The American Encounter with Buddhism 1844-1912: Victorian Culture & the Limits of Dissent

In this landmark work, Thomas Tweed examines nineteenth-century America's encounter with one of the world's major religions. Exploring the debates about Buddhism that followed upon its introduction in this country, Tweed shows what happened when the transplanted religious movement came into contact with America's established culture and fundamentally different Protestant tradition.

The book, first published in 1992, traces the efforts of various American interpreters to make sense of Buddhism in Western terms. Tweed demonstrates that while many of those interested in Buddhism considered themselves dissenters from American culture, they did not abandon some of the basic values they shared with their fellow Victorians. In the end, the Victorian understanding of Buddhism, even for its most enthusiastic proponents, was significantly shaped by the prevailing culture. Although Buddhism attracted much attention, it ultimately failed to build enduring institutions or gain significant numbers of adherents in the nineteenth century. Not until the following century did a cultural environment more conducive to Buddhism's taking root in America develop.

In a new preface, Tweed addresses Buddhism's growing influence in contemporary American culture.

Author: Thomas A. Tweed
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
Published: 11/06/2000
Pages: 280
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 9.27h x 6.16w x 0.66d
ISBN: 9780807849064

About the Author
Tweed, Thomas A.: - Thomas A. Tweed is professor of religious studies and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.