There is no proselytizing in Kernaghan's novel Dance of the Snow Dragon. Instead, the reader can rely on the internally consistent story and on Sangay's confidence that he is part of the natural world and shapes it with his thoughts and beliefs. There is no necessity for the reader to take on or to put aside any personal faith in order to sustain interest in Sangay's adventures. The rituals and ceremonies that Sangay learns as a young monk will not offend the belief systems of most Western readers. The devotions and venerations of this young monk are compatible enough with Judeo-Christian beliefs (for example) that few readers would reject Sangay and his quest as worthless merely because of being "heathen."

When the Pope and the Dalai Lama met and talked in ecumenical friendship, they stated clearly that there is a need for greater understanding between Eastern...