| Course Title |
| • TRT2691H Christianity & Chinese Thought |
| • TRT2685H Approaches to Method and Practice for Comparative Theology |
| • TRT3701H Buddhist-Christian Dialogue |
| • TRT2700H Chan/Zen Buddhism |
| • TRJ2600H Humanistic Buddhist Thought & Practice |
| • TRT3700H Conceptual Metaphor Theory as Methodology for Comparative Philosophy of Religion |
Teaching Statement
My teaching is shaped by an interdisciplinary and comparative approach that brings Buddhist Studies, comparative theology, philosophy of religion, and ethics into dialogue with contemporary intellectual and social concerns. Across my teaching and research, I am especially interested in how learning becomes transformative rather than merely informational. Whether teaching Chan/Zen Buddhism, comparative theology, Humanistic Buddhism, or philosophy of religion, I seek to cultivate in students not only analytical rigor, but also intellectual self-awareness, ethical reflection, and existential engagement.
My teaching philosophy is grounded in three interconnected principles: teaching as relational engagement, critical inquiry as transformative practice, and learning as existential participation. These principles emerge not only from my academic work, but also from my diverse experiences as a university professor, management consultant and trainer, preacher, Sunday school teacher, and instructor of Guqin and martial arts. Across these contexts, I have learned that meaningful education occurs when students are actively engaged in the process of questioning, interpreting, and rethinking their own assumptions.
First, I understand teaching as fundamentally relational. Teaching is not simply the transmission of information but a shared intellectual process between teacher and students. I therefore begin by understanding students’ backgrounds, expectations, and ways of thinking. In both large lectures and small seminars, I encourage dialogue by asking students interpretive and conceptual questions before presenting conclusions. This approach allows me to build an interactive classroom environment in which students feel intellectually challenged while also supported. Particularly in courses dealing with religion and philosophy, students often encounter unfamiliar concepts or traditions. A relational classroom helps students approach these materials with openness, curiosity, and confidence.
Second, I emphasize critical thinking as central to humanistic education. In my courses, students are encouraged not merely to understand ideas, but to evaluate, interpret, and apply them critically. I often organize my teaching around a sequence of pedagogical movements: beginning with a difficult question, demonstrating why it matters, presenting competing perspectives, modeling critical argumentation, and returning to the original question in a deeper form. This structure encourages students to see philosophy and theology not as collections of doctrines, but as living conversations that bear directly on questions of truth, ethics, and human existence.
Third, I believe that significant learning involves participation and existential engagement. My research on Kierkegaard, Chan Buddhism, comparative theology, and Humanistic Buddhism strongly informs this aspect of my teaching. In courses such as Approaches to Method and Practice for Comparative Theology and Buddhist-Christian Dialogue, I encourage students to reflect on how interreligious encounter may reshape one’s understanding of truth, selfhood, and ethical responsibility. Similarly, in Chan/Zen Buddhism and Humanistic Buddhist Thought & Practice, students examine Buddhist concepts such as nonduality, compassion, mindfulness, and self-cultivation not merely as historical doctrines, but as interpretive and ethical practices relevant to contemporary life.
My teaching also integrates innovative methodologies drawn from my research. In Conceptual Metaphor Theory as Methodology for Comparative Philosophy of Religion, for example, students explore how metaphors structure religious understanding across traditions. Through comparative analyses of Buddhist and Christian texts, students learn how conceptual metaphors shape notions of truth, selfhood, liberation, and ethical transformation. In Christianity & Chinese Thought, I guide students through cross-cultural encounters between Chinese philosophical traditions and Christian theology, helping them develop historically grounded and critically nuanced approaches to comparative thought.
In the classroom, I frequently employ storytelling, images, comparative exercises, and discussion-based learning to make complex philosophical concepts accessible and engaging. I have found that students become more deeply involved when abstract ideas are connected to lived experience and contemporary issues. For example, when teaching phenomenology or theories of perception, I often use visual and interpretive exercises to demonstrate how perspective shapes understanding. Such methods encourage students to recognize that interpretation is not passive reception but active engagement.
My recent research on existential-hermeneutic comparative theology, Humanistic Buddhism, and AI ethics has further deepened my pedagogical commitments. I increasingly encourage students to consider how philosophical and religious traditions can contribute to contemporary ethical questions, including technology, social responsibility, and intercultural understanding. In this way, I hope to help students see the humanities not as detached from practical life, but as essential for cultivating ethical judgment, intellectual humility, and responsible global citizenship.
Ultimately, my goal as a teacher is to create a classroom environment in which students learn to think rigorously, engage traditions respectfully, and reflect critically on their own assumptions and commitments. I aim to foster not only academic excellence, but also the intellectual and ethical capacities necessary for meaningful participation in an increasingly interconnected and pluralistic world.
Jizhang Yi 