Publisher's Synopsis
Buddhist-Christian relations in the East differ in various respects from those in the West. The present volume offers the first comparative overview of the Buddhist-Christian encounter in six Asian countries. It focusses on the three Theravada Buddhist countries, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar, and on Japan, Korea and China, where Mahayana Buddhism predominates. Outlines of the history of Buddhist-Christian relations in each of these places are complemented by the voices of Christians and Buddhists who actively participate in local dialogue efforts. The contributions to this volume illustrate and highlight specific particularities as well as commonalities regarding the problems and promises of the dialogical encounter in Buddhist Asia. Issues of religious doctrine and belief and the question of how best to relate to one another appear in a new light by being presented in the context of Asia's historical, social, and political dynamics.
