Toward a Contemporary Understanding of Pure Land Buddhism: Creating a Shin Buddhist Theology in a Religiously Plural World

by Dennis Hirota (Editor)

Toward a Contemporary Understanding of Pure Land Buddhism offers proposals for creatively reinterpreting the Pure Land path. Japanese Pure Land thought brought about a major development in Buddhist tradition by evolving a path to enlightenment that is pursued while carrying on life in society. It is rooted in the Mahayana ideal of compassion and in the bodhisattva, or being of wisdom, who vows to ferry all living things to the other shore of awakening. In this book, three Buddhist scholars utilize hermeneutic thought, process theology, and the mandala contemplation of Buddhism to address issues of modernity and religious values in the world today. In addition, the work proceeds to offer a new model of interreligious dialogue. Gordon D. Kaufman and John B. Cobb, Jr. reflect critically on the Buddhist proposals, drawing on their long experience as religious philosophers facing questions concerning the contemporary applicability of Christian thought. Contributors include John B. Cobb, Jr., Dennis Hirota, Gordon D. Kaufman, Musashi Tachikawa, and John S. Yokota.

267 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Michael Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thought-provoking and necessary work. Dennis Hirota has brought together the brilliance of five distinct minds to provide a contemporary (in the year 2000) view of Pure Land Buddhism, its relative positioning, and its future.
Leveraging the dynamics of John Cobb and Gordon Kaufman to provide the Christian perspective, with the backgrounds and scholarship of himself, John Yokota, and Musashi Tachikawa allows the reader to consider how Pure Land Buddhism has existed, exists now, and could exist going forward within the context of a world so heavily influenced by Christianity. This is not a competitive review to determine right or wrong, or better and lesser; rather it is an in-depth analysis of Pure Land beliefs and doctrinal issues brought forward in time from their inception, and contrasted with the world perspective of Christianity.
This is not a novel, so do not expect to read through this quickly. There will be many sections that call for repeated readings to fully grasp everything that is written. Personally, I have always found Hirota's work to be challenging to fully comprehend. This work is no different. Yokota and Tachikawa are fresh voices for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the addition of their perspectives. Having read Cobb's brilliant work "Beyond Dialogue," and also having read articles by Kaufman, their approach to this topic was invaluable.
The approach and structure of this book make it a great reference for the study of Pure Land Buddhism.

[Jessica Zu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar approach to 'buddhism after patriarchy' by Rita Gross.