The American Encounter with Buddhism 1844-1912

Victorian Culture & the Limits of Dissent
With a New Preface by the Author Auflage
ISBN: 978-0-8078-4906-4
Verlag: University of North Carolina Press

Buch, Englisch, 280 Seiten, Paperback, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 462 g

This work examines 19th-century America's encounter with one of the world's major religions. Exploring the debates about Buddhism that followed upon its introduction to the USA, the author shows what happened when the transplanted religious movement came into contact with America's established culture and fundamentally different Protestant tradition. The text, first published in 1992, traces the efforts of various American interpreters to make sense of Buddhism in Western terms. Tweed demonstrates that while many of those interested in Buddhism considered themselves dissenters from American culture, they did not abandon some of the basic values they shared with their fellow Victorians. In the end, the Victorian understanding of Buddhism, even for its most enthusiastic proponents, was significantly shaped by the prevailing culture. Although Buddhism attracted much attention, it ultimately failed to build enduring institutions or gain significant numbers of adherents in the 19th century. Not until the following century did a cultural environment more conducive to Buddhism's taking root in America develop. In a preface new to this paperback edition, Tweed addresses Buddhism's growing influence in contemporary American culture.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Über Autor(innen)

Thomas A. Tweed is professor of religious studies and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.