Julia Cross: Buddha Bones: The Materiality and Textuality of Relics in Medieval Japanese Religions

In medieval Japan, Buddha relics were coveted, stolen, traded, and gifted. They were known to jump out of windows, emit light, scatter, or even disappear in the depths of night. Such movements of relics reflected larger socioreligious trends, which can be studied through extant reliquaries, statuary, and manuscripts. Accordingly, this talk will argue that how Buddha relics were worshipped, enshrined, and written about in medieval Japan illuminates deeper religious, social, and gender-based concerns from this period.