The Buddha's Midwife: Paul Carus and the Spread of Buddhism in America

Before 1893, Americans viewed the religions of the East through the eyes of Christian missionaries, who judged them to be demonic, atheistic, and pessimistic. This comfortable view was seriously upset by the Parliament of Religions which met during the Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) in Chicago. Although intended by its planners to showcase Western belief systems as morally superior to those of the East, the Parliament turned out to be a surprise to many, and to some a life-changing sho...