Hans Waldenfels

Absolute Nothingness

Foundations for a Buddhist-Christian Dialogue

In dialogue with the Japanese philosopher Nishitani Keiji, the author explores the borderlands between Buddhist and Christian thought. A major breakthrough in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, Absolute Nothingness is a comparative study that attempts to relate the Kyoto School of Buddhist philosophy to the Christian tradition. Among the major questions treated in this book is that of spiritual emptiness as it is experienced in the traditions of East and West. The author brings to his book the skills of a theologian and the sensitivities of one who has studied Buddhism in Japan. Long out of print, this book (originally published in 1980), is reissued here in a facsimilie edition by Chisokudō Publications.

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“A deeper and more serious conversation seems to be developing between Christianity and Buddhism as the latter comes to be better understood and appreciated by Westerners.… In this reviewer’s opinion, Absolute Nothingness is the soundest and most important contribution of monographic length to appear so far concerning the dialogue between these two systems, and should be read by all theologians and academics interested in the dialogue.” —Francis H. Cook

“Waldenfels’ Christian dialogue with Mahayana Buddhism as it is interpreted by Nishitani Keiji accomplishes much more than it claims. Not only does it help lay the ‘foundations for a Buddhist-Christian dialogue’; it also, and perhaps more importantly, clarifies controversial questions on the theory of interreligious dialogue in general.” —Paul Knitter

“Few authors come to their books with such an impressive array of qualifications… as does Hans Waldenfels. In my judgment, his book ranks as the best one-volume introduction to a subject which, as the subtitle announces, is basic to the Buddhist-Christian dialogue.” —Joseph Spae

“Absolute Nothingness is the soundest and most important contribution of monographiclength to appear so far concerning the dialogue between these two systems, and should be read by all theologians and academics interested in the dialogue.” —Francis H. Cook