Buddhism In Dialogue With Contemporary Societies

The growing pluralization of religion and culture in Europe means that we encounter an increasing number of Buddhist immigrants as well as ‘Western’ converts. Against this background, in June 2018, the Academy of World Religions and the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Hamburg (Germany), invited scholars of Theravāda, East Asian and Tibetan Buddhism. The questions discussed referred to: - Does Buddhism matter today? What can it contribute? - Must Buddhism adapt to the modern world? How can Buddhism adapt to a non-Asia context? - When Buddhism travels, what must be preserved if Buddhism is to remain Buddhism? The contributions in this volume show not only that Buddhism matters in the West but that it already has its strong impact on our societies. Therefore, universities in Europe should include Buddhist theories and techniques in their curricula.

This book is a constructive contribution to a Christian spirituality for the late modern religiously plural society. Based on a description of contemporary religion, in which the author refers to modern sociologists (some general and some specifically involved with religion), this study outlines certain recent characteristics of our contemporary way of relating to religion, and formulates a spirituality for the late modern religiously plural society. It detects such spirituality arising within three dynamic fields: 'continuity and internal diversity', 'formal and informal structures' and 'vita activa and vita contemplativa'. Against this background the author presents and analyses a case study of Aloysius Pieris, a Christian theologian active in 'Buddhist' Sri Lanka, and of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk active in 'Christian' France. Based on identified presuppositions and in dialogue with these two personalities the book proceeds towards a construction which contains some basic indicators of a Christian spirituality for the late modern religiously plural society. The concepts 'community', 'baptism' and 'grace and concern' are central to the construction.

This volume explores the ways that leading scholars of Buddhism are updating, revising, and correcting widely accepted understandings of, and instruction on Buddhist traditions. Each essay presents new insight on Buddhist thought in such a way that it can be easily applied to university and monastic courses.

Scholars of Buddhism, themselves Buddhist, here seek to apply the critical tools of the academy to reassess the truth and transformative value of their tradition in its relevance to the contemporary world.

This book tries to clarify a Buddhist view of interfaith dialogue from various points of view. It discusses how the Buddhist notion of Sunyata (Emptiness) works dynamically for mutual understanding and transformation of world religions. It also analyzes dialogue between Buddhism and Contemporary Christian theology, especially that of Paul Tillioh and Langdon Gillay.

Responding to plurality is a demanding task. Nonetheless it is one of the challenges that European countries are facing today. Over the past decades, the social and religious make-up of Central Europe has changed, and this has led to resentment and fears of mass immigration, social disintegration and the emergence of parallel societies. However, we also find empirical proof that prejudice is lowest where there is direct contact. Therefore, there appears to be an increasing need for more dialogue in order to make the stranger less strange, the unknown known, the other no longer entirely other. This is equally true in academic research: There is a definite need, yet research on questions of interreligious dialogue remains in its infancy throughout the various disciplines engaged in it. The project 'Religion and Dialogue in Modern Societies' (ReDi) that started at the Academy of World Religions at the Hamburg University in 2011 seeks to contribute to remedying this deficit. Like the ReDi-Project, this book looks at dialogue from different perspectives. It includes both theoretical and empirical approaches as well as a variety of theological viewpoints on a theology of plurality and dialogue from the perspective of different religions.

The modern dialogue between Buddhism and Christianity in Japan is reaching new depths and insights and is being recognized today as a challenging and promising point of contact between two cultures. This volume is based on the premise that an understand­ing of the past is important for meaningful interaction in the present. By placing the Buddhist-Christian dialogue in historical perspective, the author provides an essential element for critical and creative reflection on today's dialogue. Thelle's historical examination begins with the arrival of Francis Xavier in 1549, which initiated the "Christian century." However, his main emphasis is on the nineteenth century, when relations between the two reli­gions moved from confrontation to conciliation. The opening of Japan in 1854 initiated a confrontation that was more than a reli­gious conflict; the meeting of the two faiths was part of an all-inclusive cultural clash. The confrontation of Buddhism and Chris­tianity is interpreted in a broad cultural and sociopolitical context and reveals how strong­ly both religions were influenced by the social and ideological upheavals in nine­teenth-century Japan. The vital issue was which religion would become the spiritual basis for the "new" Japan. Christianity, in­troduced as the spiritual backbone of West­ern power, was associated with ideas of modernization and democracy. Buddhism, regarded as part of the old culture, was in serious crisis. But the conflict was not resolved in victory and defeat. Radical changes took place within the two religions, and by the turn of the century confrontation had moved toward conciliation. The author examines the origins of emerging peaceful dialogue and uncovers the complex process by which it grew out of an atmosphere of animosity and distrust. Thelle's central themes are the connection between Christian expansion and Buddhist anti-Christian campaigns, religion and na­tionalism, Christian impact on Buddhist re­form movements, attempts at unifying the two faiths into a new religiosity, and the development of an indigenous Japanese the­ology. He throws light on cross-cultural interactions far beyond the specialized area of religion and theology. With its broad cultur­al and sociopolitical scope, this book will in­terest all students of Japanese history and culture.

This is a study of contemporary Buddhist-Christian encounter in Thailand. Based on case studies, it describes the encounter and debates the related issues of nationalism, identity, and concept of the religious other. Thai notions of avoidance and friendship are identified as specific contributions to the wider field of interreligious relations.