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Although surface level non-scholarly analogies have been drawn between the two traditions, Buddhism and Christianity have inherent and fundamental differences at the deepest levels, beginning with monotheism's place at the core of Christianity and Buddhism's orientation towards non-theism (the lack of relevancy of the existence of a creator deity) which runs counter to teachings about God in Christianity; and extending to the importance of Grace in Christianity against the rejection of interference with Karma in Theravada Buddhism, etc.〔〔〔 Another difference between the two traditions is the Christian belief in the centrality of the crucifixion of Jesus as a single event that some believe acts as the atonement of sins, and its direct contrast to Buddhist teachings.〔''Jesus: The Complete Guide by J. L. Houlden (Feb 8, 2006) ISBN 082648011X pages 140-144〕〔 Though some early Christians were aware of Buddhism, which was practiced in the Roman Empire in the early Christian period, the majority of modern Christian scholarship has roundly rejected any historical basis for the travels of Jesus to India or Tibet or direct influences between the teachings of Christianity in the West and Buddhism, and has seen the attempts at parallel symbolism as cases of parallelomania which exaggerate the importance of trifling resemblances.〔〔〔''The Historical Jesus in Recent Research'' edited by James D. G. Dunn and Scot McKnight 2006 ISBN 1-57506-100-7 page 303〕〔Gerald O'Collins, "The Hidden Story of Jesus" ''New Blackfriars'' Volume 89, Issue 1024, pages 710–714, November 2008〕 However, in the East syncretism between Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism was widespread along the Silk Road in Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and was especially pronounced in the medieval Church of the East in China, as evidenced by the Jesus Sutras.〔In the 13th century, international travelers, such as Giovanni de Piano Carpini and William of Ruysbroeck, sent back reports of Buddhism to the West and noted the similarities with Nestorian Christian communities.Macmillan Encyclopedia of Buddhism, 2004, page 160〕 ==Origins and early contacts== The history of Buddhism goes back to what is now Bodh Gaya, India almost six centuries before Christianity, making it one of the oldest religions still practiced.〔 The origins of Christianity go back to Roman Judea in early first century. The four Canonical gospels date from around 70-90 AD, the Pauline epistles having been written before them around 50-60 AD. By early second century, post apostolic Christian theology had taken shape, in the works of authors such as Irenaeus〔''Irenaeus of Lyons'' by Eric Francis Osborn (Nov 26, 2001) ISBN 0521800064 pages 27-29〕 Although Christianity is seen as the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy regarding the "Messiah" which dates back much further. Starting in the 1930s, authors such as Will Durant suggested that Greco-Buddhist representatives of Emperor Ashoka who traveled to Syria, Egypt and Greece, may have helped prepare the ground for Christian teaching.〔Will Durant, ''The Story of Civilization'' Part One (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1935), vol. 1, p. 449.〕 Buddhism was prominent in the eastern Greek world (Greco-Buddhism) and became the official religion of the eastern Greek successor kingdoms to Alexander the Great's empire (Greco-Bactrian Kingdom (250 BC-125 BC) and Indo-Greek Kingdom (180 BC - 10 CE)). Several prominent Greek Buddhist missionaries are known (Mahadharmaraksita and Dharmaraksita) and the Indo-Greek king Menander I converted to Buddhism, and is regarded as one of the great patrons of Buddhism. (See Milinda Panha.) Some modern historians have suggested that the pre-Christian monastic order in Egypt of the Therapeutae is possibly a deformation of the Pāli word "Theravāda,"〔According to the linguist Zacharias P. Thundy〕 a form of Buddhism, and the movement may have "almost entirely drawn (its) inspiration from the teaching and practices of Buddhist asceticism".〔Living Zen by Robert Linssen (Grove Press New York, 1958) ISBN 0-8021-3136-0〕 They may even have been descendants of Asoka's emissaries to the West.〔"The Original Jesus" (Element Books, Shaftesbury, 1995), Elmar R Gruber, Holger Kersten〕 It is true that Buddhist gravestones from the Ptolemaic period have also been found in Alexandria in Egypt, decorated with depictions of the Dharma wheel, showing the Buddhists were living in Hellenistic Egypt at the time Christianity began.〔The Greeks in Bactria and India, W.W. Tarn, South Asia Books, ISBN 81-215-0220-9〕 The presence of Buddhists in Alexandria has led one author to note: "It was later in this very place that some of the most active centers of Christianity were established".〔 Nevertheless, modern Christian scholars generally hold that there is no direct evidence of any influence of Buddhism on Christianity, and several scholarly theological works do not support these suggestions.〔〔 However, some historians such as Jerry H. Bentley suggest that there is a real possibility that Buddhism influenced the early development of Christianity".〔 It is known that prominent early Christians were aware of Buddha and some Buddhist stories. Saint Jerome (4th century CE) mentions the birth of the Buddha, who he says "was born from the side of a virgin;" it has been suggested that this virgin birth legend of Buddhism influenced Christianity.〔McEvilley, p391〕 The early church father Clement of Alexandria (died 215 AD) was also aware of Buddha, writing in his Stromata (Bk I, Ch XV): "Some, too, of the Indians obey the precepts of Buddha (Βούττα) whom, on account of his extraordinary sanctity, they have raised to divine honours."〔Clement of Alexandria Stromata. BkI, Ch XV http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf02.vi.iv.i.xv.html (Accessed 19 Dec 2012)〕 In the Middle Ages there was no trace of Buddhism in the West.〔''Indian Buddhism: A Survey with Bibliographical Notes'' by Hajime Nakamura (Apr 11, 2007) ISBN 8120802721 page 95〕 In the 13th century, international travelers, such as Giovanni de Piano Carpini and William of Ruysbroeck, sent back reports of Buddhism to the West and noted some similarities with Nestorian Christian communities.〔Macmillan Encyclopedia of Buddhism, 2004, page 160〕 Indeed, syncretism in the East between Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism existed along the Silk Road throughout Antiquity and the Middles Ages, and was especially pronounced in the medieval Church of the East in China, as evidenced by the Jesus Sutras. When European Christians made more direct contact with Buddhism in the early 16th century, Catholic missionaries such as St. Francis Xavier sent back accounts of Buddhist practices.〔 With the arrival of Sanskrit studies in European universities in the late 18th century, and the subsequent availability of Buddhist texts, a discussion began of a proper encounter with Buddhism.〔 In time, Buddhism gathered followers and at the end of the 19th century the first Westerners (e.g. Sir Edwin Arnold and Henry Olcott) converted to Buddhism, and in the beginning of the 20th century the first westerners (e.g. Ananda Metteyya and Nyanatiloka) entered the Buddhist monastic life.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Buddhism and Christianity」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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