Catholicism and Zen - by Richard Bryan McDaniel (Paperback)

About the Book

CATHOLICISM AND ZEN explores the history of Christian/Buddhist dialogue, and profiles fourteen modern Catholic clergy who have become authorized to teach Zen practice within their Christian faith. These real-life stories of men and women engaged in a spiritual quest enliven the meaning and form of awakening beyond traditional constrictions.

Book Synopsis

Catholicism and Zen explores the history of Christian/Buddhist dialogue, and profiles fourteen modern Catholic clergy who have become authorized to teach Zen practice within their Christian faith. These real-life stories of men and women engaged in a spiritual quest enliven the meaning and form of awakening beyond traditional constrictions.

Although there are a number of books written on Christianity and Zen, including several by Catholic clergy, this is the first to take it from its origins with the Jesuit missionaries sent to Japan, to interviews with the many contemporary Catholic clergy - priests and nuns both - who maintain their Catholic faith and practice and find it enhanced by their Zen training.

Review Quotes

Rick McDaniel's Catholicism and Zen offers a glimpse into the experience of Zen through the eyes of Catholic teachers, lay, clergy, and religious. Based on a series of interviews with Catholic practitioners of Zen, it offers insight into a complementary relationship that can exist between Zen and the Catholic spiritual experience. For the Catholic who has little experience of Zen, this work provides an accessible introduction. - Father John Jennings, Dept of History (Ret.), Saint Thomas University, Fredericton Rick McDaniel's study, interviews, and writing shed an abundance of light on all that many of us have learned thus far from the West. Deep gratitude is offered to Rick as we continue to make use of much of what he has unearthed from the East. - Sr. Pascaline Coff, OSB, Benedictine Sisters Our Lady of Rickenbach Reading Catholicism and Zen you'll hear categories collapsing - Christian/Buddhist, East/West, and mysticism/daily life. Rick McDaniel brings to life a most remarkable development in religion through the real-life stories and perspectives of women and men engaged in the spiritual quest who discover and enliven the meaning and form of awakening beyond traditional constrictions. - Dosho Port Roshi, Nebraska Zen Center