Evangelical Zen, second edition

FRD Senior Fellow and Evangelical chapter collaborator, Paul Louis Metzger, has worked to produce the second edition of the book Evangelical Zen, where he reflects on his journey with the late Kyogen Carlson, who headed up FRD’s Buddhist chapter. The description at the publisher’s website reads:

”Evangelical Zen is part Augustine's Confessions and part Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Here Paul Louis Metzger, an Evangelical Christian theologian, reflects on his spiritual journey--an inner pilgrimage of sorts that weaves through a physical forty-day journey with his family to Japan. The experiences of that journey, the beauties of Japan, its culture, and its religion become for him a lens on a deeper quest: here he is searching for and, he believes, finding a global humanity in conversation with the late Zen Buddhist priest Kyogen Carlson, his Buddhist friend. This second edition includes a new foreword by esteemed missionary statesman and scholar, Thomas John Hastings, a new introduction and new concluding essay by the author, and an afterword by the acclaimed Buddhist author, Sallie Jiko Tisdale.”

Paul announced the second edition on his Facebook page with these words:

“I treasure the memories of sacred moments with my family in Japan and memorable exchanges with Abbot Kyogen Carlson that fill this book. My heart is full of gratitude for these relationships….Many thanks to all those who helped to make this second edition possible, and for the prayers and good thoughts that sustain my family on our ongoing journey. Mysteriously, Kyogen's friendship also accompanies me in my heart and thoughts.”