploring what makes the Canadian Buddhist context unique, whether Canada’s status as a multicultural society, or the theological interactions of Buddhism in Canada with other religious communities.
  • Anthony Scott, University of Toronto
    •  Born and raised in the badlands of Alberta, Tony Scott studied in Calgary, Pune, Hong Kong, and Tokyo before completing his doctoral work at the Department for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto. A scholar of Theravada Buddhism in mainland Southeast Asia, with a national focus on Burma/Myanmar, Tony’s interests include Pali and Burmese literature, meditation practice and theory, and the interplay between religion and politics in the twentieth century. As co-editor of the CJBS, Tony is committed to highlighting the critical work of the scholarly community in Canada and showcasing its vital contribution to the global project of Buddhism Studies.
Book Review Editor
  • Bruno M. Shirley, Cornell University
Editorial Board
  • Martin T. Adam, University of Victoria
  • Wendi Adamek, University of Calgary
  • James A. Benn, McMaster University
  • Michael P. Berman, Brock University
  • Jinhua Chen, University of British Columbia
  • Barbra Clayton, Mount Allison University
  • John Harding, University of Lethbridge
  • Christopher Jensen, Carleton University
  • Jessica Main, University of British Columbia
  • Alexander Soucy, St. Mary’s University
Journal & CJBS News Blog Manager
  • Andrew Dade, University of Toronto

Journal Sponsorship

The Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies is sponsored by The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto.

 

Journal History

The first issue of the Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies was published in 2005 by the Nalanda College of Buddhist Studies located in Toronto. Professor Suwanda Sugunasiri was editor for the first ten years. After Professor Sugunasiri’s retirement from the journal in 2015 it was relocated to the David See Chai Lam Centre for International Communication at Simon Fraser University. During the transition a new editorial board was assembled and the orientation of the journal reconsidered. It was relaunched in 2016 with a view to expanding the role of the journal in strengthening communication between Buddhist scholars in Canada and with international colleagues.

CJBS News Blog

The journal is accompanied by a news blog, a platform for graduate students in the field to catch up with current academic conversations, discuss their research and share experiences. It can become an effective conduit of communication concerning new courses, conferences and much more. If you are interested in becoming regular contributors to Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies News blog or know any graduate students who wishes to contribute, please contact the Journal and CJBS News Blog Manager at contact@thecjbs.org.