“This book is courageous and necessary: courageous because it breaks a taboo of placing interreligious dialogue on a theological level; necessary because it brings to light a sincere comparative study of the relationship between faith and practice—which is common ground for all the great spiritual traditions.”—GUGLIELMO DORYU CAPPELLI, Zen Anshin temple, Rome
“The ‘god’ question is almost absent from Buddhist scriptures and teachings, yet everywhere present in the searching eyes of a Christian. Peter Baekelmans is well equipped to tackle this elusive question owing to his many years in Japan and long acquaintance with several branches and schools of Buddhism.”—FR JACQUES SCHEUER, author of Wisdom and Compassion
“As Peter Baekelmans is a renowned theologian and scholar of Buddhism, whom I consider the Christian expert on esoteric Buddhism—both theoretically and practically—the reading of this challenging work will be deeply illuminating.”—MARTIN REPP, author of The One God and the Other Gods
“The Hidden ‘God’ takes us along with the author on a journey to the discovery of Buddhism and its many facets. His path-breaking manner of comparing Buddhism to his native Christianity with a view to enhancing the understanding of both is immensely respectful.”—ALICIA GUINOT, Europe Books
“This book is courageous and necessary: courageous because it breaks a taboo of placing interreligious dialogue on a theological level; necessary because it brings to light a sincere comparative study of the relationship between faith and practice—which is common ground for all the great spiritual traditions. This is the more necessary in the case of Buddhism, which, in the West, is increasingly secularized and confined to the field of psychophysical well-being disciplines.”—GUGLIELMO DORYU CAPPELLI, Zen Anshin temple, Rome
“The ‘god’ question is almost absent from Buddhist scriptures and teachings, yet everywhere present in the searching eyes of a Christian. Peter Baekelmans is well equipped to tackle this elusive question owing to his many years in Japan and long acquaintance with several branches and schools of Buddhism. On the Christian side, his approach is both academic and theological: a scholar and a believer, which allows him to consider the ‘god’ question in Buddhism from different and sometimes surprising angles without losing sight of the global picture.”—FR JACQUES SCHEUER, author of Wisdom and Compassion: The Two Wings of Buddhism
“In The Hidden ‘God,’ Peter Baekelmans develops a Christian theology of Buddhism in the sense of a Christian reflection on the Buddhist faith in ‘god’ (or ‘gods’). As he is a renowned theologian and scholar of Buddhism, whom I consider the Christian expert on esoteric Buddhism—both theoretically and practically—the reading of this challenging work will be deeply illuminating.”—MARTIN REPP, author of The One God and the Other Gods: A Historical and Systematic Introduction to Ecumenical Theologies of Religion
“Peter Baekelmans’ The Hidden ‘God’ takes us along with the author on a journey to the discovery of Buddhism and its many facets. His path-breaking manner of comparing Buddhism to his native Christianity with a view to enhancing the understanding of both is immensely respectful. He has undertaken an arduous task. Many have tried it, and many have failed. Remarkably, this book is simple in its completeness, pointing out what has been right before our eyes all along even while opening up a limitless horizon.”—ALICIA GUINOT, Europe Books
