Abstract
The author of this contribution to "Symposium on the 20th Anniversary of Habits of the Heart" describes her study of Buddhism in the US & looks at religious individualism in terms of what she has learned of that religion, of her childhood in mainstream Protestantism, & of how the subject is treated in <FTRIHabits. It struck her that in the descriptions of "Eastern religions" in Habits, Buddhism in the US is characterized as "counter-cultural," but then she realized that in 1985, Buddhism was on the fringe of American religion, attracting "seekers." Today it has deep roots in America & is practiced by many non-Asian-Americans, some of whom may have individualistic orientations toward their religion. For most, however, the core of their religion is shared. There may be an emphasis on personal freedom, similar to that of the individuals profiled in Habits, but it does not exist in isolation. References. J. Stanton