List of converts to Buddhism from Christianity

Last updated

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

NameFormer denominationNationalityNotesRefs.
Nyanatiloka Mahathera (Anton Walther Florus Gueth) Catholic Church Germanone of the earliest western Buddhist monks and founder of Island Hermitage [1]
Anthony Lee Baptist Americanactor and activist [2]
Ananda Metteya (Charles Henry Allan Bennett) Catholic Church Britishone of the earliest western Buddhist monk and established the first Buddhist Mission in the United Kingdom [3]
Chris Evans Catholic Church Americanactor and producer [4] [5]
Thomas William Rhys Davids Congregationalism Britishscholar of the Pāli language and founder of Pali Text Society [6]
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott Presbyterianism Americanmilitary officer, lawyer and first well-known American to make a formal conversion to Buddhism [7]
Lokanatha (Salvatore Cioffi) Catholic Church ItalianTheravadin Buddhist missionary monk [8]
Roberto Baggio Catholic Church Italianfootballer [9] [10]
Kotahene Soma Maha Thera Catholic Church Sri LankanTheravadin Buddhist monk, translator and missionary [11]
Aliana Lohan Catholic Church Americanactress, singer and fashion model [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
Alanis Morissette Catholic Church Americansinger-songwriter and musician [17]
Solomon Bandaranaike Anglicanism Sri Lankanformer Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and founder of Sri Lanka Freedom Party [18]
Dewi Lestari Catholic Church Indonesianwriter, singer-songwriter [19]
Prince Esper Esperovich Ukhtomsky Russian Orthodox Church Russianpoet, publisher and Oriental enthusiast [20]
Helena Blavatsky Russian Orthodox Church Russianphilosopher, occultist, founder of the Theosophical Society [21]
Richard Tiffany Gere Methodism AmericanFamous actor and producer, co-founder of Tibet House US [22]
Jimmy Barnes Protestantism AustralianSinger and rapper [23]
Orlando Bloom Church of England EnglishFamous actor and leading man in Hollywood films [24] [25]
Ajahn Sumedho (Robert Karr Jackman) Episcopal Church (United States) Americanthe one who introduced Thai Forest Tradition to the West and most senior western disciple of Ajahn Chah [26]
Ajahn Viradhammo (Vitauts Akers) Lutheranism Canadiansenior western disciple of Ajahn Chah, founder & abbot of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery [27]
Ajahn Brahm Not specificEnglishsenior western disciple of Ajahn Chah and abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery [28]
Ajahn Candasiri Not specificScottish Theravada Buddhist nun of Thai Forest Tradition and one of the senior monastics in western Buddhist circle [29] [30]
Ayya Nirodha (Elizabeth Gorski) Catholic Church Austrian, later Australian Theravada Buddhist nun of Thai Forest Tradition, former Abbess of Santi Forest Monastery [31]
Tara Brach Unitarianism Americanpsychologist and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. (IMCW) [32]
Belinda Carlisle Southern Baptist Convention Americansinger (the Go-Go's), songwriter [33] [34]
Houn Jiyu-Kennett Church of England EnglishSoto Zen rōshi and founder of Shasta Abbey [35]
John Daido Loori Catholic Church AmericanZen Buddhist rōshi, abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery [36]
Ananda Claude Dalenberg Dutch Reformed Church AmericanZen priest ordained by Shunryū Suzuki [37]
Michael D. ("Mugaku") Zimmerman Episcopal Church (United States) Americanprominent attorney and former justice of the Utah Supreme Court [38]
William Oliver Stone Episcopal Church (United States) Americanfilm director, producer, and screenwriter [39]
Pema Chödrön Catholic Church American Tibetan Buddhist nun [40]
Fabian Fucan Catholic Church (Society of Jesus)Japanesewriter of tracts, at first supporting Christianity and then criticizing it [41]
Ko Ye Lwin Not specificBurmeseprominent musician, guitarist and peace activist [42]
Alfred Bloom Evangelicalism Americanprofessor and dean of the Institute of Buddhist Studies [43]
Seungsahn Haengwon Presbyterianism Korean Seon master and the founder of Kwan Um School of Zen [44]
Junius Richard Jayewardene Not specificSri Lankanfirst President of Sri Lanka and former Prime minister [45]
Steve Jobs Lutheranism Americanco-founder of Apple Computer, Inc. [46] [47]
Charles R. Johnson African Methodist Episcopal Church Americanpolitical cartoonist, novelist and Buddhist writer [48]
Dewi Lestari Pentecostalism Indonesiansinger and writer [49] [50]
Tsai Chih Chung Catholic Church Taiwanesefamous cartoonist, well-known in both Taiwan and mainland China [51]
Leung Man-tao Catholic Church Chinesewriter, critic and host [52]
Christine Rankin Catholic Church New Zealanderpolitician and former civil servant who served as head of the Ministry of Social Development [53]
Seta Manoukian Armenian Apostolic Church ArmenianArmenian painter [54]
Tina Turner Baptist Swisssinger and actress [55]
Herman Vetterling Swedenborgianism Americanmystic but he retained elements of Swedenborg thought after his conversion [56] [57]
Michael Imperioli Catholicism Americanactor, writer, director, and musician. [58] [59]
Sam Lao Church of the East ChineseRishi, Dalit Buddhist and New Age Scientist. [60] [61]

See also

References

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