In this era of recrudescent religious strife, any book is welcome that contributes to interfaith dialogue. This is especially true if that book does so from the perspective of Buddhism, since it has historically paid little attention to this increasingly important topic. Kristin Beise Kiblinger's Buddhist Inclusivism is such a book, and it is an exemplary addition to the cross-cultural discussion on ecumenism. At first blush, it is somewhat puzzling that Buddhists have done little work in this area because, as Kiblinger points out, "there is a romanticized perception of Buddhism as an exceptionally tolerant and inclusivistic religion" (p. 3). Be this popular view as it may, it is true that Buddhist scholars and theologians have to date made few contributions in this regard, and Kiblinger's volume is an attempt to address this deficiency. It is notable that while Kiblinger is not herself a Buddhist, she believes that scholars from the "outside" can make a contribution to Buddhist interreligious dialogue because their distance from the tradition might very well produce insights or understandings that may not occur to, or could be overlooked by, those who are of the faith.Kiblinger begins by explaining that there are three possible responses to the religious other: exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism. The exclusivist attitude of some religions toward other religions.
