The Controversial History of Michelangelo’s David

April 5, 2023 By Barbara O'Brien

The fallout from the recent Michelangelo’s David controversy continues. If you’ve spent the past month in a hermitage, here’s the story: The principal of a Florida Christian school lost her job because some parents were furious about an art appreciation lesson. The lesson included a photograph of the famous statue of the biblical David by the Renaissance artist Michelangelo. Some parents considered the statue “pornographic.” The lesson including the statue was for sixth graders, children aged 11 to 12, according... Read more

The Story of Michelangelo’s Pietà

March 31, 2023 By Barbara O'Brien

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Of all the great works of art associated with the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, the two most iconic must be the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo’s Pietà, a sculpture. These two masterpieces probably were finished within months of each other. It’s believed The Last Supper was completed in 1498, possibly 1499, and the Pietà in 1499 or 1500, give or take. And yes, the two artists knew each other, and by all accounts they... Read more

The Surprising History of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper

March 29, 2023 By Barbara O'Brien

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Leonardo da Vinci‘s The Last Supper has a surprising history. Even being asked to paint it may have been a surprise to da Vinci. The Duke of Milan Ludovico il Moro originally had commissioned him to produce a grand equestrian statue honoring the Duke’s father, Francesco Sforza. It was to be the largest bronze equestrian statue in the world. And the Duke had acquired 70 tons of bronze to make it happen. The artist prepared meticulously over a period of... Read more

How the Meiji Era Changed Japanese Buddhism

March 26, 2023 By Barbara O'Brien

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The Meiji Era, which began in the late 19th century, utterly upended Japanese Buddhism. Sweeping changes enacted by the Meiji Emperor, Mutsuhito (1852–1912) had devastating impacts on Buddhism in Japan. Leaders of the various Buddhist schools responded with their own reforms, but in many ways Japanese Buddhism never recovered. First, some historical background. Japan had been ruled by military leaders called shoguns since 1192. For centuries the emperors were figureheads with little real power. But the last shogun resigned in... Read more

Buddhist Nuns of Japan vs. the Patriarchy

March 24, 2023 By Barbara O'Brien

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The Buddhist nuns of Japan, like their sisters in other parts of Asia, struggled against patriarchy for centuries. There are many ancient tales of women leaders and warriors in Japan, which suggests Japanese culture wasn’t always patriarchal. And as we’ve seen, after Buddhism was introduced to Japan the first monastic ordinations were given to women. Nevertheless, nyonin kinsei―“no admittance to women”―was the rule in Japan from at least the 8th century and several centuries after. This meant that nuns were... Read more

The First Japanese Buddhist Nuns: A Contentious Story

March 18, 2023 By Barbara O'Brien

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The first Japanese Buddhist nuns were not welcome in Japan. It’s recorded that three Japanese women were the first people of Japan to receive any sort of Buddhist ordinations, as novice nuns, in the year 584. But Buddhism was a new and controversial religion in Japan. At least one powerful clan, the Mononobe, was against it. In 587, the Mononobe incited a mob to riot and destroy the nuns’ temple. The nuns were publicly defrocked and beaten. Somehow the three... Read more

Chinese Buddhist Nuns: A History of Perseverance

March 15, 2023 By Barbara O'Brien

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For centuries the only fully ordained Buddhist nuns anywhere were in east Asia — China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The Theravada nuns orders of India and Sri Lanka faded away in the 11th century and were never revived. It appears nuns’ orders never reached Tibet and other parts of Asia until relatively recently. But the Mahayana nuns’ order of east Asia thrived through the centuries to the present day. And the Buddhist establishments in east Asia were no more... Read more

The Determined Buddhist Nuns of Sri Lanka

March 12, 2023 By Barbara O'Brien

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The Buddhist nuns of Sri Lanka have needed determination for there to be nuns at all. The last post, The Buddhist Nun Controversy, explained that Buddhist nuns’ orders died out in southeast Asia, including Sri Lanka, centuries ago. And because of ancient rules that govern the ordinations and training of monks and nuns, for centuries women in most southeast Asian countries were not allowed full ordination because there were no fully ordained nuns to ordain them. To recap: The Buddhism... Read more

The Buddhist Nun Controversy

March 11, 2023 By Barbara O'Brien

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The Buddhist nun controversy stems from the many barriers Buddhist women have faced in Asia. For example, the nuns’ orders of southeast Asia have been extinct for centuries. At the same time, the Buddhist establishment has resisted allowing the orders of nuns to be renewed. This means that many women who wish to live as nuns are denied full ordination. On the other hand, in Taiwan there are more nuns than monks, and the nuns enjoy respect, authority, and full... Read more

The Oneida Community: An Experiment in Perfectionism

March 5, 2023 By Barbara O'Brien

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The United States in the 19th century was a surprising place. Although it was marked by the Victorian era, famous for fuddy-duddiness, it was also a time for exploring mysteries (see, for example, the previous post, “Talking With the Dead in 19th Century America“) and trying on new ideas about culture, society, and religion. And if you’ve not heard much about the Oneida Community of 19th century New York before, prepare to be surprised. The Second Great Awakening, with its... Read more