October 1, 2006

MINNEAPOLIS – In Encountering Jesus and Buddha two premier scholars of Christianity and Buddhism engage in a lively and insightful dialogue about the figures at the wellsprings of those two religions. Themes include the relative importance of Jesus and the Buddha within Christianity and Buddhism and their different perspectives on the self, the self's future, love, and ethics. They explore Jesus' and the Buddha's different notions of passion and suffering, meditation, prayer, and commitment to the world, history, and community.

An ideal resource for students and seekers alike, Encountering Jesus and Buddha demonstrates a model of comparative religious inquiry in which neither religion gets "the last word," providing an invaluable resource for respectful interfaith dialogue.

"For those wanting to come to grips with some of the fundamental similarities and differences between Buddhism and Christianity, and reflect about the one in the light of the other, this sympathetic, if at times controversial, book can be recommended as a good place to start and would provide an introduction to some of the important tools needed for one's own critical engagement with the issues." – Paul Williams, University of Bristol and author of The Unexpected Way: On Converting from Buddhism to Catholicism.

"The beauty of this book is that it brings together a theologian and an Indologist who challenge and complement each other. The result is a rigorous and exhilarating conversation about Jesus and the Buddha that is not afraid of controversy. Commonalities and differences are brought out with sensitivity, and the reader is invited to join an exploration into how each of these remarkable figures speak to the twenty-first century." – Dr. Elizabeth J. Harris, Secretary for Interfaith Relations, Methodist Church in Britain, Honorary Lecturer, Birmingham University.

"Encountering Jesus and Buddha . . . makes an excellent contribution to the contemporary Buddhist-Christian dialogue that has been going on in America and Europe for the last twenty-six years. . . . [Through the book] Christians are placed in a dialogical conversation with Buddhism that recognizes the truth of both traditions while informing Christians about their own particular faith journeys. The result is an example of the possibilities for creative transformation of Christian tradition when inter-religious dialogue becomes a mode of theological reflection." – Paul O. Ingram, Professor of Religion Emeritus, Pacific Lutheran University.

Ulrich Luz is Professor of New Testament at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and the author of the acclaimed three-volume commentary on Matthew in the Hermeneia series (Fortress Press, 2001-2007). He is also co-editor of the German-language Evangelisch-Katholischen Kommentar series (EKK) and of the journal Evangelische Theologie.

Axel Michaels is Professor of Classical Indology at the Southeast Asia Institute of the University of Heidelberg and the author of several books on Hinduism and comparative religion including, with Barbara Harshav, Hinduism Past and Present (2003).

Encountering Jesus & Buddha, By Ulrich Luz and Axel Michael; Translated by Linda M. Maloney, Format: 5.5" x 8.5," paperback, 256 pages, ISBN: 0-8006-3564-7, Price: $16.00 – Format: 5.5" x 8.5," hardcover, 256 pages, ISBN: 0-8006-3563-9, Price: $22.00, Publisher: Fortress Press, Rights: World English.

To order Encountering Jesus & Buddha please call Fortress Press at 1-800-328-4648 or visit the Web site at http://www.fortresspress.com/.

Fortress Press