Western and Non Western Divinity - 774 Words

In more recent years there have been attempts to combine the views and concepts of western and non-western religious philosophies. For example, the Kyoto school of philosophers attempted to combine the phenomenology of Husserl with the insights of Zen Buddhism. Largely, most of the philosophers belonging to this school of thought were heavily influenced by the German philosophers, specifically the works of Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Heidegger. In addition, many engaged their cultural resources to help them formulate their philosophy. However, while their work was not specifically religious in nature it was certainly influenced significantly by it. For example, both Tanabe and Keiji Nishitan, who were major names in the Kyoto school of thought, wrote on the common elements shared by Christianity and Buddhism. There have been many other attempts at combining western and non-western ideas of religion, but there still remain some very distinct differences between the two. Eastern religious philosophy includes the various philosophies of South and East Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Indian philosophy, Japanese philosophy, and Korean philosophy. The most notable western religious philosophies include the classical Greek tradition and the Abrahamic religions. To illustrate the main similarities and differences between western and non-western ideas of God and the concept of the ultimate reality I will be comparing and contrasting the basic western religions with those ofShow MoreRelatedDebating the Topics Monism and Vedanta Essay798 Words   |  4 Pagesperson is made up of only the body or only the mind (Morris). Because Animists, Hindus, and Buddhists believe that reality is one and that everything that exists is a functioning part of that whole which is spirit are for the most part monists. Western people for the most part may be called a monist also as they believe that God is dead and matter is the only substance to reality. 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