Panel organized on behalf of the European Network of Buddhist Christian Studies (ENBCS)
In western countries spirituality is increasingly getting multireligious or interreligious. This presents research on the role of meditation within this process. On the basis of his empirical research in Munich, Vilnius, Seoul and New York Martin Rötting will analyze ways in which the reception of meditation practices from other religious traditions functions as an identity marker for interreligious spirituality. Karl Baier takes a closer look at the more recent popularity of “mindfulness” practices in the West, especially in therapeutic contexts. His paper highlights a neglected issue of the mindfulness boom: the reception of mindfulness by authors who try to integrate it into Christian spirituality. In the third presentation, Achim Riggert pursues the question to what extent the Christian practice of Buddhist meditation may impact on traditional forms of Christian prayer. Can Buddhist meditation transform Christian prayer in a way that conforms more with modern consciousness and current spiritual needs?
Chair: • André van der Braak (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Panelists: • Martin Rötting (Ludwig-Maximilian Universität / Universität Salzburg / OCCURSO Institute for Interreligious and Intercultural Encounter) - Meditation as Identity Marker for Interreligious Spirituality? • Karl Baier (Universität Wien) - The Christian Reception of Mindfulness Practice • Achim Riggert (WWU Münster) - Buddhist Meditation as Challenge for Contemporary Christian Prayer