“Ourvan offers a succinct but illuminating overview of Zen; Tibetan; and Soka Gakkai Buddhism."—Publishers Weekly Approximately four million Americans claim to be Buddhist. Moreover; hundreds of thousands of Americans of various faiths read about Buddhism; are interested in its philosophical tenets; or fashionably view themselves as Buddhists. They’re part of what’s been described as the fastest-growing religious movement in America: a large group of people dissatisfied with traditional religious offerings and thirsty for an approach to spirituality grounded in logic and consistent with scientific knowledge. The Star-Spangled Buddhist is a provocative look at these American Buddhists through their three largest movements in the United States: the Soka Gakkai International; Tibetan/Vajrayana Buddhism; and Zen Buddhism. The practice of each of these American schools; unlike most traditional Asian Buddhist sects; is grounded in the notion that all people are capable of attaining enlightenment in “this lifetime.†But the differences are also profound: the spectrum of philosophical expression among these American Buddhist schools is as varied as that observed between Reformed; Orthodox; and Hasidic Judaism. The Star-Spangled Buddhist isn’t written from the perspective of a monk or academic but rather from the view of author Jeff Ourvan; a lifelong-practicing lay Buddhist. As Ourvan explores the American Buddhist movement through its most popular schools; he arrives at a clearer understanding for himself and the reader about what it means to be—and how one might choose to be—a Buddhist in America.
#515344 in Books 2014-12-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x 1.37 x 5.98l; 1.96 #File Name: 1628370297616 pages
Review
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. good book.By Alfonso Qui�ones SeguraNormal information; good book.0 of 2 people found the following review helpful. good reasarch documentBy Margaret Halveya very good research text I am enjoying the read. A fair amount of background in the field Is a help3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Classic - Still of the Utmost ImportanceBy David E. BlairIt is nice to see that the Society of Biblical Literature has seen fit to put this classic back into print. Over the many years since it was first published by E. J. Brill in 1976 it was reprinted many times. Brill finally terminated its printing of this work in 2000. However; the importance of this work has not diminished with time. Admittedly; it was in most every major seminary and university library by the time Brill abandoned it. However; for those without access to such institutions; this reissue by the SBL is of great service to any reader deeply interested in the Roman rule of "Israel" from circa 67 BCE to 308 or so CE. While religious matters are of importance; the strength of this work is in the meticulous chronological rendition of the political relationship between the Roman Empire and "Israel" as a subject nation as well as under direct provincial Roman rule. The material herein covered is almost always presented as lucid narrative history and is encyclopedic to say the least in its attention to almost every ancient source available. At the time this book was written; Smallwood was a reader in the Classics at Queens University of Belfast. The importance of this is that she had a staggering command of the original languages of the documents pertaining to this history. The author mines the ancient sources to paint a vivid picture of this most important historical topic. All later scholarly work in this area of study reference back to this book. I would be remiss if I did not mention the problems with the publication of this work. Originally ready for publication 1973; it waited until 1976 to finally be issed by E. J. Briil. This massive work with a plethora of footnotes was an expensive production. To save money and to the detriment of scholars and interested laymen alike; Brill left out the bibliography; an index of modern authors; and an index of ancient authors. A cursory subject interest is included. This makes using this book a nuisance as a source of material for further study. Normally; I would deduct a star for this failure. However; the history here presented is so well done and useful that I have let that slide.To Be Continued:P.S. - I do apologize for the delay in finishing this review. Other matters have intervened. It should be done before the end of the year.
