2014/01/01 by Felix Wilfred, Dennis Hirota · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · #Christian Theology and Mission #Historical and Architectural Studies
paper · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199329069.013.0026
openalex publication_date 2014/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Chapter 26 discusses the encounter between Christians and Buddhists, which has enjoyed a vast historical and geographical span. It focuses on how Buddhists reflect on Christian teachings and practices as “religious” in ways comparable to their own Buddhist traditions. Political concerns are not discussed here, presenting instead the case of Japan as an example of one of the richest records of Buddhist‒Christian encounter. Also discussed is the case of Sri Lanka, with significant and well-documented cases of early Western construal of Buddhism. Japan, however, is the place where Christian missionaries first encountered Buddhist traditions. Points of convergence can also be seen between Japanese Buddhism and Christianity, which provides for a richer engagement.