Description
Book SynopsisFinalist, Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Constructive-Reflective Studies, given by the American Academy of ReligionExplores how Black Buddhist Teachers and Practitioners interpret Western Buddhism in unique spiritual and communal ways In Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition, Rima Vesely-Flad examines the distinctive features of Black-identifying Buddhist practitioners, arguing that Black Buddhists interpret Buddhist teachings in ways that are congruent with Black radical thought. Indeed, the volume makes the case that given their experiences with racismboth in the larger society and also within largely white-oriented Buddhist organizationsBlack cultural frameworks are necessary for illuminating the Buddha's wisdom. Drawing on interviews with forty Black Buddhist teachers and practitioners, Vesely-Flad argues that Buddhist teachings, through their focus on healing intergenerational trauma, provide a vitally important foundation for achieving Black liberation.
Trade ReviewAn important and powerful book. Vesely-Flad has done an immensely impressive job at allowing the voices of Black Buddhists to tell their own stories of faith and liberation. -- Larry Ward, author of America’s Racial Karma: An Invitation to Heal
An extremely important and timely contribution to scholarship on Black religion in the US, and on Buddhist studies. Vesely-Flad’s ethnographic interviews, which are a fantastically rich part of the book, center the voices and interpretations of Black Buddhists in a way that is unparalleled and enables the author to effectively argue for the importance of Black Buddhist teachers’ insights into Buddhist wisdom. -- Sarah Jacoby, author of Love and Liberation: Autobiographical Writings of the Tibetan Buddhist Visionary Sera Khandro
An exciting project; hearing the voices of more than 70
multi-lineage Black Buddhists is itself a significant contribution to Buddhism in America. Vesely-Flad’s coverage of the Black Radical Tradition is superb—the history and breakdown of the different threads of the Black Radical Tradition is compelling and impressive. -- Ann Gleig, author of American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity
[Vesely-Flad's] book stands to become a classic ethnographic study for the field of Buddhist studies and should be consulted by those looking to do further research on Black Buddhists in America and elsewhere. * Religion *
