It is argued that Buddhadsa’s Dhammic essentialism and Pieris’ dialogical integrationism are not contradictory, but enhance each other as counter-point movements, in their common vision and struggle to build a more just, peaceful and humanistic community. Through a comprehensive study of each model, this thesis shows how each thinker develops a liberative spirituality of socio-spiritual transformation by radically returning to the originating sources of their respective religious traditions and how they engage with the root problems of modern Thailand and Sri Lanka respectively, from their liberative thought and praxis.
It argues that an answer is found in the dialogue between two models of radical orthopraxis: Bhikkhu Buddhadsa’s Dhammic essentialist praxis for human liberation and Aloysius Pieris’ dialogical integrationist action for justice and peace. In the face of problems and challenges never experienced before, it asks how Buddhism and Christianity can act as a source of hope to the people who suffer from socio-economic injustice, religio-political conflicts, and environmental crises.
This thesis constructs a creative Buddhist-Christian dialogue and action, appropriate to the Theravada countries of Asia in the era of globalization.
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