From Buddhist Studies to Buddhist Theology: A Divinatory Reading of the Heart Sūtra

This article traces the development of Buddhist theology as an academic discipline, from its early emergence in missionary and Orientalist readings of Buddhism through a Christian lens to its later systematic formation as a field that runs parallel to, yet remains distinct from, Buddhist studies. Through this exploration, the article examines Buddhist theology as a means of constructive engagement with Christian theology, using the example of interpreting the Mahāyāna Buddhist scripture, the Heart Sūtra, through Friedrich Schleiermacher's divinatory method. In doing so, it brings into focus the contemplative dimensions of the Heart Sūtra and demonstrates how these may be meaningfully applied in contemporary life.