Are you interested in exploring the richness of dialogue and interspiritual practice between Christianity and Buddhism? If so, then here’s enough literature to keep you going for a while. Each of the books on the following list has some sort of connection with both Christianity and Buddhism.
Some of these titles are academic studies, some the writings of monastics, others geared toward the laity. Some are books by Christians about Buddhism, or by Buddhists about interfaith dialogue; by Christians who find meditation a helpful adjunct to their primarily Christ-centered faith, or by persons who identify as “dual practitioners,” seeking an authentic path that is simultaneously faithful to both the Gospel and the Dharma. One or two are by Christians, about Christian spirituality, but informed by the author’s Buddhist practice.
This list is rather weighted toward the Christian side of the conversation. I would love to include more Buddhist authors and more Buddhist perspectives on Christianity, but I’m not as familiar with the Buddhist side of this conversation. While the most popular topic of these books is meditation, some are more narrowly focused on matters such as theodicy or psychology.
I have only read a fraction of these books myself, so I offer them here with no endorsement other than my own interest in the subject. I have tried to avoid listing books that promote one religion at the expense of the other; but since I have not read all the following titles, it’s possible that books like that have been listed. Please keep in mind that interreligious dialogue is a messy business and it is inevitable that the books on this list will represent a variety of perspectives on both Christianity and Buddhism. The bottom line: you are advised to read with a discerning mind.
Update, January 2020: Rather than maintaining this list on two sites (since I kept updating it), I’m just maintaining it on my personal blog from now on. Please click here to access this list: A List of Books for Buddhist-Christian Dialogue.
Happy reading. And please note: If you follow the links of the books mentioned in this post and purchase them or other products from Amazon.com, I receive a small commission from Amazon. Thank you for doing so — it is the easiest way you can support this blog.
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