The way The "goal" Background Chinese texts Classical Post-classical Contemporary Zen in Japan Seon in Korea Thiền in Vietnam Western Zen Robert Edward Kennedy (born June 20, 1933) is an American Jesuit priest, professor of theology, psychoanalyst and Zen rōshi in the White Plum lineage.

At the end of a long spiritual and academic training he was ordained a priest in Japan in 1965.

He was installed as a Zen teacher of the White Plum Asanga lineage in 1991 and was given the title Roshi in 1997.

Kennedy is currently an elder in the Zen Peacemaker Order founded by Glassman in 1996.

In addition to his work at the college, he is a practicing psychoanalyst in New York City, a representative at the United Nations of the Institute for Spiritual Consciousness in Politics and the author of two books, Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit and Zen Gifts to Christians.