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Brother David Steindl-Rast (born July 12, 1926, Vienna) is an Austrian-American Roman Catholic theologian, notable for his active participation in interfaith dialogue, and his work on the interaction between spirituality and science. He was born in Vienna, Austria and raised in Austria. He received his MA from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts and his PhD from the University of Vienna (1952). He emigrated to the USA in same year and became a Benedictine monk in 1953 at Mt. Saviour Monastery in Pine City, New York. In 1966, he was officially delegated to pursue Buddhist-Christian dialogue and started the study of Zen with masters Haku'un Yasutani, Soen Nakagawa, Shunryu Suzuki, and Eido Tai Shimano.

He continued creating bridges between Christian spirituality and eastern wisdom and, through interdisciplinary social commitment, contributing to understanding and peace in the world, for instance by co-founding the Center for Spiritual Studies, together with Jewish, Buddhist, Hinduist and Sufi teachers.

Brother David’s original thought has spawned significant research, from the first interfaith symposia (1972) comparing methods of meditation, to the modern scientific research in positive psychology as developed by Robert Emmons, Martin Seligman, and others. Among the vital findings which have forced changes in the scientific view of spiritual practice are: the role of gratefulness in political and altruistic action, the relationship between gratefulness and happiness, and the application of contemplative practice in character development and health. He is a member of the Lindisfarne Association.

Widely published as a writer, with more than 500 articles and 30 book chapters published, Brother David was included in The Best Spiritual Writing 1998 and cited in the 2002 volume. His books include Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer, The Music of Silence (with Sharon Lebell), Words of Common Sense, and Belonging to the Universe (co-authored with Fritjof Capra). His most recent achievement is co-founding A Network for Grateful Living, an organization dedicated to gratefulness as a transformative influence for individuals and society.

This author page uses material from the Wikipedia article "David Steindl-Rast", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0