"p.aradi" wrote:

Craig:

You absolutely correct regarding historical connection. Unfortunately
it is implied in all "Zen and the Art of ?????" books.
So please consider the following. I have just looked at the book section
of Amazon.com and found the following titles. It is only a small and
partial list:

Zen and the art of...
snip

Christian had a far greater influence on our culture and you as
a clergyman is much better qualified to address that than I. Yet,
I have not found anywhere a title like "Presbyterian way to bowling"
or the "Southern Baptists an the Art of NASCAR."
I think by now you get the point. Mentioning Zen invokes a
strange, exotic, inscrutable Orient that Westerners can't really
understand. So let's use it in the title or the book and sell some books.


No, but I do have a book entitled "The Bonsai Theory of Church Growth."


How about "Zen and the Internet" with matching volumes on
"Catholicism and Websurfing," "Java and Jews," and "Managing
email accounts for Muslims."

Cheers.

Peter Aradi
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Peter:
You're right, Zen is associated with mystery and has become a buzz word in our
culture, used by people who have absolutely no understanding of or appreciation for
Zen as a discipline.

No, there aren't books with titles such as you suggest, but Christianity has been
hijacked plenty of times by people looking for higher justifications for their
actions--witness the under-secretary of Defense recently who told a church group
that the US Army was a Christian army, implying that this "christian" army is on a
crusade in the Middle East. Very dangerous IMHO.

In terms of Christian concepts being taken over by a wider culture, I offer as
examples Christmas and Easter, with much of what our culture has done to these
observances having nothing to do with the birth or death/resurrection of Jesus.
Believe me, I am sympathetic to your concern about how Zen has been hijacked by
popular culture. It is probably unnerving.

Craig Cowing
NY
Zon4 5b/6a Sunset 37

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