Index
back to Brethren in Christ, USA
| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brethren in Christ | USA | - | - | 197 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official web site | Counted congregations from their index |
| Brethren in Christ | Virginia | 349 | 0.01% | 7 units |
- | 1990 | Glenmary Research Center. Churches & Church Membership in U.S., 1990. | By-county org. reports, figures from 'Churches' & inclusive 'Adherents' columns. More exclusive 'members': 321. [Listed as 'Brethren in Christ Church.'] |
| Brethren in Christ | Virginia | - | - | 9 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official web site | Counted congregations from their index |
| Brethren in Christ | West Virginia | - | - | 1 unit |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official web site | Counted congregations from their index |
| Brethren in Christ | Wisconsin | 37 | 0.00% | 1 unit |
- | 1990 | Glenmary Research Center. Churches & Church Membership in U.S., 1990. | By-county org. reports, figures from 'Churches' & inclusive 'Adherents' columns. More exclusive 'members': 34. [Listed as 'Brethren in Christ Church.'] |
| Brethren in Christ | Wisconsin | - | - | 2 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official web site | Counted congregations from their index |
| Brethren in Christ | world | 5,500 | - | 90 units |
- | 1945 | Ferm, Vergilius (ed). An Encyclopedia of Religion; Westport, CT: Greenwood Press (1976; 1st ed. pub. 1945 by Philosophical Library); pg. 666. | Table of the 3 River Brethren sects, the number of churches and members in each. Bethren in Christ (founded 1862), Older Order or Yorker Brethren (1843), and United Zion's Children (Brinsers, founded 1853). |
| Brethren in Christ | world | - | - | - | 11 countries |
1987 | Melton, J. Gordon (ed.) The Encyclopedia of American Religions: Vol. 1. Tarrytown, NY: Triumph Books (1991); Chapter: European Free-Church Family; section: German Mennonites; pg. 303. | "Brethren in Christ... Upland, CA [H.Q.]... derive from the informally organized River Brethren who formed in the intense religious atmosphere of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the 1770s. The Brethren, mennonites influenced by the Dunker tradition... The church through its continued evangelistic thrust, has spread across the U.S. and Canada... A Board for World Missions oversees missions in India, Japan, Nicaragua, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cuba, Great Britain, Columbia and Venezuela " |
| Brethren in Christ | world | - | - | - | 19 countries |
1998 | *LINK* official web site | Established in USA and Canada, and has missions in other countries. |
| Brethren in Christ | Zambia | 6,000 | - | - | - | 1979 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD 1979); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Anglicans 90,000; Reformed Church (S. African DRC) 90,000+; Baptists (3 groups) 16,000; Brethren (CMML) 50,000; Evangelical (AEF) 20,000; Brethren in Christ 6,000. |
| Brethren in Christ | Zambia | 12,026 | - | 121 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Africa: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | ZAMBIA: Brethren in Christ Church (Zambia)... Members: 12,026; Congregations: 121 |
| Brethren in Christ Church Orissa | India | 720 | - | 24 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Asia/Pacific: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | INDIA... Brethren in Christ Church Orissa... Members: 720; Congregations: 24 |
| Brethren in Christ Church Society | India | 2,435 | - | 37 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Asia/Pacific: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | INDIA... Brethren in Christ Church Society... Members: 2,435; Congregations: 37 |
| Brethren in Christ General Conference | Canada | 18,424 | - | 40 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "USA/Canada: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | Brethren in Christ General Conference (North America); Members: Canada - 3,219; USA - 18,424; Total - 21,643; Congregations: Canada - 40; USA - 190; Total - 230 |
| Brethren in Christ General Conference | North America | 21,643 | - | 230 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "USA/Canada: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | Brethren in Christ General Conference (North America); Members: Canada - 3,219; USA - 18,424; Total - 21,643; Congregations: Canada - 40; USA - 190; Total - 230 |
| Brethren in Christ General Conference | Saskatchewan: Saskatoon | - | - | 2 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* web site: Saskatoon Free-Net:Religion (viewed 1998) | citywide religion directory for Saskatoon & area; listed in directory as 'Brethren in Christ Conference' |
| Brethren in Christ General Conference | USA | 3,219 | - | 190 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "USA/Canada: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | Brethren in Christ General Conference (North America); Members: Canada - 3,219; USA - 18,424; Total - 21,643; Congregations: Canada - 40; USA - 190; Total - 230 |
| Brethren of the Common Life | Netherlands | - | - | - | - | 1600 | Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 120. | "Brethren of the Common Life. A semi-monastic order which was founded in Holland and flourished from the late fourteenth through the seventeenth centuries. It was known for schools, literary productivity, and deep piety. The Imitation of Christ, a classic devotional manual, emerged from Brethren circles. " |
| Bribri | Costa Rica | 35,000 | - | - | - | 1973 | Guevara-Berger, Marcos. "A Visit to a Bribri Shaman " in South and Meso-American Native Spirituality, ed. by Gary H. Gossen. New York: Crossroad Publishing Co. (1997); pg. 371-372. | "The Bribri... are the largest remaining Indian population of Costa Rica. Population estimates range from around 35,000 in 1973 (Bozzoli de Willie 1979, 37) to some 600,000 in the decade 1980-1990 (Kaplan 1983, 91)... The increasing presence of Costa Rican national culture also encourages the learning of Spanish and conversion to Catholicism or Protestantism... " |
| Bribri | Costa Rica | 600,000 | - | - | - | 1985 | Guevara-Berger, Marcos. "A Visit to a Bribri Shaman " in South and Meso-American Native Spirituality, ed. by Gary H. Gossen. New York: Crossroad Publishing Co. (1997); pg. 371-372. | "The Bribri... are the largest remaining Indian population of Costa Rica. Population estimates range from around 35,000 in 1973 (Bozzoli de Willie 1979, 37) to some 600,000 in the decade 1980-1990 (Kaplan 1983, 91)... The increasing presence of Costa Rican national culture also encourages the learning of Spanish and conversion to Catholicism or Protestantism... " |
| Bribri | Costa Rica | - | - | - | - | 1998 | Daling, Tjabel. Costa Rica: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture (In Focus series), Brooklyn, New York: Interlink Books (1998); pg. 48. | "Optimistic estimates suggest that there are currently 30,000 Indians (indegenas) living in Costa Rica, but pessimists put the figure at fewer than 10,000. Most live in the Talamanca region. The two largest groupings are the Cabecares and the Bribri, who more actively than other Indian groups, are trying to preserve their own way of life, their culture, and their language. "; pg. 80: "Ethnic composition... 1% (c. 30,000) " |
| British Conference of Mennonites | United Kingdom: Great Britain | 25 | - | 1 unit |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Europe: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | GREAT BRITAIN... British Conference of Mennonites; Members: 25; Congregations: 1 |
| British Methodist Church | United Kingdom | 800,000 | - | - | - | 1932 | Kennedy, Gerald. The Methodist Way of Life. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall (1958); pg. 107. | "In 1857, the Reformers and the Methodist Association united to form the United Free Methodist Church. In 1907 the United Free Churches, the Bible Christians, and the Methodist New Connection united in the United Methodist Church. Finally, in 1932, the Wesleyan Methodists, the Primitive Methodists, and the United Methodists joined together in the British Methodist Church with a membership of about 800,000. " |
| British Methodist Church | United Kingdom | - | - | - | - | 1981 | Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 478. | "The largest [Methodist] churches, all having 500,000 members or more are: the Methodist Church of Great Britain; the Methodist Church of South Africa; and, in the U.S... " |
| British Orthodox | United Kingdom | - | - | 12 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official web site | Christianity:Eastern/Orthodox:Non-Chalcedonian:Coptic Orthodox:British Orthodox: directory |
| British Orthodox | world | - | - | 12 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official web site | Christianity:Eastern/Orthodox:Non-Chalcedonian:Coptic Orthodox:British Orthodox: directory |
| British Orthodox | world | 5,000 | - | - | - | 1999 | *LINK* Zuck, Jon. "Unofficial Home Page of The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church " (last updated 21 Mar. 1999). | "Together, the Oriental Orthodox Churches have about 36,000,000 members. Syrian Orthodox Church... Coptic Orthodox Church c. 10,000,000; British Orthodox Church c. 5000?; Armenian Orthodox Church c.4,000,000; Ethiopian Orthodox Church c. 20,000,000 " |
| British-Israelism | world | 25,000 | - | - | - | 1983 | *LINK* web site: "New Religious Movements " (University of Virginia); web page: "British-Israelism/Anglo-Israelism " (viewed 31 Jan. 1999); "Created by Brian T. Ullman For Sociology 497, Fall 1998 " | "Barkun writes that while British-Israelism reached its peak in the 1920s in England, the Depression of the 1930s provided the movements best environment in the United States. The Anglo-Saxon Federation of America published a monthly magazine until 1969, and Rand's Editorial Letter Service of BI claimed 25 thousand readers in 1983 (Barkun: 44). " |
| British-Israelism | world | 100,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: "New Religious Movements " (University of Virginia); web page: "Christian Identity Movement " (viewed 31 Jan. 1999); "Created by Allison Fairley For Sociology 497, Fall 1998 " [Orig. source: White, Gayle. "Q&A ON THE NEWS; Christian Identity Movement: A primer. " in The Atlanta Constitution (6 March 1998.:10A).] | "Size of Group: Because of the group's nature, its size is unknown. An article by Gayle White of The Atlanta Constitution estimates that the numbers may range from 2,000-100,000. Obviously, such a wide variance provides little help in estimating the size of the group. |
| Broadview Baptist Church | Illinois: Chicago | 2,000 | - | 1 unit |
- | 1992 | *LINK* Thumma, Scott. web site: "Megachurches in the U.S. " (viewed Aug. 20, 1999; data collected 1992; last updated Aug. 19, 1999). Center for Social & Religious Research, Hartford Seminary. | Table; "size " is avg. weekly attendance. Study finding all U.S megachurches.; Indep. cong. in Chicago, Illinois; pastor Clarence Hopson. |
| Brotherhood of Christians-Baptists of the Ukraine | Ukraine | 7,880 | - | 84 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Baptist World Alliance web site; page: "BWA Statistics " (viewed 31 March 1999). | "Figures are for BWA affiliated conventions/unions only (no independents included). "; Table with 3 columns: Country, "Churches ", & "Members "; "1997/1998 Totals " |
| Brotherhood of the Cross and Star | Nigeria | - | - | - | - | 1991 | *LINK* Wilson, Andrew (ed). "The World Religions and their Scriptures " in World Scripture. International Religious Foundation, 1991. (viewed 9 July 1999) | "In the twentieth century, new Christian groups tend to be more charismatic. They include the independent churches in Africa such as the Kimbanguists in Zaire and the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star in Nigeria. " |
| Brownsville Revival | world | 3,500 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: New Religious Movements (University of Virginia) (1998) [Orig. source: (http://www.brownsville-revival.org/mercy.html)] | Christianity:Protestant:Pentecostal: The approximate size now, of the Brownsville Revival, is about 3,500 regular attendees. However, approximately 3,000-4,000 visitors attend the revival each night. |
| Bruder Schweigen Strike Force Two | USA | - | - | - | - | 1993 | Landau, Elaine. The White Power Movement: America's Racist Hate Groups. Brookfield, CT: Milbrook Press (1993); pg. 60. | "...the Order... has also gone by the names Bruder Schweigen or Silent Brotherhood (which differs from the Bruder Schweigen Strike Force Two)... " |
| Bruderbewegung | Germany | 500 | - | - | - | 1999 | *LINK* web site: "Religionswissenschaftlicher Medien- und Informationsdienst e.V. " [REMID: Religious Studies Media and Information Service, Marburg, Germany]; web page: "Informationen und Standpunkte " (viewed 2 Aug. 1999). | Table: "Religious communities in Germany: Numbers of members " [data published July, 1999]; Listed as "Brüderbewegung " in table. Source: REMID. |
| Bruderhof | Europe | - | - | - | - | 1415 C.E. | Occhiogrosso, Peter. The Joy of Sects: A Spirited Guide to the World's Religious Traditions. New York: Doubleday (1996); pg. 346. | "Anabaptists... A Moravian subsect called the Bruderhof ('Brotherhood'), an outgrowth of the evangelical movement led by Bohemian reformer John Hus (d. 1415), modeled itself on the earliest Christian communities. Some members, under the leadership of Jacob Hutter (d. 1536), became known as Hutterites; they produced a rich devotional literature and established a small community in America in 1870. " |
| Bruderhof | USA | 1,000 | - | 8 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "USA/Canada: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | USA: Bruderhof Communities, Inc.; Members: 1,000; Congregations: 8; [Listed in 'USA' rather than 'USA/Canada' section.] |
| Bruderhof | world | 2,200 | - | - | - | 1998 | "The Witness of the Brothers: A History of the Bruderhof " in Christian Century (March 4, 1998); pg. 243. | "This group, which numbers about 2,200... " |
| Bruderhof | world | 2,500 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Official church web site | Christianity:Anabaptist: The Bruderhof is a Christian community movement of approximately 2,500 people. |
| Bruderhof | world | 2,500 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: New Religious Movements (University of Virginia) (1998) | Christianity:Anabaptist: "The Bruderhof is a secterian movement that was formed out of the Anapabtist tradition. " "a.k.a. The Hutterian Brethern of New York " |
| Buddhism | Africa | 20,000 | - | - | - | 1981 | Popenoe, David. Sociology (5th Ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. (1983). [Source: 1981 Britannica Book of the Year]; pg. 433. | Table: Membership in the Major Religions of the World " |
| Buddhism | Africa | 25,000 | 0.01% | - | - | 1982 | Robertson, Ian. Sociology (2nd ed.); New York, NY: Worth Publishers (1981 2nd edition; updated since 1977 1st ed.). [Orig. source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Book of the Year, 1982]; pg. 405. | Table: "Estimated membership of the principal religions of the world " |
| Buddhism | Africa | 36,000 | 0.00% | - | - | 1995 | The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1997 (K-111 Reference Corp.: Mahwah, NJ), [Source: 1996 Encyc. Britannica Book of the Year]; pg. 646. | Table: "Adherents of All Religions by Six Continental Areas, Mid-1995 " |
| Buddhism | Africa | 38,000 | 0.01% | - | - | 1996 | The World Almanac & Book of Facts 1998 (K-111 Reference Corp.: Mahwah, NJ), [Source: 1997 Encyc. Britannica Book of the Year]; pg. 654. | Table: "Adherents of All Religions by Six Continental Areas, Mid-1996 " |
| Buddhism | Africa | 21,000 | 0.00% | - | - | 1996 | *LINK* web site: "The Geography of Religion Website " (assembled by the students of Morehead State University, under Prof. Timothy C. Pitts); web page: "The Geography of Buddhism " (viewed 2 March 1999); Markham, Ian S., (Editor), A World Religions Reader. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers (1996); pg. 356-357. | table with 3 columns: "Area "; "Adherents "; "Population Percentage " |
| Buddhism | Africa | 138,000 | 0.02% | - | - | 1998 | World Almanac and Book of Facts 2000. Mahwah, NJ: PRIMEDIA Reference Inc. (1999). [Source: 1999 Encyc. Britannica Book of the Year]; pg. 695. | Table: "Adherents of All Religions by Six Continental Areas, Mid-1998 " |
| Buddhism | Alabama | - | 0.00% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Buddhism | Alabama | - | 0.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Buddhist "; Actual % between 0 and 0.5%, so sell was left blank. |
| Buddhism | Alberta | 20,400 | 0.80% | - | - | 1991 | Gall, Timothy L. & Susan Bevan Gall (editors). Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Canadian Provinces. Detroit: U.X.L. (1997), [Source: Canadian Census]; pg. 6. | "In 1991, 48.4% of the population, or about 1,232,000 people, was Protestant... Alberta also had... 20,400 Buddhists, 12,700 Sikhs, 10,200 Hindus, and 10,200 Jews... " |
| Buddhism | Alberta | 20,700 | 0.82% | - | - | 1991 | *LINK* web site: "Statistics Canada "; web page: "Population, by religion, 1991 Census " (viewed 9 Jan. 1999); Source: Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 93-319-XPB. | table: "Population, by religion, 1991 Census " |
| Buddhism | Arizona | - | 0.10% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Buddhism | Arizona | - | 0.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Buddhist "; Actual % between 0 and 0.5%, so sell was left blank. |
| Buddhism | Arkansas | - | 0.20% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Buddhism | Arkansas | - | 0.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Buddhist "; Actual % between 0 and 0.5%, so sell was left blank. |
| Buddhism | Asia | - | - | - | - | -237 B.C.E. | Welty, Paul Thomas. The Asians: Their Heritage and Their Destiny (Revised Edition). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co. (1966); pg. 77. | "Buddhism spread rapidly after the Buddha's death. Asoka (296-237 B.C.), a famous India emperor who was converted to Buddhism, devoted a greater part of his life to the propogation of Buddhist doctrines. He sent missionaries to many parts of the world. Gradually, all India and the neighboring island of Ceylon were converted. Then Buddhism spread eastward and southeastward to the present lands of Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. It entered China during the first century of the Christian century A.D., Buddhism entrenched itself in Japan with the conversion of Prince Shotoku Taishi. " |
| Buddhism | Asia | 500,000,000 | - | - | - | 1958 | Welles, Sam. The World's Great Religions, New York: Western Publishing Co. (1972). [11th printing; original edition: 1958]; pg. 9. | "While Buddhism has now almost vanished from its native India, it may have as many as 500 million followers in the rest of Asia. " |
| Buddhism | Asia | - | - | - | - | 1966 | Welty, Paul Thomas. The Asians: Their Heritage and Their Destiny (Revised Edition). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co. (1966); pg. 77. | "Buddhism still plays a prominent religious role in Asia, except in Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaya, India, and the Philippines... In China, Buddhism is but one of several religions that the Chinese have harmonized. The Chinese are Buddhists, Taoists, and Confucianists at the same time. In Japan, Buddhism shares her religious role with Shinto, an indigenous religion. " |
| Buddhism | Asia | 254,240,992 | - | - | - | 1981 | Popenoe, David. Sociology (5th Ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. (1983). [Source: 1981 Britannica Book of the Year]; pg. 433. | Table: Membership in the Major Religions of the World " |
| Buddhism | Asia | 255,740,992 | 9.81% | - | - | 1982 | Robertson, Ian. Sociology (2nd ed.); New York, NY: Worth Publishers (1981 2nd edition; updated since 1977 1st ed.). [Orig. source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Book of the Year, 1982]; pg. 405. | Table: "Estimated membership of the principal religions of the world " |
| Buddhism | Asia | 320,691,008 | 9.27% | - | - | 1995 | The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1997 (K-111 Reference Corp.: Mahwah, NJ), [Source: 1996 Encyc. Britannica Book of the Year]; pg. 646. | Table: "Adherents of All Religions by Six Continental Areas, Mid-1995 " |
| Buddhism | Asia | 321,984,992 | 9.16% | - | - | 1996 | The World Almanac & Book of Facts 1998 (K-111 Reference Corp.: Mahwah, NJ), [Source: 1997 Encyc. Britannica Book of the Year]; pg. 654. | Table: "Adherents of All Religions by Six Continental Areas, Mid-1996 " |
| Buddhism | Asia | 313,113,984 | 9.70% | - | - | 1996 | *LINK* web site: "The Geography of Religion Website " (assembled by the students of Morehead State University, under Prof. Timothy C. Pitts); web page: "The Geography of Buddhism " (viewed 2 March 1999); Markham, Ian S., (Editor), A World Religions Reader. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers (1996); pg. 356-357. | table with 3 columns: "Area "; "Adherents "; "Population Percentage "; [Geographical regions in this table: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Northern America, Oceania, and Eurasia] |
| Buddhism | Asia | 348,806,016 | 9.72% | - | - | 1998 | World Almanac and Book of Facts 2000. Mahwah, NJ: PRIMEDIA Reference Inc. (1999). [Source: 1999 Encyc. Britannica Book of the Year]; pg. 695. | Table: "Adherents of All Religions by Six Continental Areas, Mid-1998 " |
| Buddhism | Asia | 760,000,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: "SIM NOW " (Protestant site); web page: "Buddhism - The Middle Way " (viewed 5 March 1999); From World Religions Special Report (1998) by SIMNOW (published quarterly by SIM, 14830 Choate Circle, Charlotte, NC 28273 USA) | "...in a swath across Asia from Sri Lanka to Japan, more than 760 million men, women, and children try to follow Buddhism's 'middle way' of thinking and living. " |
| Buddhism | Asia - South | - | - | - | - | 1150 C.E. | Lang, Robert. The Land and People of Pakistan (Portraits of the Nations series). Philadelphia & New York: J. B. Lippincott Co. (revised edition 1974); pg. 46. | "Kanishka's military conquests spread the Buddhist doctrine eastward across India, and Buddhism continued to flourish nearly everywhere in the Indian subcontinent for several centuries. Then Hinduism reasserted itself, and Buddha came to be regarded as just another incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. Buddhsim in the subcontinent after the yar 1000 became a kind of specialized Hindu sect. Its disappearance was hastened by the Muslim invasions; in the twelfth century the few remaining monasteries were pillaged and the great libraries of Buddhist thought were burned. " |
