Beginning in the nineteenth century and continuing to the present day, both practitioners and admirers of Buddhism have proclaimed its compatibility with science. In Buddhism and Science, Donald S. Lopez Jr. explores how and why these two seemingly disparate modes of understanding the inner and outer universe have been so persistently linked. He argues that by presenting an ancient Asian tradition as compatible with—and even anticipating—scientific discoveries, European enthusiasts and Asian elites have sidestepped debates on the relevance of religion in the modern world that began in the nineteenth century and that still flare today. As new discoveries continue to reshape our understanding of mind and matter, Buddhism and Science will be indispensable reading for those fascinated by religion, science, and their often vexed relation. --- from the publisher Reviews: “In Buddhism and Science, Donald Lopez fills a major gap, and he does so with his trademark rigor, concision, and élan. No serious student of science-and-religion can afford to skip this book.” — Jack Miles, general editor, Norton Anthology of World Religions About the Author: Donald S. Lopez Jr. is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan. He is the author, editor, or translator of a number of books, including The Madman’s Middle Way, Critical Terms for the Study of Buddhism, Introduction to the History of Indian Buddhism,and In the Forest of Faded Wisdom: 104 Poems by Gendun Chopel, a Bilingual Edition, all published by the University of Chicago Press. |