Zen Gifts to Christians

Kennedy is a Jesuit who teaches theology at St. Peter's College, a psychotherapist in private practice and a Zen teacher who believes that Zen Buddhism has much to complement Christianity. In this book--directed primarily toward Christians who already practice Zen or those who are curious about doing so--Kennedy draws on the symbolism of 10 12th-century Chinese depictions of ox herding to demonstrate the quest for one's true nature. (The ox represents a person's true self, while the ox herder is the one seeking that self; the 10 pictures symbolize 10 stages of spiritual growth.) Throughout, the book is a mishmash of East and West: interspersed with the pictures are Zen koans and poetry and prose from Western culture. While the illustrations and koans are interesting, something almost Zen-like has happened in the book--Kennedy's literary selections (from Denise Levertov, Mary Oliver and H.L. Mencken, to name a few) are so exquisite that they surpass the narrative rather than simply complementing and explaining the Buddhist teachings. Also, Kennedy sometimes has to perform difficult theological gymnastics to reconcile Buddhism to Christianity, as when he tries to align an Eastern understanding of humanity as divine with the Western Christian doctrine of humanity being created in the image of God. Despite these flaws, this book may appeal to those Christians whose temperament predisposes them toward the practice of Zen as they strive to grow in their spiritual lives. (Feb.)