Beyond Dialogue: Toward a Mutual Transformation of Christianity and Buddhism

by John B. Cobb Jr.

Christian Reflection about other religions has often misinterpreted the truth of the other Ways. The Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of churches stress that Christians can gain an appreciative understanding of other traditions only through meaningful dialogue with believers of other faiths. This book, however, emphasizes the need for Christians to go beyond dialogue, to reach for a mutual transformation of Christianity and other religions. By way of example, the author explores with originality the Christian encounter with Mahayana Buddhism. He offer an original view of how Christianity and Buddhism can appropriately transform one another when both partners are truly respected as equal. Both contributing, both benefiting. John Cobb boldly challenges us "to hear in an authentic way the truth which the other has to teach us" and to be transformed by that truth.

Genres: Theology

Paperback

First published November 1, 1982

About the author

John Boswell Cobb Jr. was an American theologian, philosopher, and environmentalist. Cobb was regarded as a preeminent scholar in the field of process philosophy and process theology, the school of thought associated with the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. He was the author of more than fifty books. In 2014, Cobb was elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great exposition and lay out from someone within Christianity holding his own tradition accountable. His views on Buddhism are way misinformed, or at the very least do not represent anything other than his interaction with two very small sects of Buddhism, and should not be taken to represent anything more than that. Rinse and repeat that last statement for his view of Zen Buddhism (which come mainly from his interactions with one person alone who was more of a scholar than a practitioner).

[Melanie Dahlstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Cobb is an academic through and though. His academic language is not the part that bothers me, it's his tone of superiority because of his knowledge. Reading this as a senior in college with a fair amount of religious diversity, and I was just rubbed the wrong way by his writing style. But he has very good ideas!!