Serene compassion : a Christian appreciation of Buddhist holiness / Denise Lardner Carmody, John Tully Carmody.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Carmody, Denise Lardner, 1935-

Contributor:

Carmody, John, 1939-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Buddhism--Doctrines--Introductions.

Buddhism.

Buddhism--Doctrines.

Buddhism--Relations--Christianity.

Relations.

Christianity.

Christianity and other religions--Buddhism.

Christianity and other religions.

Genre:

Introductions.

Physical Description:

136 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, 1996.

Summary:

In Serene Compassion, John and Denise Carmody provide an accessible overview and evaluation of Buddhist thought and practice from a Christian point of view. They find that Buddhism is, in many ways, an ideal complement and companion to Christianity. To show why, the Carmodys focus on Buddhist ideas about holiness - comprising such virtues as purity, devotion, orderliness, compassion, and wholeheartedness - and reveal how they compare to similar values in traditional Christianity. They emphasize the kinship between seekers of holiness in both traditions, and offer a nuanced and sympathetic portrait of meditative practices that bring attention and imagination into the service of spiritual life. At the same time, however, they are frank about matters of doctrinal disagreement, making it clear that some aspects of Buddhist thought are not compatible with a Christian world view. Moving well beyond a simple exposition of Buddhist notions, or a comparison of Christian with Buddhist practice, Serene Compassion concludes that Buddhists and Christians share a basic humanity, and that Buddhism's success at the task of nourishing this humanity has much to teach all Christians. Informative and insightful, it will appeal to readers approaching the dialogue from either side, and to all engaged in the spiritual quest.

ISBN:

0195099699

OCLC:

33243271