Heinrich Dumoulin
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Dumoulin, S.J. (May 31, 1905—July 21, 1995) was a Jesuit theologian, a widely published author on Zen Buddhism, and a professor of philosophy
and history
at Sophia University
in Tokyo, Japan (where he was Professor Emeritus). He was the founder of its Institute for Oriental Religions, as well as the first Director of the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture
.
He was born in Rhineland
, Germany
, and ordained as a Jesuit priest
in 1933. In 1935 he was sent to Japan on missions under the guidance of Fr. Hugo Lassalle, where he became fluent in Shinto
religion and Buddhism
.
He died in 1995 at the age of 90.
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at Sophia University
Sophia University
There are several rankings below related to Sophia University.-General Rankings:The university was ranked 61st in 2010 in the ranking Truly Strong Universities by Toyo Keizai...
in Tokyo, Japan (where he was Professor Emeritus). He was the founder of its Institute for Oriental Religions, as well as the first Director of the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture
Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture
The ' is one of the largest, if not the largest, centers in the world devoted to scholarly research on the interface of philosophy and religions East and West...
.
He was born in Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and ordained as a Jesuit priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1933. In 1935 he was sent to Japan on missions under the guidance of Fr. Hugo Lassalle, where he became fluent in Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
religion and Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.
He died in 1995 at the age of 90.