List of converts to Buddhism from Christianity

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

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

See also

References
  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. "Bennett, (Charles Henry) Allan (1872-1923)". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  3. "Buddhist India, by T.W. Rhys Davids". Fsnow.com. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  4. Janet Kerschner, The Olcott Family Archived 2008-12-18 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "From Catholic to Chemist to Buddhist Missionary". tricycle.org. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  6. "Planet Sport: Roberto Baggio returns ponytail for Italian federation". The Guardian. August 8, 2010.
  7. "Buddisti Soka Gakkai. Una Sabina vi convertirà" (in Italian). Chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  8. 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
  9. Melkonian, Neery. "Lebanon in the Armenian Imaginary: So Close with a Distance". Seismopolite: Journal of Art and Politics. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  10. 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
  11. Cranston 1993, p. 9.
  12. "Richard Gere: On guard". BBC NEWS. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  13. Orlando Bloom 'converts to Buddhism'
  14. Interview with Orlando Bloom Archived March 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  15. "Buddha, by Ajahn Sumedho". Buddhism Now. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  16. Mauro Peressini (2016). Choosing Buddhism: The Life Stories of Eight Canadians. Ottawa University Press; 1st edition. pp. 69–101. ISBN 9780776623337.
  17. "I Kidnapped a Monk!". Buddhistdoor International. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  18. BBC
  19. Ajahn Candasiri's website Archived July 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ""Allow life to be as it is"" (PDF). Retrieved 2020-10-31.
  21. "Allez-allez - a Go-Go decides to turn French". The Sydney Morning Herald. March 5, 2007.
  22. Carlisle, Belinda (2011). Lips Unsealed: A Memoir. Crown Publishing Group. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-307-46350-0.
  23. Kay, David N. (2007). Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and Adaptation. Routldge. pp. 120–121.
  24. Magida, Arthur J. (2006). Opening the Doors of Wonder: Reflections on Religious Rites of Passage. University of California Press. p. 203. ISBN 0520245458.
  25. "Ananda Claude Dalenberg Biographical Notes". Cuke.com. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  26. Jarvik, Elaine (December 16, 2006). "Utah justice now Zen teacher". Deseret News.
  27. "The religion of director Oliver Stone". Adherents.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  28. PBS
  29. 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.
  30. Zon Pann Pwint (20 July 2018). "Ko Ye Lwin: a great musician and a late Buddhist samaritan". The Myanmar Times. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  31. Gee, Pat (2017-08-29). "Former UH professor shared compassion of Shin Buddhism". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  32. Ford, James Ishmael (2006). Zen Master Who?. Wisdom Publications. pp. 99, 100, 101. ISBN 0-86171-509-8.
  33. 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.
  34. What do Steve Jobs’s final words mean?
  35. The spiritual side of Steve Jobs
  36. 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."
  37. Once Upon a Galaxy: A Journal of The Making of The Empire Strikes Back by Alan Arnold (1980, Sphere Books) p.238.
  38. Dewi 'Dee' Lestari: Love, spirituality and ecology
  39. "Sensasi Pernikahan Kedua Dewi Lestari". Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  40. "漫畫大師蔡志忠 少林寺落髮出家". cna.com.tw. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  41. 凤凰网：梁文道在佛教中寻找人生方向(in Chinese)
  42. Claire Harvey (2005-12-31). "Free-range soul searching replacing organised religion in NZ". New Zealand Herald.
  43. New York Times
  44. 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.
  45. The Dharma of Emanuel Swedenborg: A Buddhist Perspective
  46. Imagining Tibet : Perceptions, Projections, and Fantasies by Thierry Dodin
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