CNU professor's book covers history of Buddhism

News Release - January 16, 2006
contact:
Karen L. Gill
karen.gill@cnu.edu
(757) 594-8428

(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) — A religious studies professor at Christopher Newport University has recently published his first book.

“Buddhism” by Dr. John M. Thompson, assistant professor of religious studies, is the third volume of a six-volume set, "Introduction to the World's Major Religions," published by Greenwood Press.

The introductory textbook spans the history of Buddhism from its origins in the Ganges River valley in the sixth century B.C. to the present, including contemporary Buddhists such as the Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi.

“As a good quasi-Buddhist, I was aiming for a middle way between popularized banality and scholarly detail,” Thompson said.

The book includes a timeline of major events, a glossary of technical terms, and an annotated bibliography. It also includes several photographs taken by Thompson during research trips to China and Japan.

“A major challenge was that Buddhism incorporates an array of languages that differ considerably from European languages,” Thompson said. “I had to constantly switch back and forth between translating and transliterating various technical terms.”

The 280-page, hardcover book is sold as part of the entire set, which has a cover price $325 and is available from Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Thompson also is working on other manuscripts: one that focuses on the notion of "wisdom" in early Chinese Buddhism and a textbook on Chinese religious and philosophical traditions. He also is working on a novel about a Buddhist monk and the Silk Road.

Christopher Newport University is a four-year public university in Newport News, Virginia. CNU enrolls 4,800 students in programs through its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Luter School of Business and offers great teaching, small classes and an emphasis on leadership, civic engagement and honor. Visit us at www.cnu.edu.

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