The American Encounter with Buddhism, 1844-1912 : Victorian Culture and 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. The American Encounter With Buddhism Began In 1844 With Henry David Thoreau's Translation Of A Passage From A French Edition Of The Lotus Sutra And Edward Elbridge Salisbury's Lecture On The History Of Buddhism At The First Annual Meeting Of The American Oriental Society. The Debate That Ensued In Nineteenth-century America About The Nature And Value Of Buddhism Is The Subject Of Thomas A. Tweed's Book. Tweed Examines The Impact Of Buddhism And Shows What Happened When A New And Transplanted Religious Movement Came Into Contact With An Established And Significantly Different Tradition. For Tweed, The Debate About Buddhism Highlights The Fundamental Beliefs And Values Of Victorian American Culture And Delineates The Cultural Constraints On Religious Dissent. At First, Tweed Shows, Western Interpreters Had Difficulty Placing Buddhism Within Familiar Traditions.^ Some Emphasized The Parallels Between Buddhism And Catholicism, Others The Similarities Between Buddhism And Heathenism. Later Commentators Began To Stress Buddhism's Doctrinal Distinctiveness, While Apologists Presented Buddhism As Compatible With Familiar Christian Beliefs And Values And Drew Parallels Between The Buddha And Jesus. After 1879, The Conversation Grew More Lively And Widespread As Tens Of Thousands Of Americans Sought To Learn More About Buddhism And A Few Thousand Considered Themselves Buddhists. While Many Of These Sympathizers And Adherents Thought Of Themselves As Dissenters From Victorian America, Tweed Shows That, In Important Ways, They Were Cultural Consenters. Though Dissenters Were Willing, In Their Embrace Of Buddhism, To Abandon The Ideas Of A Personal Creator And A Substantial, Immortal Self, They Shared Certain Values With Their Critics Which They Did Not Abandon--individualism, Optimism, And Activism.^ They Tried To Reconcile Buddhism With These Values And To Attempt In Some Measure To Make Buddhism Consonant With Traditional Victorian American Culture. Despite Buddhist Apologists' Success In Stimulating Interest And Harmonizing Buddhism To Victorian Values, The Cultural Strain Remained Too Great For Many. Although Buddhism Attracted Much Attention, Finally It Failed To Build Enduring Institutions Or Inspire More Seekers To Embrace The Religion. It Was Not Until The Next Century That Buddhism Would Find A Cultural Environment More Conducive To Its Growth.--jacket. 1 The Seeming Anomaly Of Buddhist Negation: The American Conversation About Buddhism, 1844-1877, And The Contours Of Mid-victorian Culture 1 -- 2 Shall We All Become Buddhists?: The Conversation And The Converts, 1879-1912 26 -- 3 Esoterics, Rationalists, And Romantics: A Typology Of Euro-american Buddhist Sympathizers And Adherents, 1875-1912 48 -- 4 Walking In Fairyland: Buddhism's Appeal And Cultural Dissent 78 -- 5 Strolling Down Main Street: Cultural Consent And The Accessibility Of Buddhism 111 -- 6 Optimism And Activism: Responses To Buddhism, Victorian Religious Culture, And The Limits Of Dissent 133 -- Postscript: Buddhism In America After 1912 157. Thomas A. Tweed ; With A New Preface By The Author. Originally Published: Bloomington, Indiana University Press, C1992. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [209]-234) And Index. Contents......Page 8 Foreword......Page 10 Preface to the Paperback Edition......Page 12 Notes......Page 20 Acknowledgments......Page 24 A Note on Foreign Terms......Page 28 Introduction......Page 30 Buddhism in the West......Page 33 New and Transplanted Religious Movements......Page 34 Victorian Culture in America......Page 35 Notes......Page 206 1. "The Seeming Anomaly of Buddhist Negation": The American Conversation about Buddhism, 1844-1877, and the Contours of Mid-Victorian Culture......Page 40 The American Conversation 1844-1857: Deemphasizing Distinctiveness......Page 41 European Scholars and Buddhist Distinctiveness......Page 45 Mid-Victorian Culture in America......Page 47 Mainline Protestants and Conservative Unitarians......Page 52 Liberal Unitarians and Religious Radicals......Page 56 Notes......Page 209 2. "Shall We All Become Buddhists?": The Conversation and the Converts, 1879-1912......Page 65 The Conversation about Buddhism, 1879-1912......Page 67 Asian-American Buddhists......Page 73 Euro-American Buddhist Adherents and Sympathizers......Page 78 Notes......Page 215 3. Esoterics, Rationalists, and Romantics: A Typology of Euro-American Buddhist Sympathizers and Adherents, 1875-1912......Page 87 The Esoteric Type......Page 89 The Rationalist Type......Page 99 The Romantic Type......Page 108 Notes......Page 223 4. "Walking in Fairyland": Buddhism's Appeal and Cultural Dissent......Page 117 Political, Economic, and Social Dissent......Page 119 Buddhism's Appeal and Cultural Dissent......Page 127 Buddhism and Tolerance......Page 137 Buddhism and Science......Page 142 Notes......Page 232 5. Strolling Down Main Street: Cultural Consent and the Accessibility of Buddhism......Page 150 Consent in Dissent: Science and Tolerance......Page 152 Influences, Parallels, and "Protestant Spirit"......Page 154 Appealing Founders and Noble Ethics......Page 158 Theism and Individualism: The Ambiguities of Dissent......Page 160 The "God-Idea" in Buddhism......Page 163 Anatman, Nirvana, and "Immortality"......Page 164 Self-Reliance and Buddhism......Page 169 Notes......Page 239 6. Optimism and Activism: Responses to Buddhism, Victorian Religious Culture, and the Limits of Dissent......Page 172 Optimism and Activism in Late-Victorian Culture......Page 173 Buddhism as Pessimistic and Passive: Scholars, Travelers, and Critics......Page 179 Buddhist Apologists' Affirmations of Optimism and Activism......Page 185 The Limits of Cultural Dissent and the Limits of Buddhist Success......Page 192 Notes......Page 243 Postscript. Buddhism in America after 1912......Page 196 Notes......Page 246 Tables......Page 202 Select Bibliography......Page 248 A-B......Page 274 C......Page 275 D-G......Page 276 H-L......Page 277 M-O......Page 278 P-S......Page 279 T-V......Page 280 W-Z......Page 281 "The American encounter with Buddhism began in 1844 with Henry David Thoreau's translation of a passage from a French edition of the Lotus Sutra and Edward Elbridge Salisbury's lecture on the history of Buddhism at the first annual meeting of the American Oriental Society. The debate that ensued in nineteenth-century America about the nature and value of Buddhism is the subject of Thomas A. Tweed's book. Tweed examines the impact of Buddhism and shows what happened when a new and transplanted religious movement came into contact with an established and significantly different tradition. For Tweed, the debate about Buddhism highlights the fundamental beliefs and values of Victorian American culture and delineates the cultural constraints on religious dissent." "At first, Tweed shows, Western interpreters had difficulty placing Buddhism within familiar traditions. Some emphasized the parallels between Buddhism and Catholicism, others the similarities between Buddhism and "heathenism." Later commentators began to stress Buddhism's doctrinal distinctiveness, while apologists presented Buddhism as compatible with familiar Christian beliefs and values and drew parallels between the Buddha and Jesus. After 1879, the conversation grew more lively and widespread as tens of thousands of Americans sought to learn more about Buddhism and a few thousand considered themselves Buddhists. While many of these sympathizers and adherents thought of themselves as dissenters from Victorian America, Tweed shows that, in important ways, they were cultural "consenters." Though dissenters were willing, in their embrace of Buddhism, to abandon the ideas of a personal creator and a substantial, immortal self, they shared certain values with their critics which they did not abandon--individualism, optimism, and activism. They tried to reconcile Buddhism with these values and to attempt in some measure to make Buddhism consonant with traditional Victorian American culture. Despite Buddhist apologists' success in stimulating interest and harmonizing Buddhism to Victorian values, the cultural strain remained too great for many. Although Buddhism attracted much attention, finally it failed to build enduring institutions or inspire more seekers to embrace the religion. It was not until the next century that Buddhism would find a cultural environment more conducive to its growth."--BOOK JACKET In 1873 James Clement Moffat (18811-80), the professor of church history from Princeton Theological Seminar, published the second volume of his Comparative History of Religions. Provides a history of the introduction of Buddhism in the United States, focusing on the Buddhist followers' contact and conflict with America's Protestant traditionalists.