The Sociology of Knowledge and Buddhist- Christian Forms of Faith, Practice and Knowledge

discuss their own and humanity’s future, it is imperative that they be honest with themselves. Today this is more than a little painful because, in my opinion at least, it involves the admission that both religions are in a state of deep crisis. In the past twenty years especially, a deep malaise has settled over even the leaders of both groups, robbing them of the robust confidence of their prede cessors. The first step towards resolving a crisis is to admit honestly that it exists, and the second step is to determine its nature. Only then can there be any reasonable likelihood of finding effective solutions. There is little doubt as to the nature of this present religious crisis: it is basically a crisis of confidence in religious faith, religious truth and religious knowledge itself. It is an epis-temological crisis of doubt and uncertainty as to whether our re ligious manner of knowing man and the world and of solving ou