Sufism and Zen in the West

The Transformation of Modern Religious Life and Practice

Michael Conway editor Dr Saeko Yazaki editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Publishing:20th Feb '25

£85.00

This title is due to be published on 20th February, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

Sufism and Zen in the West cover

Demonstrates how eastern traditions are transforming modern religious life in the West with a focus on Sufism and Zen

Historically and culturally, Sufism and Zen may not seem to have anything in common. However, in the West, their spiritual messages are often perceived as strikingly similar. In this book, scholars analyse the ways in which Sufism and Zen were introduced to and developed in the West. The collection shows that the popularity of these religions arose not because of the substantive shared elements within the two traditions, but because their promoters in the West employed similar strategies to respond to the interests of a modern, Western audience. The first book to make a close comparison of Sufism and Zen, this study is an important contribution to understanding Western religious life and processes of ‘easternisation’. It sheds new light on how Sufism and Zen came to represent a spirituality that is both countercultural and in touch with modern sensitivities.

This collection is essential for those who follow new religious movements in
the West, academically or personally. It traces major Sufi and Zen teachers
and lineages within the evolving social, political and cultural contexts of
the 20th/21st centuries, revealing pivotal moments of spiritual transmission
and charismatic embodiment across individuals and traditions.

* Marcia Hermansen, Professor, Loyola University Chicago, USA *

Rich in sources and case studies of the two traditions, this book even
challenges the preconceptions of scholars in the East. Yazaki and
Conway excellently organize the volume to exhibit this “tandem
analysis” as a groundbreaking contribution to rethinking the concept of
Buddhist modernism.

* Tomoe Moriya, Senior Research Fellow, Nanzan University, Jap

ISBN: 9781838602352

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

264 pages