Christianity and Buddhism in Comparative Perspective
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Christianity and Buddhism in Comparative Perspective (Contents)
Part 1. Origins and Foundational Visions Part 2. The Making of the Scriptures: The Bible and the Tripiṭaka Part 3. The Nature of Ultimate Reality Part 4. The Human Condition Part 5. Suffering, Evil, and Moral Order Part 6. The Path to Liberation or Salvation Part 7. Ethics, Love, and…
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Part 1. Origins and Foundational Visions
1. Introduction Christianity and Buddhism rank among the most influential spiritual traditions in human history. Though both respond to the universal experience of suffering and the longing for liberation, they arise from markedly different historical settings and metaphysical assumptions. Christianity proclaims divine revelation through the person of Jesus of Nazareth,…
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Part 2. The Making of the Scriptures: The Bible and the Tripiṭaka
1. Introduction Sacred scripture is the heart of both Christianity and Buddhism, serving as the enduring witness to each tradition’s origin, teaching, and spiritual path. Yet the way these texts emerged, were transmitted, and became authoritative “canons” differs significantly. In Christianity, the Bible is understood as divine revelation recorded through…
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Part 3. The Nature of Ultimate Reality
1. Introduction Every religious and philosophical system begins with a fundamental question: What is ultimately real?In Christianity, ultimate reality is a personal, living God—Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer—who exists beyond and within creation. In Buddhism, ultimate reality is not a divine being but the true nature of existence itself, described as…
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Part 4. The Human Condition
1. Introduction Every religion begins with an implicit anthropology — an understanding of what it means to be human and why human existence is marked by both beauty and brokenness. Christianity and Buddhism, though profoundly different in metaphysics, share a penetrating diagnosis of the human predicament: humanity lives in alienation…
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Part 5. Suffering, Evil, and Moral Order
1. Introduction No question is more universal than the problem of suffering. Every culture asks: Why do we suffer, and what does suffering mean? Christianity and Buddhism, though distinct in cosmology and theology, both confront the reality of pain, injustice, and moral disorder with remarkable depth. For Christianity, suffering is…
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Part 6. The Path to Liberation or Salvation
1. Introduction Having examined the origins of suffering and moral disorder, we now turn to the paths of transformation. Both Christianity and Buddhism affirm that the human condition is not hopeless: liberation or salvation is possible. Yet they differ profoundly in how this goal is reached. Christianity centres on divine…
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Part 7. Ethics, Love, and Compassion
1. Introduction In both Christianity and Buddhism, ethical life represents the visible expression of spiritual truth. Belief or enlightenment, if genuine, must manifest as compassionate conduct. Yet while the moral teachings of the two traditions share striking similarities in practice, they arise from profoundly different metaphysical and theological foundations. Christian…
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Part 8. Prayer, Meditation, and Spiritual Practice
1. Introduction Every religion seeks not merely to explain the world but to transform the heart. Both Christianity and Buddhism provide structured means of cultivating spiritual awareness and moral discipline. Christianity emphasises prayer, worship, and sacramental life as direct communion with God; Buddhism emphasises meditation, mindfulness, and mental cultivation as…
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Part 9. The Afterlife and the Nature of Eternity
1. Introduction Death has always stood as one of humanity’s greatest mysteries. Every religion seeks to explain what, if anything, lies beyond it. Christianity and Buddhism both affirm that death is not the end, yet they understand continuity of existence in profoundly different ways. Christianity teaches that human life is…
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Part 10. The Person of Christ and the Figure of the Buddha
1. Introduction Every religion is shaped by its founding personality. In Christianity and Buddhism, the life and teaching of the founder embody the path to truth. Both figures exemplify moral purity, compassion, and spiritual authority. Yet they differ radically in nature and self-understanding: one is divine Saviour, the other enlightened…
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Part 11. Truth, Knowledge, and Enlightenment
1. Introduction Every religion offers not only a path to salvation or liberation but also a theory of knowledge — how truth is known, verified, and lived. Christianity and Buddhism approach this question from two fundamentally different epistemological directions: Despite this divergence, both traditions affirm that true knowledge transforms the…
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Part 12. Community, Worship, and the Path of Discipleship
1. Introduction Religion is not lived in isolation. Both Christianity and Buddhism affirm that spiritual growth unfolds within a community of practice. For Christians, this is the Church — the body of Christ, united in worship, sacraments, and service. For Buddhists, it is the Sangha — the community of monks,…
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Part 13. Convergence, Dialogue, and the Search for Universal Wisdom
1. Introduction The encounter between Christianity and Buddhism represents one of the most profound dialogues in religious and philosophical history. Though emerging from vastly different cultures — Judaeo-Hellenic and Indo-Asian — both traditions seek liberation from suffering, transformation of the self, and realisation of ultimate truth. This final study draws…