George J. Tanabe, Jr., Editor

Once confined to Asia, Buddhism in the last century has become a conspicuous part of the religious landscape in countries the world over. From the severest levels of ascetic practice to media images in daily culture, its forms and expressions are recognizably Buddhist even in its immense variations. Nirvana, karma, mantra, dharma, and Zen are everyday terms; meditation is commonplace; and the Dalai Lama is an international icon. Continuity and change are evident in conservative traditions, liberal explorations, and revivals of the old into something new. As well as an ancient religion, Buddhism is a modern phenomenon.

Topics in Contemporary Buddhism is a new series that examines this phenomenon from a variety of perspectives ranging from the philosophical to the popular. It seeks the best narratives and analyses of doctrinal interpretations, institutional developments, personalities, ritual practices, political relationships, corporate identities, and artistic expressions in any cultural area of the contemporary world.

Land of Beautiful Vision: Making a Buddhist Sacred Place in New Zealand, by Sally McAra (2007)

Zen in Brazil: The Quest for Cosmopolitan Modernity, by Cristina Rocha (2006)

Japanese Temple Buddhism: Worldliness in a Religion of Renunciation, by Steven G. Covell (2005; paper ed. 2006)

Being Benevolence: The Social Ethics of Engaged Buddhism, by Sallie B. King (2005; paper ed. 2006)

Buddhist Missionaries in the Era of Globalization, ed. by Linda Learman (2004)

Establishing a Pure Land on Earth: The Foguang Buddhist Perspective on Modernization and Globalization, by Stuart Chandler (2004)

The series welcomes standard and innovative methodologies that are appropriate to the task and engaging for the reader. Interested scholars may submit queries and proposals to

George J. Tanabe, Jr., is professor of religion at the University of Hawai‘i, Manoa. He is author of Myoe the Dreamkeeper, Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan (with Ian Reader), and editor of Religions of Japan in Practice.