The Making of American Buddhism
now available from Oxford University Press
About the book
As of 2010, there were approximately 3-4 million Buddhists in the United States, and that figure is expected to grow significantly. Beyond the numbers, the influence of Buddhism can be felt throughout the culture, with many more people practicing meditation, for example, than claiming Buddhist identity. A century ago, this would have been unthinkable. So how did Buddhism come to claim such a significant place in the American cultural landscape?
The Making of American Buddhism offers an answer, showing how in the years on either side of World War II second- generation Japanese American Buddhists laid claim to an American identity inclusive of their religious identity. In the process they created a place for Buddhism in America. These sons and daughters of Japanese immigrants—known as “Nisei,” Japanese for “second-generation”—produced the Berkeley Bussei, a magazine published from 1939 to 1960. In the pages of the Bussei and elsewhere, these Nisei Buddhists argued that Buddhism was both what made them good Americans and what they had to contribute to America—a rational and scientific religion of peace.
News & Updates
- Video from the May 2023 book launch is now available on Vimeo.
- An excerpt from chapter four has been published by Buddhadharma and can be read on the Lion’s Roar website.
- An interview with Tori Montrose about the book on the New Books in Buddhist Studies podcast.
- Review by Hozan Alan Senauke on Buddhistdoor
- Richard Payne’s write-up of the book
- The Making of American Buddhism featured on local news site, Berkeleyside
- An interview with Mariana Restrepo on the Lion’s Roar Podcast
Events
Upcoming Events
IBS Symposium at the BCA National Council Meeting
Sacramento, CA, February 24, 2024
Past Events
Race, Place, and Religious Labor: a Book Launch Event for The Making of American Buddhism
Online seminar with Chenxing Han
May 24, 2023
Book talk at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple
with Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto
Sunday June 18, 2023 at 11:00
no recording is available
How Did Buddhism Become an American Religion?
audio recording coming soon!
Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion
San Antonio, TX, November 18, 2023
Book Talk at the Dharma Bum Temple
San Diego, CA, January 13, 2024