Christian-Buddhist Conversations: Foundations for Dialogue

Inter-religious dialogue is one of the most important and growing developments in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In a globalized and increasingly fractious world, mutual consideration and open dialogue is crucial in a multi-religious society. Christian-Buddhist Conversations explores this through an analysis of the doctrines, histories, beliefs, practices, and ethics within Christianity and Buddhism. It brings together a scholar from each religious tradition in order to detail points of connection and differences with the aim of better mutual understanding. The discussions are detailed but accessible to non‐specialists who desire to understand both their own traditions and the traditions of others. The chapters are aimed at pairing teachings and concepts and include: Christ and Buddha, religious authority, sacred texts, sin and karma, salvation and liberation, love and compassion, monasticism, the place of the human being in the world and cosmos, and public and political participation. Each topic is explored historically and in terms of the ideas central to each tradition. The book includes notes for further reference, a bibliography, and an index of subjects and names.