Purity of Heart and Contemplation

Christian-Buddhist dialogue is now old hat, a common occurrence at least since Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hanh became buddies through their shared concerns about the Vietnam War. But Christian-Taoist dialogue? Or Christian-Confucianist dialogue? Such is the uncharted interfaith territory explored in Purity of Heart and Contemplation: A Monastic Dialogue Between Christian and Asian Traditions, edited by Bruno Barnhart and Joseph Wong. The 18 essays gathered here were presented during a ""remarkable week of interfaith dialogue"" at New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, Calif., last summer, and push the envelope of interfaith spirituality in fresh ways.