A Level Religious Studies - Is it possible to be a Buddhist and a Christian?

‘It is possible to be a Buddhist and a Christian’. Discuss (40)

The topic of religious plurality is often discussing by scholars who take an interest in one or more religion – it is the belief that religions with different ways of thinking and different truths are both valid and equal. Whilst it could be argued that it is possible to be a Buddhist and a Christian, this essay will argue that it is not.

It can be argued that being Buddhist and Christian is possible because it fits with the concept of dual belonging. This comes from Paul Knitter, who says that it is “the term used when more and more people are finding that they can be genuinely nourished by more than one religious tradition”. He says that religions like Christianity and Buddhism are different expressions of the same underlying faith. The idea of religious pluralism is one that Knitter has discussed a lot, perhaps taking a more radical stance when he argues that Jesus and Jesus’ name alone does not provide the only path to salvation. If it is possible for someone to belong to more than one faith at any given time, it therefore seems plausible to say that it is possible to be a Buddhist and a Christian. Knitter can be seen as proof of this, as he said that “my dialogue with Buddhism made me a Buddhist Christian”.

Stephen Batchelor would argue against Knitter’s dualistic approach to religion. He strips away the added religious elements of Buddhism and focuses on the core, traditional elements and so being of both faiths would be contradictory. He presents a practice rooted in Buddhist values without having to put faith into beliefs that they cannot accept. Christianity would complicate this more fundamental version of Buddhism as it requires faith and devotion, which doesn’t work with Batchelor’s view of Buddhism as it is what he removed from Buddhism to redefine it. The aim for him is “moment-to-moment flourishing of life within the ethical framework of the eightfold path” which illustrates how one teaching is central to his view. Being Buddhist and a Christian is impossible therefore because of the conflict that arises between the two; removing faith from one religion just to practice worship and devotion in another seems pointless and unnecessary.

It could be argued that being a Buddhist and a Christian is possible because Christianity could help development on the spiritual path. Buddhism has helped many Christians rediscover the religion’s meditative and mystical traditions and this focus on mindfulness helps place them in the moment. Christianity can encourage Buddhism too, and many say it has influences engaged Buddhism. Buddha used the analogy of the raft to explain how his teachings are essentially a stepping stone and should not be held onto forever. Buddhism and Christian can be combined in this sense, as one of the two may just be an aide to help them on their spiritual journey, thus making the practice of both worthwhile.

However, it isn’t possible to be a Buddhist and a Christian because the two religions are very different from each other and this can be problematic in worship and practice. They have very conflicting views, for example, on a creator God. Buddha said “there is no creator of the rounds of births” which clearly states a creator God does not exist; in Christianity, the chapter Genesis gives details on how God created the world as we know it. This could be confusing for a potential Buddhist-Christian. There are also issues regarding views on the soul: Buddhism holds that there is no soul – the word for such being anatta whereas Christianity stresses the importance of acting good in preparation for judgement day and heaven. Whilst there are some similarities, these are overshadowed by the larger, deep-rooted issues which can upset the practice for a follow. The differences between the two simply make them incompatible – it is not possible to be a Buddhist and a Christian.

To conclude, it is not possible to be a Buddhist and a Christian. A key point to consider that pulls the concept of being a Buddhist-Christian apart is the fact Knitter says Buddhism ‘completes’ his Christianity. This suggests that both are incomplete. If Knitter’s pluralism is becoming all theologies (pantheologiae) then – do we need all the religions to become complete? If we need to practice all religions, then “we run the risk of undermining pluralism’s belief that all religions are valid, independent responses for the real” (Robert B. Steward). In this case, it isn’t possible to be a Buddhist-Christian, or any combination of other religions because this reduces religions and creates a ‘pick and mix’ culture when approaching religion. Does religion continue to exist in this case, or do beliefs just become a more modern system of spirituality? The way Buddhism and Christianity clash when they are forced to collide highlights how incorporating the two together has great issues which shows how it is not possible to be a Buddhist and a Christian.