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This paper (1) is intended to examine the accounts of Buddhist thought in Kalam literature and its influence on the early Mutakallimun. I shall focus on the Samaniyya's view on [...]

Postmodernist critiques and feminist insights are congruent. Both groups believe gender is a social construct, not an intrinsic reality. Buddhism urges religious action and moral responsibility through recognition of the diluted self. Some Buddhist arguments represent the most sophisticated critique of all essentialist conceptions.

Religious revelation and experiences through dreams were important parts of Christian evangelization in Ming and Qing China. Article discusses holy dreams and their interpretation in the creation and consolidation of a religious community.

Researchers have speculated about the growing influence of Buddhists and Buddhism in the United States, but little has been done to estimate the scope of this influence or to consider alternative ways of understanding it. We present data collected from a large, nationally representative survey completed in 2003. The data show that one American in seven claims to have had a fair amount of contact with Buddhists and that one person in eight believes Buddhist teachings or practices have had an important influence on his or her religion or spirituality. We describe three perspectives from which variations in exposure to Buddhists and being influenced by Buddhism may be understood: two versions of the 'strictness hypothesis' from the religious economies literature and a broader argument about institutional embeddedness. We find empirical support for each of the three perspectives.