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.