List of converts to Buddhism from Christianity

!Name

!Former denomination

!Nationality

!Notes

!Refs.

|Catholic Church

|German

|one of the earliest western Buddhist monks and founder of Island Hermitage

|{{cite book |title=The Life of Nyanatiloka: The Biography of a Western Buddhist Pioneer |author=Bhikkhu Nyanatusita and Hellmuth Hecker|pages=17 |date=2008 |publisher=Buddhist Publication Society |isbn=9789552402906}}

|Baptist

|American

|actor and activist

|{{Cite web|title=Archives|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives|access-date=2022-02-19|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}

|Catholic Church

|British

|one of the earliest western Buddhist monk and established the first Buddhist Mission in the United Kingdom

|{{cite web|title=Bennett, (Charles Henry) Allan (1872-1923)|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bennett-charles-henry-allan-1872-1923|publisher=Encyclopedia.com|access-date=October 29, 2020}}

|Catholic Church

|American

|actor and producer

|{{Cite journal |last=Sachs |first=Adam |date=May 2012 |title=The Avengers{{'}} Chris Evans: Just Your Average Beer-Swilling, Babe-Loving Buddhist |url=http://www.details.com/celebrities-entertainment/cover-stars/201205/chris-evans-avengers |url-status=dead |journal=Details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412044521/http://www.details.com/celebrities-entertainment/cover-stars/201205/chris-evans-avengers |archive-date=April 12, 2013 |access-date=April 16, 2013}}{{Cite magazine |last=Eels |first=Josh |date=May 4, 2016 |title='Captain America: Civil War': Why Chris Evans Is the Anxious Avenger |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/captain-america-civil-war-why-chris-evans-is-the-anxious-avenger-60634/ |url-status=dead |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822172219/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/captain-america-civil-war-why-chris-evans-is-the-anxious-avenger-60634/ |archive-date=August 22, 2020 |access-date=August 31, 2020}}

|Congregationalism

|British

|scholar of the Pāli language and founder of Pali Text Society

|{{cite web|url=http://fsnow.com/text/buddhist-india/ |title=Buddhist India, by T.W. Rhys Davids |publisher=Fsnow.com |access-date=March 5, 2012}}

|Presbyterianism

|American

|military officer, lawyer and first well-known American to make a formal conversion to Buddhism

|[http://www.theosophical.org/resources/library/olcott-centenary/family/olcott-family.htm Janet Kerschner, The Olcott Family] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218213500/http://www.theosophical.org/resources/library/olcott-centenary/family/olcott-family.htm |date=2008-12-18 }}

|Catholic Church

|Italian

|Theravadin Buddhist missionary monk

|{{cite web|title= From Catholic to Chemist to Buddhist Missionary|url=https://tricycle.org/magazine/catholic-chemist-buddhist-missionary/|publisher=tricycle.org|access-date=January 26, 2021}}

|Catholic Church

|Italian

|footballer

|{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/aug/08/planet-sport-roberto-baggio-italy |title=Planet Sport: Roberto Baggio returns ponytail for Italian federation |work=The Guardian |date=August 8, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/205886 |title=Buddisti Soka Gakkai. Una Sabina vi convertirà |language=it |publisher=Chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it |access-date=March 5, 2012}}

|Catholic Church

|Sri Lankan

|Theravadin Buddhist monk, translator and missionary

|[https://archive.org/details/ArahantUpatossa-Vimuttimagga-PathOfFreedom.pdf The Path Of Freedom (Vimuttimagga) of Arahant Upatissa] Translated from the Chinese by Rev. N. R. M. Ehara, Soma Thera, Kheminda Thera. Buddhist Publication Society. Kandy, Ceylon, page IX

|Catholic Church

|American

|actress, singer and fashion model

| {{Cite news|url=http://www.india.com/buzz/9-celebrities-who-publicly-changed-their-religion-1217913/|title=9 Celebrities who publicly changed their religion|date=May 27, 2016|website=India.com|access-date=October 30, 2018|language=en}}{{cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/04/lindsay-lohan-converting-to-islam|title=Lindsay Lohan Is Reportedly Converting to Islam|website=Complex.com|language=en|access-date=October 30, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-losing-their-religion-2215052|title=From Richard Gere to Katie Holmes: When celebs left their religion|date=May 22, 2016|work=dna|access-date=October 30, 2018|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/apr/21/lindsay-lohan-confirms-shes-studying-islam-after-b/|title=Lindsay Lohan confirms she's studying Islam after being seen with a Koran|newspaper=The Washington Times|access-date=October 30, 2018|language=en-US}}{{cite magazine|title=Ali Lohan|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ali-lohan/294282/| magazine=TV Guide|access-date=November 8, 2015 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20151208014728/http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ali-lohan/294282/ | archive-date=December 8, 2015|url-status=live}}

|Catholic Church

|American

|singer-songwriter and musician

|{{cite news |title=Alanis Morissette |url=https://www.insidenova.com/lifestyles/entertainment/alanis-morissette/image_49e1d57b-4c85-553c-8d9d-c97b98e8c5ca.html |access-date=December 26, 2021 |work=InsideNoVA |quote='Ironic' singer Alanis Morissette has been practicing Buddhism many years. |date=September 16, 2021 |archive-date=December 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226042043/https://www.insidenova.com/lifestyles/entertainment/alanis-morissette/image_49e1d57b-4c85-553c-8d9d-c97b98e8c5ca.html |url-status=dead }}

|Anglicanism

|Sri Lankan

|former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and founder of Sri Lanka Freedom Party

|{{cite web|last1=Melkonian|first1=Neery|title=Lebanon in the Armenian Imaginary: So Close with a Distance|url=http://seismopolite.com/lebanon-in-the-armenian-imaginary-so-close-with-a-distance|website=Seismopolite: Journal of Art and Politics|access-date=July 31, 2017}}

|Catholic Church

|Indonesian

|writer, singer-songwriter

|{{Cite web |last=CINEMA 21 |title=CINEMA 21 - We Are The Largest Cinema Chain In Indonesia |url=https://21cineplex.com/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=CINEMA 21 |language=en-US}}

|Russian Orthodox Church

|Russian

|poet, publisher and Oriental enthusiast

|Johnson, K. Paul. [https://books.google.com/books?id=U1FTZKQ5wTsC&dq=ukhtomskii&pg=PA125 Initiates of theosophical masters.](SUNY series in Western esoteric traditions/Suny Series in Political Party Development). SUNY Press, 1995.

{{ISBN|0-7914-2555-X}}, 978-0-7914-2555-8 page 125

|Russian Orthodox Church

|Russian

|philosopher, occultist, founder of the Theosophical Society

|{{cite book |last=Cranston |first=Sylvia |title=HPB: The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Helena Blavatsky, Founder of the Modern Theosophical Movement |year=1993 |publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons |location=London |isbn=978-0-87477-688-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/hpbextraordinary00cran |page=9}}

|Methodism

|American

|Famous actor and producer, co-founder of Tibet House US

|{{cite web|title= Richard Gere: On guard|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/uk/2000/newsmakers/2591237.stm|publisher=BBC News|access-date=January 25, 2021}}

|Protestantism

|Australian

|Singer and rapper

|{{Cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Danielle|title=Why Jimmy Barnes abandoned son David Campbell as a baby OverSixty|url=https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/why-jimmy-barnes-abandoned-son-david-campbell-as-a-baby|access-date=16 August 2021|website=Oversixty.com.au}}

|Church of England

|English

|Famous actor and leading man in Hollywood films

|[http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/Orlando+Bloom-1695.html Orlando Bloom 'converts to Buddhism'][http://www.independentfilmquarterly.com/ifq/interviews/orlandobloom.htm Interview with Orlando Bloom] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080322012700/http://www.independentfilmquarterly.com/ifq/interviews/orlandobloom.htm |date=March 22, 2008 }}

|Episcopal Church (United States)

|American

|the one who introduced Thai Forest Tradition to the West and most senior western disciple of Ajahn Chah

|{{cite web|title= Buddha, by Ajahn Sumedho|url=https://buddhismnow.com/2013/08/07/buddha-by-ajahn-sumedho/|publisher=Buddhism Now|access-date=October 28, 2020}}

|Lutheranism

|Canadian

|senior western disciple of Ajahn Chah, founder & abbot of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery

|{{cite book |title=Choosing Buddhism: The Life Stories of Eight Canadians|author=Mauro Peressini |pages=69–101 |date=2016 |publisher=Ottawa University Press; 1st edition |isbn=9780776623337}}

|Not specific

|English

|senior western disciple of Ajahn Chah and abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery

|{{cite web|title= I Kidnapped a Monk!|url=http://newlotus.buddhistdoor.com/en/news/d/31264|publisher=Buddhistdoor International|access-date=May 15, 2013}}

|Not specific

|Scottish

|Theravada Buddhist nun of Thai Forest Tradition and one of the senior monastics in western Buddhist circle

|[http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/beliefs/jesusandbuddhism_1.shtml BBC][http://www.forestsangha.org/canda5.htm Ajahn Candasiri's website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705103624/http://www.forestsangha.org/canda5.htm |date=July 5, 2008 }}

|Catholic Church

|Austrian, later Australian

|Theravada Buddhist nun of Thai Forest Tradition, former Abbess of Santi Forest Monastery

|{{Citation|last=Trebilcock|first=Freeman|title=Buddhist Life Stories of Australia - Venerable Nirodha Bhikkhuni|date=2016-09-01|url=https://vimeo.com/181033252|access-date=2021-10-02}}

|Unitarianism

|American

|psychologist and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. (IMCW)

|{{Cite web|title = "Allow life to be as it is"|url = https://www.tarabrach.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Flow_Mindfulness-Interview_Tara_Brach.pdf|access-date = 2020-10-31}}

|Southern Baptist Convention

|American

|singer (the Go-Go's), songwriter

|{{cite news | url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/allezallez--a-gogo-decides-to-turn-french/2007/03/04/1172943266564.html?page=2 | title=Allez-allez - a Go-Go decides to turn French | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=March 5, 2007}}{{cite book|title=Lips Unsealed: A Memoir|last=Carlisle|first=Belinda|year=2011|publisher=Crown Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-307-46350-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-cMXGiLWs9oC|page=222}}

|Church of England

|English

|Soto Zen rōshi and founder of Shasta Abbey

|{{cite book |title= Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantation, Development and Adaptation|author= Kay, David N.|pages=120–121 |date=2007 |publisher= Routledge}}

|Catholic Church

|American

|Zen Buddhist rōshi, abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery

|{{cite book |title= Opening the Doors of Wonder: Reflections on Religious Rites of Passage

|author=Magida, Arthur J. |pages=203 |date=2006|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=0520245458}}

|Dutch Reformed Church

|American

|Zen priest ordained by Shunryū Suzuki

|{{cite web|title=Ananda Claude Dalenberg Biographical Notes |url=http://www.cuke.com/Cucumber%20Project/other/ananda-claude/bio-notes.html|publisher=Cuke.com|access-date=November 1, 2020}}

|Episcopal Church (United States)

|American

|prominent attorney and former justice of the Utah Supreme Court

|{{cite news |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/650215418/Utah-justice-now-Zen-teacher.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010113540/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/650215418/Utah-justice-now-Zen-teacher.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 10, 2012 |title=Utah justice now Zen teacher |work=Deseret News |date=December 16, 2006 |first=Elaine |last=Jarvik}}

|Episcopal Church (United States)

|American

| film director, producer, and screenwriter

|{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/people/ps/Oliver_Stone.html |title=The religion of director Oliver Stone |publisher=Adherents.com |access-date=January 25, 2021 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202151204/http://www.adherents.com/people/ps/Oliver_Stone.html |archive-date=December 2, 2010 }}

|Catholic Church

|American

|Tibetan Buddhist nun

|[https://www.pbs.org/moyers/faithandreason/portraits_chodron.html PBS]

|Catholic Church (Society of Jesus)

|Japanese

|writer of tracts, at first supporting Christianity and then criticizing it

|{{cite book|title=Sources of East Asian Tradition: The modern period|last=De Bary|first=William Theodore|publisher=Columbia University Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-231-14323-3|pages=184–185}}

|Not specific

|Burmese

|prominent musician, guitarist and peace activist

|{{Cite web|title=Ko Ye Lwin: a great musician and a late Buddhist samaritan|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/ko-ye-lwin-great-musician-and-late-buddhist-samaritan.html|date=20 July 2018|access-date=26 November 2020|publisher=The Myanmar Times|author=Zon Pann Pwint}}

|Evangelicalism

|American

|professor and dean of the Institute of Buddhist Studies

|{{cite web|url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/08/29/hawaii-news/former-uh-professor-shared-compassion-of-shin-buddhism/|title=Former UH professor shared compassion of Shin Buddhism|last=Gee|first=Pat|date=2017-08-29|website=Honolulu Star-Advertiser|language=en-US|access-date=2020-11-25}}

|Presbyterianism

|Korean

|Seon master and the founder of Kwan Um School of Zen

|{{cite book| last =Ford| first =James Ishmael| author-link =James Ishmael Ford| title =Zen Master Who?| publisher =Wisdom Publications| year =2006| pages =[https://archive.org/details/zenmasterwhoguid00jame/page/99 99, 100, 101]| url =https://archive.org/details/zenmasterwhoguid00jame/page/99| isbn =0-86171-509-8}}

|Not specific

|Sri Lankan

|first President of Sri Lanka and former Prime minister

|{{cite book |title=J.R. Jayewardene of Sri Lanka |last=de Silva |first=K. M. |author2=William Howard Wriggins |author2-link=William Howard Wriggins |year=1988 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |location=Honolulu, HI |isbn=0-8248-1183-6 |page=133 }}

|Lutheranism

|American

|co-founder of Apple Computer, Inc.

|[https://web.archive.org/web/20120117070405/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/what-do-steve-jobs-final-words-mean/2011/10/27/gIQAGxXbZM_blog.html What do Steve Jobs’s final words mean?][https://archive.today/20120709172241/http://articles.cnn.com/2011-10-05/tech/tech_innovation_steve-jobs-philosophy_1_tim-cook-steve-jobs-apple-s-ceo The spiritual side of Steve Jobs]

|African Methodist Episcopal Church

|American

|political cartoonist, novelist and Buddhist writer

|[http://books.monstersandcritics.com/features/article_1308738.php/The_M%26C_Interview_1_Charles_Johnson_6_07 Charles R. Johnson interview at Monsters&Critics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071108202459/http://books.monstersandcritics.com/features/article_1308738.php/The_M%26C_Interview_1_Charles_Johnson_6_07 |date=2007-11-08 }}: "Buddhism has been my refuge (as it was intended to be for practitioners) since I was 14-years-old, and first sat in formal meditation."

|Pentecostalism

|Indonesian

|singer and writer

|[http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2006/04/02/dewi-039dee039-lestari-love-spirituality-and-ecology.htm Dewi 'Dee' Lestari: Love, spirituality and ecology]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.cumicumi.com/news/read/5164/sensasi-pernikahan-kedua-dewi-lestari |title=Sensasi Pernikahan Kedua Dewi Lestari |access-date=2015-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121042456/http://www.cumicumi.com/news/read/5164/sensasi-pernikahan-kedua-dewi-lestari |archive-date=2015-11-21 |url-status=dead }}

|Catholic Church

|Taiwanese

|famous cartoonist, well-known in both Taiwan and mainland China

|{{cite web|url=https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202011170221.aspx|title=漫畫大師蔡志忠 少林寺落髮出家|publisher=cna.com.tw|access-date=November 20, 2020}}

|Catholic Church

|Chinese

|writer, critic and host

|[http://fo.ifeng.com/zhongsheng/200912/1202_42_59499.shtml 凤凰网：梁文道在佛教中寻找人生方向]{{in lang|zh}}

|Catholic Church

|New Zealander

|politician and former civil servant who served as head of the Ministry of Social Development

|{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10361977|title=Free-range soul searching replacing organised religion in NZ|author=Claire Harvey|date=2005-12-31|publisher=New Zealand Herald}}

|Armenian Apostolic Church

|Armenian

|Armenian painter

|[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9804E1DA1639F93AA2575BC0A962958260 New York Times]

|Baptist

|Swiss

|singer and actress

|{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/importanceofbein00orth |url-access=registration |quote=buddhist. |title=The Importance of Being Famous | page=[https://archive.org/details/importanceofbein00orth/page/42 42]| access-date=July 21, 2012|isbn = 9780805075458|chapter = Proud Tina: Tina Turner|last = Orth|first = Maureen|publisher = Henry Holt and Company|year = 2004}}

|Swedenborgianism

|American

|mystic but he retained elements of Swedenborg thought after his conversion

|[http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/loy11.htm The Dharma of Emanuel Swedenborg: A Buddhist Perspective]Imagining Tibet : Perceptions, Projections, and Fantasies by Thierry Dodin

|Catholicism

|American

|actor, writer, director, and musician.

|{{cite web | url=https://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=9,8817,0,0,1,0 | title=Buddhist Channel | Personality }}{{cite web | url=https://www.gq.com/story/michael-imperioli-zen-profile | title=Inside the Zen Mind of Michael Imperioli | date=3 September 2020 }}

|Church of the East

|Chinese

|Rishi, Dalit Buddhist and New Age Scientist.

|[http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/loy11.htm The Dharma of Emanuel Swedenborg: A Buddhist Perspective]Imagining Tibet : Perceptions, Projections, and Fantasies by Thierry Dodin