40BULTMANN, RUDOLF
in reincarnation, skepticism about the
substantial nature of persons existing
over time, and either a denial of the exis-
tence of Brahman or the treatment of
Brahman as inconsequential. This is its
clearest departure from Hinduism. The
goal of the religious life is nirvana, a
transformation of human consciousness
that involves shedding the illusion of
selfhood.
Schools of Buddhism include Theravada
Buddhism, the oldest and strictest in
terms of promoting the importance of
monastic life; Mahayana Buddhism,
which emerged later and displays less
resistance to Hindu themes and does not
place as stringent an emphasis on monas-
tic vocation; Pure Land Buddhism; and
Zen Buddhism.
BULTMANN, RUDOLF (1884–1976).
German theologian who argued that
to be credible, Christianity needed to be
“demythologized,” renouncing any appeal
to miracles. The core teaching of Christi-
anity (its message or kerygma) is the
encounter with Christ’s word, but this
word is not so much a matter of a histori-
cal God-incarnate. Christ’s message is,
rather, our need to take our freedom
seriously and to live in a contingent world
authentically, not caving into a self-
deception that masks anxiety (angst).
Bultmann’s works include Jesus and the
Wo r d (1926), Belief and Understanding,
2 vols. (1933, 1953) “The New Testament
and Mythology” in Kerygma and Myth,
vol. 1 (1948), Theology of the New Testa-
ment, 2 vols. (1948–1953), The Question
of Demythologizing (with Karl Jaspers)
(1954), History and Eschatology (1957),
and Jesus Christ and Mythology (1958).
See also DEMYTHOLOGIZE.BURKE, EDMUND (1729–1797). A
British statesman who was suspicious of
the Enlightenment claims about reason.
He believed in the vital role of tradition
and culture in matters of politics,
culture, and religion. Burke argued that
the French Revolution was disastrous (he
condemned the regicide of Louis XVI)
because there was no stable moral culture
to inhibit the political chaos and violence.
He is also known for his high view of the
sublime. He is the author of Philosophical
Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the
Sublime and the Beautiful (1757) and
Reflections on the Revolution in France
(1790).BUTLER, JOSEPH (1692–1752). A
foremost defender and practitioner of
natural theology in his day. He defended
the compatibility of faith and reason,
and he developed a powerful argument
against psychological egoism. His works
include Fifteen Sermons (1726), Disserta-
tion on the Nature of Virtue (1936), and
Analogy of Religion (1736).