EDITORIAL, pp. iii-iv
TEXTS
Both Buddhism and Christianity rely on religious texts as an important part of their history, beliefs, and practices. Rich perspectives can be gained when we look at one another’s texts through our respective tradition’s eyes. Often we find rich resonances. We also find provocative differences.
The Lotus Sutra as Good News, pp. 3-17
Paul Griffiths
Buddhism and Christianity: The Meeting Place, pp. 19-34
Stephen Morris
Critique of “Buddhism and Christianity: The Meeting Place,” pp. 35-40
John Keenan
THE BUDDHIST CHRISTIAN STUDIES INTERVIEW
Gordon Kaufman Interview, pp. 43-47
Terry C. Muck And Rita M. Gross
Gordon Kaufman, emeritus professor of theology at Harvard Divinity School, has been a member of the Cobb-Abe Buddhist-Christian dialogue since its inception in 1987. As he mentions below, that experience has profoundly affected his work as a theologian and his conviction that theology is an activity of “the imaginative construction of a comprehensive and coherent picture of humanity in the world under God.” This perspective has characterized his work from Systematic Theology (1968) through his more recent In Face of Mystery: A Constructive Theology (1993). Rita Gross and Terry Muck, coeditors of Buddhist-Christian Studies, explored with Gordon the important role Buddhism has played in his theological construction.
JESUS CHRIST THROUGH BUDDHIST EYES AND GAUTAMA THE BUDDHA THROUGH CHRISTIAN EYES
Historians of religion often call Buddhism and Christianity ‘founded’ religions because unlike many of the world’s religious traditions, they both have human founders. Naturally, as founders, Jesus and Gautama are seen by Christians and Buddhists as key figures, although they play different roles in each tradition. In this age of religious pluralism, however, both also play growing roles in the ‘other’ religious tradition. To begin to gauge the nature of this growing role, Christians in the following set of articles comment on Gautama the Buddha, and Buddhists comment on Jesus the Christ.
JESUS CHRIST THROUGH BUDDHIST EYES
Jesus through a Buddhist’s Eyes, pp. 51-61
José Ignacio Cabezón
This Buddhist’s View of Jesus, pp. 62-75
Rita M. Gross
Christ as the Truth, the Light, the Life, but a Way?, pp. 76-80
Bokin Kim
Jesus, Man of Sin: Toward a New Christology in the Global Era, pp. 81-91
Soho Machida
CHRISTIAN RESPONES
Jesus and Buddhism: A Christian View, pp. 93-97
Marcus J. Borg
Exclusivity and Particularity, pp. 97-99
John Dominic Crossan
GAUTAMA THE BUDDHA THROUGH CHRISTIAN EYES
The Buddha through Christian Eyes, pp. 101-105
Elizabeth J. Harris
The Buddha, pp. 105-113
Terry Muck
Buddha Loves Me! This I Know, for the Dharma Tells Me So, pp. 113-120
Donald K. Swearer
A Christian’s Appreciation of the Buddha, pp. 121-128
Bonnie Thurston
BUDDHIST RESPONSES
If the Buddha Is So Great, Why Are These People Christian?, pp. 129-133
Grace G. Burford
Contrasting Images of the Buddha, pp. 133-136
Taitetsu Unno
NISHITANI
The Japanese Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies devoted much of its work at the 1996 International Conference of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies at DePaul University in Chicago to the work of Keiji Nishitani. We selected for publication in Buddhist-Christian Studies three of the many fine papers presented in Chicago on the work of this important twentieth-century Buddhist thinker.
Nihilism, Science, and Emptiness in Nishitani, pp. 139-154
Hase Shoto
Religion and Science: Nishitani’s View of Nihility and Emptiness — A Pure Land Buddhist Critique, pp. 155-163
Ryusei Takeda
Buddhist Philosophy and New Testament Theology, pp. 165-172
Yagi Seiichi
NEWS AND VIEWS
Edited by Harry L. Wells
The 1998 Meeting of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, pp. 175-177
Peggy Starkey
The Sixth International Buddhist-Christian Conference, August 512, 2000, pp. 179-180
Paul Ingram
Buddhist-Christian Dialogue: Promises and Pitfalls, pp. 181-186
Mark Berkson
Word and Silence in Buddhist and Christian Traditions, pp. 187-190
Donald Mitchell
Buddhist-Catholic Retreat/Dialogue, pp. 191-192
John Borelli
Proceedings of the 1998 International Buddhist-Christian Theological Encounter, pp. 193-197
Barbara Fields Bernstein and Brian Muldoon
Christians and Buddhists: Together in Hope, pp. 199-200
Cardinal Francis Arinze
The 1999 Parliament of World’s Religions, pp. 201-204
Jim Kenney
BOOK REVIEWS
Edited by Alice A. Keefe
Edward L. Shirley on Christopher Ives (ed.), Divine Emptiness and Historical Fullness: A Buddhist-Christian Conversation with Masao Abe, pp. 207-210
Don G. Luck on John P. Keenan, The Gospel of Mark: A Mahayana Reading, pp. 210-212
Robert E. Goss on Robert Aiken, Original Dwelling Place: Zen Essays, pp. 212-215
Roger Corless on Robert Magliola, On Deconstructing Life-Worlds: Buddhism, Christianity, Culture, pp. 216-218
Lucinda Joy Peach on Tessa Bartholomeusz, Women under the Bo Tree, pp. 218-223
Corinne Dempsey on China Galland, Longing For Darkness: Tara and the Black Madonna; a Ten-Year Journey, pp. 224-227
Brian Karafin on Anne Carolyn Klein, Meeting the Great Bliss Queen: Buddhists, Feminists, and the Art of the Self, pp. 227-232
David G. Hackett on Donald W. Mitchell and James Wiseman (eds.),
The Gethsemani Encounter: A Dialogue on the Spiritual Life by Buddhist and Christian Monastics, pp. 232-235
Sulak Sivaraksha on Kamala Tivavanich, Forest Recollections: Wandering Monks in Twentieth-Century Thailand, pp. 235-236
FREDERICK J. STRENG BOOK AWARD
Joseph O’Leary, Religious Pluralism and Christian Truth, pp. 239-241
[This volume is also available in JSTOR.]