Two different journeys and a convergence: Buddhist-Christian dialogue through the works of Thich Nhat Hanh and Aloysius Pieris

This dissertation examines from the perspective of Buddhist-Christian dialogue the thoughts and practices of a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, and those of a Sri Lankan Catholic priest and theologian, Aloysius Pieris.; It begins with the description of the life-journeys of the two authors against the historical background of the encounters between Christianity and Buddhism in Asia. This is a history that has been heavily loaded with misunderstanding and conflicts between members of Christian and Buddhist communities. Then, it critically examines their practices and thoughts as these two figures are committed to renewing their religious traditions and to the Buddhist-Christian dialogue.; This study contributes to Buddhist-Christian dialogue by showing that, through their practices and writings, Nhat Hanh and Pieris advance a dialogue which is expressed in a multi-layered communion: in life, in action, in the search for truth and also in religious experiences. From the Christian perspective, their approaches to the discourse on Buddhist-Christian dialogue certainly have implications for Christian theology of religions, missions and practices; namely, the stress on the priority of practice over speculative doctrines, and a Covenant Christology that makes explicit Christian responsibility for collaborating with other religious practitioners to alleviate the mass poverty of Asian people.