NEW Books !

‘Hope’ is a contested term in both Buddhism and Christianity. For some Buddhists, the very mention of the word ‘hope’ smacks of a Christian rather than a Buddhist agenda – an agenda that is theistic and, by necessity, theological. For these, confidence in the teaching of the Buddha makes hope unnecessary. But is this the only Buddhist view and, if not, how have other views been articulated and lived? For Christians, hope is not an easy term either, in spite of its apparent centrality within the tradition. It is not optimism or the belief that life for the Christian will hold no difficulties. It is not the belief that humans can escape the consequences of their deeds through divine intervention. It involves confidence in God’s promises but what does such confidence mean in a world threatened with climate chaos and corporate greed? The contributors do not hide the differences or the touching points between Buddhism and Christianity. They open up a dialogue that encourages mutual understanding between Buddhists and Christians, and, potentially, cooperation in working compassionately for a better world. With contributions by: Sathianathan Clarke, Mitsuya Dake, Sybille Fritsch-Oppermann, Richard Gombrich, Werner Jeanrond, Anthony Kelly, Sallie King, Peggy Morgan, Hiroshi; Munehiro Niwano, Justin Ritzinger and Notto Thelle.

Link to the publisher EOS here.

Buddhism and Religious Diversity (Critical Concepts in Religious)

In today’s globalized world, religious diversity has become one of the strongest challenges to the self-understanding of any major religious tradition, provoking two interdependent questions. How does it see itself in the light of others? And, how does it see others in the light of its own teachings? While the Abrahamic religions are often accused of a predominantly intolerant and exclusivistic attitude to the religious ‘other’, Eastern religions—and Buddhism in particular—enjoy the reputation of being naturally tolerant, absorbing, and even pluralistic towards competing faiths. Some thinkers (from David Hume to Jan Assmann) understood religious intolerance as an inevitable property of monotheism, supposedly absent in the case of non-theistic or polytheistic religions. More recent research, however, has suggested that this impression, part of a whole cluster of Western clichés, is false. Buddhism is—and has been—as much convinced of its own superiority as any other faith, and has also been involved in various inter-religious tensions and violent conflicts. The ways, however, in which Buddhists have thought about the religious ‘other’, and practically dealt with it, display peculiar features, which do indeed differ profoundly from what we find in the Abrahamic faiths. Yet today, Buddhism must address the question whether it can arrive at a genuine appreciation of religious diversity, and recognize other religions as different but nevertheless equally valid.

This new four-volume collection from Routledge’s acclaimed Critical Concepts in Religious Studies series enables users to make sense of this and other dizzying questions. It brings together the best thinking on Buddhism’s relationship with other faiths and provides a one-stop collection of classic and contemporary contributions to facilitate ready access to the most influential and important scholarship.

http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415525343/

Published 25th September 2012 by Routledge – 1,512 pages

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Hardback: 978-0-415-61123-7

Flyer and  20% off Coupon

Schmidt-Leukel, Perry (ed.)

Buddhist Attitudes to Other Religions.

Authors include: Berzin, Alexander / Gentz, Joachim / Grünschloß, Andreas / Harvey, Peter / Katz, Nathan / Beise Kiblinger, Kristin / Knitter, Paul / Makransky, John / D’Arcy May, John / Schmidt-Leukel, Perry / Tanaka, Kenneth

Ersch. 2008, 21 x 14,8 cm, Paperback, 300 S.,

ISBN 3-8306-7351-5, EUR 19.80

In a world in which the religious ‘other’ has been both globalized and localized, we are tending towards a situation in which all religious traditions are aware of all others and to this extent are in some kind of communication with one another. Even if the relationship is one of proselytism, rejection, conflict or enmity, it is still a relationship, and this involves a reaction to or interaction with the other. Many adherents of one faith have now practical dealings with people of other religions, thus inevitably facing questions of meaning and belonging. Buddhists are no exception to this, even if Buddhism manifests both, a distinctive selfsufficiency and an ability to tolerate difference.

Does the Buddhist tradition provide any resources for going beyond the traditional exclusivistic and inclusivistic options? Can there be something like a Buddhist pluralism, that is, the recognition of another religious path as being different but nevertheless equally liberative, equally salvific? Whether Buddhist pluralism is a genuine option is something that the contemporary inner-Buddhist debate has to figure out. But it is far from evident that Buddhism is a sort of naturally pluralistic religion. As far as its traditional discourse is concerned it seems to have been, by and large, as exclusivistic or inclusivistic in its soteriological claims as any other of the major religious traditions.

With contributions by: Alexander Berzin, Joachim Gentz, Andreas Grünschloß, Peter Harvey, Nathan Katz, Kristin Beise Kiblinger, Paul Knitter, John Makransky, John D’Arcy May, Perry Schmidt-Leukel, Kenneth K. Tanaka.

EOS publishing online order

John Makransky,

Awakening through Love,

Unveiling Your Deepest Goodness.

Entitled “Awakening through Love: Unveiling Your Deepest Goodness,”each chapter provides a guided meditation that adapts Tibetan Buddhist practices of love, compassion and wisdom so as to make them freshly accessible to Westerners. It is distinctive in approaching these themes from a Dzogchen perspective, which understands love and compassion as intrinsic to our fundamental awareness. The book is intended for Buddhists, scholars of Buddhism and comparative religion, and for the wider public that may be interested not only in reading about Buddhist ideas but in using the guided meditations to explore Buddhist modes of meditation and awareness. A CD of the guided meditations is also available.

In the book, readers of all backgrounds and faiths are encouraged to see what light the meditations may shed upon their own spiritual traditions and lives. The book would be suitable for courses that focus on Buddhist practice, comparative theology, comparative ethics, or comparative spirituality.

The book may be ordered from Wisdom publications at www.wisdompubs.org

or from amazon.com.

Flyer of the book. Download here.

May, John D’Arcy

Converging Ways?

Conversion and Belonging in Buddhism and Christianity.

Ersch. 2007, 14,8 x 21 cm, broschiert, 208 S.,

ISBN 3-8306-7251-9, EUR 15.80

Documentation of the 2005 Conference in St. Ottilien

Order here with EOS.

Theravada Buddhism and the British Encounter

Religious, Missionary and Colonial Experience in Nineteenth Century Sri Lanka

Elizabeth Harris, University of Birmingham, UK

March 2006: 234×156: 288pp

eBook: £65.00
Hb: 0-415-37125-2: £65.00

This major new work explores the British encounter with Buddhism in nineteenth century Sri Lanka, examining the way Buddhism was represented and constructed in the eyes of the British scholars, officials, travellers and religious seekers who first encountered it.

Tracing the three main historical phases of the encounter from 1796 to 1900, the book provides a sensitive and nuanced exegesis of the cultural and political influences that shaped the early British understanding of Buddhism and that would condition its subsequent transmission to the West. Expanding our understanding of inter-religious relations between Christians and Buddhists, the book fills a significant gap in the scholarship on Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka by concentrating on missionary writings and presenting a thorough exploration of original materials of several important pioneers in Buddhist studies and mission studies.

Contents

Introduction Part 1: 1. Introduction 2. The Early British Visitors: Mapping the Ground Part 2: 1830-1870 1. Introduction 2. The Arrogance of Power: The Memoir Writers 3. Christian Exclusivism: The Protestant Missionaries and their Friends 4. Missionary Scholars: Daniel Gogerly and Robert Spence Hardy 5. Buddhism’s Glorious Core: Turnour’s Allies Part 3: 1870-1900 1. Introduction 2. The Buddha as Hero: Arnold’s The Light of Asia 3. Buddhism as Nihilism: The Missionary Perspective 4. Romantic Other, Negative Spin: Constance Gordon Cumming 5. Buddhism as Life-Affirming: Contesting the Missionaries 6. Contrasting Scholars: Reginald Copleston and T.W. Rhys Davids 7. Balancing the Exoteric and the Esoteric: Theosophists in Sri Lanka 8. Convert to Compassion: Allan Bennett Part 4: Remodelling Buddhist Belief and Practice: The Dynamics of Protestant Buddhism 1. The British as Witnesses to the Tradition: Continuity and Ruption 2. The Roots of Buddhist Modernism 3. One tradition; Differing Voices 4. Threat to the Dhamma; a Dhamma Renewed Part 5: Discourses of Contempt: The Encounter between Buddhists and Christian Missionaries 1. Co-existence and Dual Belonging 2. World Views in Collision 3. Betrayal and Retaliation 4. The Twentieth Century Epilogue

Elizabeth J. Harris is an Honorary Lecturer at Birmingham University and Secretary for InterFaith Relations for the Methodist Church in Britain. A former Research Fellow at Westminster College, Oxford, she is the author of many books and articles on Theravada Buddhism and Buddhist–Christian encounter.

www.routledge.com/asianstudies

Understanding Buddhism

Series: Understanding Faiths

Perry Schmidt-Leukel

pub date 21 September 2006

isbn 1 903765 18 8

price £12.95/ €19.95/ US$23.95

format/size Paperback, demy 138 x 216

no. of pages c 160pp

subject Comparative Religion/Buddhism

(BIC HRDG1; ISBS 1300)

Today Buddhism is often presented as a religion without dogmas and commandments, without God and without any need to believe, tolerating all and everything – as no “religion” at all, but as a way of life most suitable to the needs of post-modern Westerners. But is this an accurate image? In this book Buddhism is introduced as a genuine religion, gentle and powerful, being as demanding as it is consoling.

Buddhism is certainly not a theistic faith, but neither is it a form of atheism or materialism. Rather it is a challenge to both: a rich source of metaphysical, ethical and spiritual insight that has shaped and nourished countless generations of followers all over Asia and that is now taking firm roots in the West. As with all titles in the Understanding Faiths series Understanding Buddhism is directed at those serious enquirers or students of comparative religion who are seeking a sympathetic, scholarly and reliable introduction.

Perry Schmidt-Leukel is Professor of Systematic Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Glasgow. He holds the Chair of World Religions for Peace and is Founding Director of the Centre for Inter-Faith Studies.

Dunedin Academic Press, c/o Turpin Distribution, Pegasus Drive, Stratton Business Park, Biggleswade. SG18 8TQ , UK

Phone number: +44 (0) 1767 604951 Fax: +44(0) 1767 601640

email : books@turpin-distribution.com

In North America: use International Specialized Book Services., www.isbs.com

In Australasia: use Inbooks, www.inbooks.com.au

Trade representation in the UK by Compass Academic

Samye Ling, Schottland, 2003 Conference of the European Network of Buddhist Christian Studies, Publication

Buddhism, Christianity and the Questions of Creation

Karmic or Divine?

Perry Schmidt-Leukel

$94.95/£47.50

Our link to the publisher Ashgate:

https://www.ashgate.com/

Is the world created by a divine creator? Or is it the constant product of karmic forces? The issue of creation was at the heart of the classic controversies between Buddhism and Hindu Theism. In modern times it can be found at the centre of many polemical debates between Buddhism and Christianity. Is this the principal barrier that separates Buddhism from Christianity and other theistic religions?

The contributions to the first part of this book explore the various aspects of traditional and contemporary Buddhist objections against the idea of a divine creator as well as Christian possibilities to meet the Buddhist critique. Part two asks for the potential truth on both sides and suggests a surprising way that the barrier might be overcome. This opens a new round of philosophical and theological dialogue between these two major traditions with challenging insights for both.

Contributors: José I. Cabezón, Armin Kreiner, John P. Keenan, Aasulv Lande, John D’Arcy May, Eva K. Neumaier, Perry H. Schmidt-Leukel, Ernst Steinkellner.

Contents

Introduction, Perry Schmidt-Leukel. Part 1 Buddhist and Christian Perspectives on the Issue of Creation: Hindu doctrines of creation and their Buddhist critiques, Ernst Steinkellner; Three Buddhist views of the doctrines of creation and creator, José Ignacio Cabezón; Buddhist forms of belief in creation, Eva K. Neumaier; Creation and the problem of evil, Armin Kreiner; Refuting some Buddhist arguments about creation and adopting Buddhist philosophy about salvation, John P. Keenan; Creation and process theology – A question to Buddhism, Aasulv Lande; Buddhists, Christians and ecology, John D’Arcy May. Part 2 The Unbridgeable Gulf? Towards a Buddhist-Christian Theology of Creation, Perry Schmidt-Leukel: Preparing the ground; Buddhist criticism and its motives; Bridging the gulf; Conclusion. Index.

Reviews

I think the contents of this book are of considerable interest and represent a very important contribution to the discussion of theism in the context of Buddhist-Christian dialogue. There is no doubt that the material deserves to be published and I think it would attract a wide readership among those interested in this field. Dr Rupert Gethin, Department of Religions, University of Bristol, UK

About the Author/Editor

Perry Schmidt-Leukel has a Diploma in Theology (Munich, 1982), MA in Philosophy of Religion (Munich, 1984) with a dissertation on Pali-Buddhism. Dr. theol. (Munich, 1990) with a thesis on Buddhist-Christian Hermeneutics. Dr. theol. habil. (Munich, 1996) with a habilitatio on Theology of Religions. From 1987-2000 he has had teaching posts at the Universities of Munich, Innsbruck and Salzburg, and since 2000 he had been Professor at the University of Glasgow. He has been a member of the secretarial board of the “European Network of Buddhist-Christian Studies” since 1997. Perry has authored 4 books, co-authored 2 and edited 7 (e.g. Wer ist Buddha? Eine Gestalt und ihre Bedeutung fuer die Menschheit. Diederichs 1998; Buddhist Perceptions of Jesus. St. Ottilien 2001; War and Peace in World Religions. SCM 2004). He has had more than 100 scholarly publications in the field of Systematic Theology, Theology of Religions, and Buddhist-Christian Dialogue.

Buddhism and Christianity in Dialogue

The Gerald-Weisfeld Lectures 2004

Edited by Perry Schmidt-Leukel

Buddhism and Christianity in Dialogue continues the Weisfeld-Lectures, which were established with the first series on War and Peace in World religions, published in 2004 by SCM Press.

The book is written for a general as well as a more specialist readership. On the one hand it introduces basic topics of Buddhist-Christian dialogue, on the other hand it opens up new ground: particularly insofar as the Buddhist and the Christian contributers all write comparatively. That is, the Buddhists speak not only on Buddhism but on Christianity and Buddhism in relation to the specific topic, and so do the Christians. Something similar has not yet done before in Buddhist-Christian Dialogue making this a unique and groundbreaking book.

Each chapter is made up of a contribution from a Buddhist and then from a Christian point of view. To conclude each chapter, both authors then write together to address each others points in the previous sections and so the book is truly interactive.

http://www.scm-canterburypress.co.uk/bookdetails.asp?ISBN=0334040086

0334 02938 4 180pp paper £18.99

War and Peace in World Religions

The Gerald-Weisfeld Lectures 2003

Edited by Perry Schmidt-Leukel

A series of lectures by eminent authors from Britain and Germany which would suit all undergraduates of Biblical Studies, Religious Studies and Theology, in particular second year students studying World Religions or Ethics. Split into three manageable sections, part one looks at war and peace in the Eastern Religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Classical Chinese Thought. Part two looks at war and peace in the Abrahamic Religions, and the final part brings themes and commonalities together in a discussion of various developments towards peace, including a discussion of ‘The World Conference on Religion and Peace’ and Hans Küng’s excellent lecture on ‘Global Ethic – Development and Goals’. A rigorous, yet accessible text for anyone with an interest in the discussion of religion and international conflict.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK

<http://www.scm-canterburypress.co.uk/bookdetails.asp?ISBN=0334029384>

www.scm-canterburypress.co.uk <http://www.scm-canterburypress.co.uk/>

Schmidt-Leukel, Perry / Köberlin, Gerhard / Götz, Josef Thomas

Buddhist Perceptions of Jesus.

Papers of the Third Conference of the European Network of Buddhist-Christian-Studies (St. Ottilien 1999).

Ersch. 2001, 21 x 14,8 cm, broschiert, 180 S.,

ISBN 3-8306-7069-9, DM 28.00 / Euro 14.32

How did Buddhists perceive Jesus in the initial stages of Christian-Buddhist encounter and how do they understand him today? How do Christians feel about Buddhist perceptions of Jesus? Do they regard these as faulty, insufficient or as providing exciting new perspectives? These and other questions are addresses in the papers collected in this volume. Three historians of religions investigate the Buddhist perceptions of Jesus in China during 17th century (Iso Kern), in SriLanka during 19th and early 20th century (Heinz Muermel) and among the first Buddhists in Germany (Frank Usarski). Three Buddhist authors present and represent a Buddhist understanding of Jesus and Christianity which has moved from the earlier primarily polemical view to a much more sympathetic and dialogical one (Shizuteru Ueda, Santikaro Bhikkhu, Karl Schmied). Finally two Christian theologians, both well experienced and experts in Buddhist-Christian dialogue (Notto Thelle, Michael von Brueck), answer the question “What do I as a Christian expect Buddhists to discover in Jesus?”. A detailed introduction by Perry Schmidt-Leukel analyses the background to Buddhist evaluations of other religions in general and of Christianity in particular.

Order this book here with EOS!

Rötting, Martin

Berge sind Berge,

Flüsse sind Flüsse.

Begegnung mit dem koreanischen Zen-Buddhismus. Ein Beitrag zum christlich-buddhistischen Dialog.

Vorwort: Abtprimas Notker Wolf OSB

Beiträge von Thomas Timpte OSB, Bernhard Senecal SJ, Younghae Yoon, Jinwol Sunim

Ersch. 2001, 23 x 15,5 cm, broschiert, 192 S., 15 Abbildungen,

ISBN 3-8306-7070-2, DM 28.00 / Euro 14.32

Der Zen-Buddhismus in Korea hat sich bis heute seine Frische und Originalität bewahrt. “Berge sind Berge, Flüsse sind Flüsse” möchte zur Begegnung und zum Dialog mit der faszinierenden Welt des koreanischen Zen einladen.

Das Buch möchte auch ein Beitrag zum interreligiösen Dialog sein. Buddhisten und Christen erzählen in verschiedenen Beiträgen von ihrer Begegnung mit der anderen Religion. Überlegungen und Gedanken zu wichtigen Themen einer Theologie des Dialogs zwischen Zen-Buddhismus und Christentum runden das Buch ab.

Der Autor Martin Rötting  (geb. 1970) arbeite als Religionslehrer in der Diözese München und Freising, bevor er in Südkorea als Gast in verschiedenen Zen-Klöstern lebte. Gegenwärtig arbeitet er als Seelsorger und Religionslehrer in Dublin. An der Irish School of Ecumenics (Trinity College Dublin) studiert er Ökumene und interreligiösen Dialog.

Bestellungen schriftlich an EOS Verlag, D-86941 St. Ottilien, oder per

· Bestelltelefon: 08193/71261 oder 71439

· Bestellfax: 08193/6844.

BUDDA AND CHRIST

Images of Wholeness

Autor: Robert Elinor

This is the first book to bring together visual images of Budda and Christ in the same volume. Drawing on over twenty years college teaching in teligiouse studies and several research expeditions in Europe and Asia, the author deals with much of the common ground between these two religions, as well as the distinctiveness of each, from a unusual and fascinating perspective.

Author: Robert Elinor, a minister of the Presbyterian Church, has had a distinguished academic career in both American and British universities and has been lecturing on hte subject of this book since 1988. He is a member of the Buddhist Society, London, the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies and the American Academy of Religion.

Market: trade&academic, religion, art cultural studies

265pp, 216x138mm, paperback with 4 colour cover, 100 colour illustrations

ISBN: 0 7188 3011 3

Price: £ 25.00

Publication 9. November 2000

The Lutterworth Press