The
Gethsemani Encounter
Donald
W. Mitchell and James Wiseman,
Editors
The Gethsemani Encounter
A Dialogue on the Spiritual
Life by Buddhist and Christian
Monastics
336
pages, ISBN: 0-8264-1165-7 (New
York: Continuum, 1999)
Library
Journal Review
In July 1996, Buddhist and Christian
monks met at the Abbey of Gethsemani,
Kentucky, and held a five-day
conference to discuss aspects
of their spirituality and worship.
Donald W. Mitchell (philosophy,
Purdue) and James Wiseman, (O.S.B.,
chair of Monastic Interreligious
Dialogue) have done a masterful
job of distilling from this
conference a remarkably rich
document, encompassing vast
areas of Christian/Buddhist
monastic concerns. Part 1 offers
presentations on ultimate reality
and spirituality, prayer and
meditation, spiritual growth
and development, community and
spiritual guidance. Part 2,
the real treasure, contains
dialog between Buddhist and
Christian monks, including the
Dalai Lama, on subjects from
mind and virtue to grace, the
nature of tragedy and violence,
and the importance of social
action. This book is directed
more toward the scholar in comparative
religions, but any informed
lay reader will also greatly
gain from reading it. Recommended
for all libraries, especially
academic ones.--Glenn Masuchika,
Chaminade Univ. Lib., Honolulu
