[Buddha-l] Is Australia a Buddhist Country?

[Franz Metcalf]

Gang,

Thanks to Sally McAra for that great reference to the Wuthnow and Cadge  
JSSR article on Buddhism. Since Blackwell (the publisher) wants $26 for  
me even to *look* at it for 30 days, I'll have to head over to the  
library to read it. But I figure it's vaut un voyage as Wendy Cadge has  
done good work on Theravada Buddhism in America and I can think of no  
better or more influential sociological observer of American religion  
than Robert Wuthnow. I'm delighted he's decided Buddhism is worth  
looking into. If, as the abstract states, one in eight Americans has  
been importantly influenced in their spirituality by Buddhism, then  
he's right to give that little old thing a look. I hope further  
mainstream researchers do so as well.

FYI, the abstract is at:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468 
-5906.2004.00240.x

Franz Metcalf