Soaring and Settling: Buddhist Perspectives on Social and Theological Issues [Paperback]

Rita M. Gross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

Continuum congratulates Rita M. Gross on being the recipient of the 1999 Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award.As a practicing Buddhist for over 20 years, Rita Gross is concerned with how Eastern wisdom traditions transform our lives, and are themselves transformed by contact with the wisdom of the West.Rita Gross considers "lifestyle" issues, from conception to death and grieving; social issues such as population control, work and family, and environmental ethics; and theological issues such as the use of goddess images in Buddhism, and several fascinating practices from Gross's own Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist tradition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When three very different elements come together in one life, it can make for very interesting reading, and so it is with feminist Buddhist theologian Gross's new work (after Feminism & Religion, LJ 9/15/96). Her opening autobiographical section explains how she became a feminist, a Buddhist, and a scholar. Uniting heart and head through involvement with a particular religious tradition renders her scholarship in religious history both controversial and intriguing. Gross discusses social issues ranging from environmental ethics to children's rights and religious issues from immanence and transcendence in women's religious experience to the feminine principle in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. Her courageous willingness to reveal how these issues affect her personally makes for powerful reading. A treat and a challenge, this book is highly recommended for all public and academic libraries as a very special contribution to the field.?David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernardino
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A treat and a challenge, this book is highly recommended ... a very special contribution to the field."
-Library Journal

"Rita Gross must be commended for her 'soaring' and dynamic presentation of the continuing impact of Buddhist tradition on contemporary America. This book is a valuable study for those interested in gender studies and the modern interaction between Indic religions and indigenous American culture."
--James Kenneth Powell II, International Journal of Hindu Studies, 1999

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Continuum; 9901 edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826411134
• ISBN-13: 978-0826411136
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,361,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful Brilliance, January 22, 2000

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This review is from: Soaring and Settling: Buddhist Perspectives on Social and Theological Issues (Paperback)

Dr. Gross is one of the brightest and most able thinkers today. She has the ability to "deconstruct" what many believe to be inevitable truth in a way which is interesting and hugely uselful.

The Buddhist ideas of permanence, interconnectedness, the 4 Noble Truths, etc. are explained for an audience which needs an end to patriarchy.

Like her, Buddhism helps me to be a more "friendly feminist". I use her ideas daily and look forward to other books by her.