[Buddha-l] Re: Magic

[Franz Metcalf]

Brad,

Joanna has beaten me to mentioning Rahula Walpola as a post-WWII 
exponent of rationalist Buddhism. But, as Richard points out, he is 
exceptional these days (of course he *was* a bhikkhu and he *has* 
passed away). The most influential Buddhism-as-rationalism stuff, at 
least in my mind, was 19th century. Tweed's book would be the first 
place to look.

One continuing group that treats Buddhism as (an unusual sort of) 
rationalism is the Kyoto School. I'd pick up something by James Heisig 
before trying to read any of the actual philosophers, themselves. They 
are certainly influential in the Buddhist-Christian dialogue area.

On another front, there is not rational but psychological reductionism 
present in several strands within the field of Buddhism and psychology. 
This goes back at least to _Zen and Psychoanalysis_ by Fromm, Suzuki, 
and DeMartino. But it continues today in the emphases of people like 
Jack Kornfield and the whole Insight Meditation Society gang, as well 
as in some of the more austere and psychological Zen folks. Trouble is, 
it's tough to call their work influential "scholarship," at least 
within Buddhist studies.

One quick source for the Carus-Suzuki religion of science connection is 
Martin Verhoeven's chapter on it in _The Faces of Buddhism in America_, 
edited by Charles Prebish and Kenneth Tanaka. I know I've read another 
chapter on the same subject, (maybe by Robert Ellwood?) but can't 
remember where.

Good luck on the project,

Franz