List of converts to Buddhism from Christianity

This is a list of notable converts to Buddhism from Christianity.

List

Name Former denomination Nationality Notes Refs.
Cher Armenian Apostolic Church American one of the greatest musician and actress [1][2][3]
Nyanatiloka Mahathera (Anton Walther Florus Gueth) Catholic Church German one of the earliest western Buddhist monks and founder of Island Hermitage [4]
Penélope Cruz Spanish actress and model [5]
Eileen Gu Anglicism Chinese-American freestyle skier [6][7]
Anthony Lee Baptist American actor and activist [8]
Ananda Metteya (Charles Henry Allan Bennett) Catholic Church British one of the earliest western Buddhist monk and established the first Buddhist Mission in the United Kingdom [9]
Chris Evans American actor and producer [10][11]
Thomas William Rhys Davids Congregationalism British scholar of the Pāli language and founder of Pali Text Society [12]
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott Presbyterianism American military officer, lawyer and first well-known American to make a formal conversion to Buddhism [13]
Lokanatha (Salvatore Cioffi) Catholic Church Italian Theravadin Buddhist missionary monk [14]
Roberto Baggio Catholic Church Italian footballer [15][16]
Kotahene Soma Maha Thera Sri Lankan Theravadin Buddhist monk, translator and missionary [17]
Aliana Lohan American actress, singer and fashion model [18][19][20][21][22]
Alanis Morissette American singer-songwriter and musician [23]
Sophia Abrahão Brazilian model and actress [24]
Venerable Gotamī (Martina Catania) Italian bhikkuni and author [25]
Solomon Bandaranaike Anglicanism Sri Lankan former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and founder of Sri Lanka Freedom Party [26]
Melody Gardot Dutch Reformed Church American singer and model [27]
Catherine Spaak Protestantism French actress and singer [28]
Dewi Lestari Catholic Church Indonesian writer, singer-songwriter [29]
Dayenne Mesquita Brazilian actress and model [30]
Prince Esper Esperovich Ukhtomsky Russian Orthodox Church Russian poet, publisher and Oriental enthusiast [31]
Helena Blavatsky Russian Orthodox Church Russian philosopher, occultist, founder of the Theosophical Society [32]
Richard Tiffany Gere Methodism American Famous actor and producer, co-founder of Tibet House US [33]
Jimmy Barnes Protestantism Australian Singer and rapper [34]
Orlando Bloom Church of England English Famous actor and leading man in Hollywood films [35][36]
Ajahn Sumedho (Robert Karr Jackman) Episcopal Church (United States) American the one who introduced Thai Forest Tradition to the West and most senior western disciple of Ajahn Chah [37]
Ajahn Viradhammo (Vitauts Akers) Lutheranism Canadian senior western disciple of Ajahn Chah, founder & abbot of Tisarana Buddhist Monastery [38]
Ajahn Brahm Not specific English senior western disciple of Ajahn Chah and abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery [39]
Ajahn Candasiri Not specific Scottish Theravada Buddhist nun of Thai Forest Tradition and one of the senior monastics in western Buddhist circle [40][41]
Ayya Nirodha (Elizabeth Gorski) Catholic Church Austrian, later Australian Theravada Buddhist nun of Thai Forest Tradition, former Abbess of Santi Forest Monastery [42]
Tara Brach Unitarianism American psychologist and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C. (IMCW) [43]
Belinda Carlisle Southern Baptist Convention American singer (the Go-Go's), songwriter [44][45]
Houn Jiyu-Kennett Church of England English Soto Zen rōshi and founder of Shasta Abbey [46]
John Daido Loori Catholic Church American Zen Buddhist rōshi, abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery [47]
Ananda Claude Dalenberg Dutch Reformed Church American Zen priest ordained by Shunryū Suzuki [48]
Michael D. ("Mugaku") Zimmerman Episcopal Church (United States) American prominent attorney and former justice of the Utah Supreme Court [49]
William Oliver Stone Episcopal Church (United States) American film director, producer, and screenwriter [50]
Pema Chödrön Catholic Church American Tibetan Buddhist nun [51]
Fabian Fucan Catholic Church (Society of Jesus) Japanese writer of tracts, at first supporting Christianity and then criticizing it [52]
Ko Ye Lwin Not specific Burmese prominent musician, guitarist and peace activist [53]
Alfred Bloom Evangelicalism American professor and dean of the Institute of Buddhist Studies [54]
Seungsahn Haengwon Presbyterianism Korean Seon master and the founder of Kwan Um School of Zen [55]
Junius Richard Jayewardene Not specific Sri Lankan first President of Sri Lanka and former Prime minister [56]
Steve Jobs Lutheranism American co-founder of Apple Computer, Inc. [57][58]
Charles R. Johnson African Methodist Episcopal Church American political cartoonist, novelist and Buddhist writer [59]
Dewi Lestari Pentecostalism Indonesian singer and writer [60][61]
Tsai Chih Chung Catholic Church Taiwanese famous cartoonist, well-known in both Taiwan and mainland China [62]
Leung Man-tao Chinese writer, critic and host [63]
Christine Rankin New Zealander politician and former civil servant who served as head of the Ministry of Social Development [64]
Seta Manoukian Armenian Apostolic Church Armenian Armenian painter [65]
Tina Turner Baptist Swiss singer and actress [66]
Herman Vetterling Swedenborgianism American mystic but he retained elements of Swedenborg thought after his conversion [67][68]
Michael Imperioli Catholicism American actor, writer, director, and musician. [69][70]
Sam Lao Church of the East Chinese Rishi, Dalit Buddhist and New Age Scientist. [71][72]
Theodor Schultze Protestantism German Civil servant, religious writer [73]

See also

References

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