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List of converts to Buddhism from Christianity

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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

This is a list of notable converts to Buddhism from Christianity.

Name Former denomination Nationality Notes Refs.
Nyanatiloka Mahathera (Anton Walther Florus Gueth) Catholic Church German one of the earliest western Buddhist monks and founder of Island Hermitage [1]
Anthony Lee Baptist American actor and activist [2]
Ananda Metteya (Charles Henry Allan Bennett) Catholic Church British one of the earliest western Buddhist monk and established the first Buddhist Mission in the United Kingdom [3]
Chris Evans Catholic Church American actor and producer [4][5]
Thomas William Rhys Davids Congregationalism British scholar of the Pāli language and founder of Pali Text Society [6]
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott Presbyterianism American military officer, lawyer and first well-known American to make a formal conversion to Buddhism [7]
Lokanatha (Salvatore Cioffi) Catholic Church Italian Theravadin Buddhist missionary monk [8]
Roberto Baggio Catholic Church Italian footballer [9][10]
Kotahene Soma Maha Thera Catholic Church Sri Lankan Theravadin Buddhist monk, translator and missionary [11]
Aliana Lohan Catholic Church American actress, singer and fashion model [12][13][14][15][16]
Alanis Morissette Catholic Church American singer, songwriter and musician [17]
Solomon Bandaranaike Anglicanism Sri Lankan former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and founder of Sri Lanka Freedom Party [18]
Dewi Lestari Catholic Church Indonesian writer, singer, and songwriter [19]
Prince Esper Esperovich Ukhtomsky Russian Orthodox Church Russian poet, publisher and Oriental enthusiast [20]
Helena Blavatsky Russian Orthodox Church Russian philosopher, occultist, founder of the Theosophical Society [21]
Richard Tiffany Gere Methodism American Famous actor and producer, co-founder of Tibet House US [22]
Jimmy Barnes Protestantism Australian Singer and rapper [23]
Orlando Bloom Church of England English Famous actor and leading man in Hollywood films [24][25]
Ajahn Sumedho (Robert Karr Jackman) Episcopal Church (United States) American the one who introduced Thai Forest Tradition to the West and most senior western disciple of Ajahn Chah [26]
Ajahn Viradhammo (Vitauts Akers) Lutheranism Canadian senior western disciple of Ajahn Chah, founder & abbot of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery [27]
Ajahn Brahm Not specific English senior western disciple of Ajahn Chah and abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery [28]
Ajahn Candasiri Not specific Scottish Theravada Buddhist nun of Thai Forest Tradition and one of the senior monastics in western Buddhist circle [29][30]
Ayya Nirodha (Elizabeth Gorski) Catholic Church Austrian, later Australian Theravada Buddhist nun of Thai Forest Tradition, former Abbess of Santi Forest Monastery [31]
Tara Brach Unitarianism American psychologist and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. (IMCW) [32]
Belinda Carlisle Southern Baptist Convention American singer (the Go-Go's), songwriter [33][34]
Houn Jiyu-Kennett Church of England English Soto Zen rōshi and founder of Shasta Abbey [35]
John Daido Loori Catholic Church American Zen Buddhist rōshi, abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery [36]
Ananda Claude Dalenberg Dutch Reformed Church American Zen priest ordained by Shunryū Suzuki [37]
Michael D. ("Mugaku") Zimmerman Episcopal Church (United States) American prominent attorney and former justice of the Utah Supreme Court [38]
William Oliver Stone Episcopal Church (United States) American film director, producer, and screenwriter [39]
Pema Chödrön Catholic Church American Tibetan Buddhist nun [40]
Fabian Fucan Catholic Church (Society of Jesus) Japanese writer of tracts, at first supporting Christianity and then criticizing it [41]
Ko Ye Lwin Not specific Burmese prominent musician, guitarist and peace activist [42]
Alfred Bloom Evangelicalism American professor and dean of the Institute of Buddhist Studies [43]
Seungsahn Haengwon Presbyterianism Korean Seon master and the founder of Kwan Um School of Zen [44]
Junius Richard Jayewardene Not specific Sri Lankan first President of Sri Lanka and former Prime minister [45]
Steve Jobs Lutheranism American co-founder of Apple Computer, Inc. [46][47]
Charles R. Johnson African Methodist Episcopal Church American political cartoonist, novelist and Buddhist writer [48]
Dewi Lestari Pentecostalism Indonesian singer and writer [49][50]
Tsai Chih Chung Catholic Church Taiwanese famous cartoonist, well-known in both Taiwan and mainland China [51]
Leung Man-tao Catholic Church Chinese writer, critic and host [52]
Christine Rankin Catholic Church New Zealander politician and former civil servant who served as head of the Ministry of Social Development [53]
Seta Manoukian Armenian Apostolic Church Armenian Armenian painter [54]
Tina Turner Baptist Swiss singer and actress [55]
Herman Vetterling Swedenborgianism American mystic but he retained elements of Swedenborg thought after his conversion [56][57]
Michael Imperioli Catholicism American actor, writer, director, and musician. [58][59]
Sam Lao Church of the East Chinese Rishi, Dalit Buddhist and New Age Scientist. [60][61]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bhikkhu Nyanatusita and Hellmuth Hecker (2008). The Life of Nyanatiloka: The Biography of a Western Buddhist Pioneer. Buddhist Publication Society. p. 17. ISBN 9789552402906.
  2. ^ "Archives". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  3. ^ "Bennett, (Charles Henry) Allan (1872-1923)". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  4. ^ Sachs, Adam (May 2012). "The Avengers' Chris Evans: Just Your Average Beer-Swilling, Babe-Loving Buddhist". Details. Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  5. ^ Eels, Josh (May 4, 2016). "'Captain America: Civil War': Why Chris Evans Is the Anxious Avenger". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  6. ^ "Buddhist India, by T.W. Rhys Davids". Fsnow.com. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  7. ^ Janet Kerschner, The Olcott Family Archived 2008-12-18 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "From Catholic to Chemist to Buddhist Missionary". tricycle.org. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  9. ^ "Planet Sport: Roberto Baggio returns ponytail for Italian federation". The Guardian. August 8, 2010.
  10. ^ "Buddisti Soka Gakkai. Una Sabina vi convertirà" (in Italian). Chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  11. ^ The Path Of Freedom (Vimuttimagga) of Arahant Upatissa Translated from the Chinese by Rev. N. R. M. Ehara, Soma Thera, Kheminda Thera. Buddhist Publication Society. Kandy, Ceylon, page IX
  12. ^ "9 Celebrities who publicly changed their religion". India.com. May 27, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  13. ^ "Lindsay Lohan Is Reportedly Converting to Islam". Complex.com. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  14. ^ "From Richard Gere to Katie Holmes: When celebs left their religion". dna. May 22, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  15. ^ "Lindsay Lohan confirms she's studying Islam after being seen with a Koran". The Washington Times. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  16. ^ "Ali Lohan". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  17. ^ "Alanis Morissette". InsideNoVA. September 16, 2021. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021. 'Ironic' singer Alanis Morissette has been practicing Buddhism many years.
  18. ^ Melkonian, Neery. "Lebanon in the Armenian Imaginary: So Close with a Distance". Seismopolite: Journal of Art and Politics. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  19. ^ CINEMA 21. "CINEMA 21 - We Are The Largest Cinema Chain In Indonesia". CINEMA 21. Retrieved 2024-04-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ Johnson, K. Paul. Initiates of theosophical masters.(SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions/Suny Series in Political Party Development). SUNY Press, 1995. ISBN 0-7914-2555-X, 978-0-7914-2555-8 page 125
  21. ^ Cranston, Sylvia (1993). HPB: The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Helena Blavatsky, Founder of the Modern Theosophical Movement. London: G.P. Putnam's Sons. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-87477-688-1.
  22. ^ "Richard Gere: On guard". BBC News. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  23. ^ McCarthy, Danielle. "Why Jimmy Barnes abandoned son David Campbell as a baby OverSixty". Oversixty.com.au. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  24. ^ Orlando Bloom 'converts to Buddhism'
  25. ^ Interview with Orlando Bloom Archived March 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ "Buddha, by Ajahn Sumedho". Buddhism Now. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  27. ^ Mauro Peressini (2016). Choosing Buddhism: The Life Stories of Eight Canadians. Ottawa University Press; 1st edition. pp. 69–101. ISBN 9780776623337.
  28. ^ "I Kidnapped a Monk!". Buddhistdoor International. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  29. ^ BBC
  30. ^ Ajahn Candasiri's website Archived July 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ Trebilcock, Freeman (2016-09-01), Buddhist Life Stories of Australia - Venerable Nirodha Bhikkhuni, retrieved 2021-10-02
  32. ^ ""Allow life to be as it is"" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-10-31.
  33. ^ "Allez-allez - a Go-Go decides to turn French". The Sydney Morning Herald. March 5, 2007.
  34. ^ Carlisle, Belinda (2011). Lips Unsealed: A Memoir. Crown Publishing Group. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-307-46350-0.
  35. ^ Kay, David N. (2007). Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and Adaptation. Routledge. pp. 120–121.
  36. ^ Magida, Arthur J. (2006). Opening the Doors of Wonder: Reflections on Religious Rites of Passage. University of California Press. p. 203. ISBN 0520245458.
  37. ^ "Ananda Claude Dalenberg Biographical Notes". Cuke.com. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  38. ^ Jarvik, Elaine (December 16, 2006). "Utah justice now Zen teacher". Deseret News. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012.
  39. ^ "The religion of director Oliver Stone". Adherents.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  40. ^ PBS
  41. ^ De Bary, William Theodore (2008). Sources of East Asian Tradition: The modern period. Columbia University Press. pp. 184–185. ISBN 978-0-231-14323-3.
  42. ^ Zon Pann Pwint (20 July 2018). "Ko Ye Lwin: a great musician and a late Buddhist samaritan". The Myanmar Times. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  43. ^ Gee, Pat (2017-08-29). "Former UH professor shared compassion of Shin Buddhism". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  44. ^ Ford, James Ishmael (2006). Zen Master Who?. Wisdom Publications. pp. 99, 100, 101. ISBN 0-86171-509-8.
  45. ^ de Silva, K. M.; William Howard Wriggins (1988). J.R. Jayewardene of Sri Lanka. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press. p. 133. ISBN 0-8248-1183-6.
  46. ^ What do Steve Jobs’s final words mean?
  47. ^ The spiritual side of Steve Jobs
  48. ^ Charles R. Johnson interview at Monsters&Critics Archived 2007-11-08 at the Wayback Machine: "Buddhism has been my refuge (as it was intended to be for practitioners) since I was 14-years-old, and first sat in formal meditation."
  49. ^ Dewi 'Dee' Lestari: Love, spirituality and ecology[permanent dead link]
  50. ^ "Sensasi Pernikahan Kedua Dewi Lestari". Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  51. ^ "漫畫大師蔡志忠 少林寺落髮出家". cna.com.tw. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  52. ^ 凤凰网：梁文道在佛教中寻找人生方向(in Chinese)
  53. ^ Claire Harvey (2005-12-31). "Free-range soul searching replacing organised religion in NZ". New Zealand Herald.
  54. ^ New York Times
  55. ^ Orth, Maureen (2004). "Proud Tina: Tina Turner". The Importance of Being Famous. Henry Holt and Company. p. 42. ISBN 9780805075458. Retrieved July 21, 2012. buddhist.
  56. ^ The Dharma of Emanuel Swedenborg: A Buddhist Perspective
  57. ^ Imagining Tibet : Perceptions, Projections, and Fantasies by Thierry Dodin
  58. ^ "Buddhist Channel | Personality".
  59. ^ "Inside the Zen Mind of Michael Imperioli". 3 September 2020.
  60. ^ The Dharma of Emanuel Swedenborg: A Buddhist Perspective
  61. ^ Imagining Tibet : Perceptions, Projections, and Fantasies by Thierry Dodin
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