This lecture will begin with a reflection on dominant trends in the study of women and gender in Buddhist history and will then suggest directions for future research.

Dr. Lori Meeks is Associate Professor of Religion and East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Southern California, where she also serves as the Co-Director of the Center for Japanese Religions and Culture. Her publications include Hokkeji and the Reemergence of Female Monastic Orders in Premodern Japan, as well as numerous articles on monasticism, women, and gender in premodern Japanese Buddhism.