Why isn't Buddhānussati more popular in the West? From what I understand in the suttas, unless you renounce the household life and desire almost entirely, chances are you won't eliminate the necessary fetters to achieve nibbana in this life. For someone who has to take care of a family, work a job, and be social, stream-entry seems like a more realistic goal, which is achieved through faith and virtue (AN 10.92, SN 55.7). Despite the importance of these topics, I can hardly find any instruction on cultivating faith and virtue outside of the suttas and Visuddhagga. Is interest in the devotional practices really so scarce?
I doubt faith, virtue &amp; devotion to the Buddha (alone) can bring stream-entry because these suttas include penetration of lokuttara dhamma as one of the four factors of stream-entry, namely:


  He is endowed with verified (avecca) confidence in the Dhamma: 'The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One, to be seen here &amp; now, timeless,
  inviting verification, pertinent, to be realized by the wise for
  themselves.'
  
  avecca absol. understanding, having penetrated (see aveti)


This surely must mean enlightenment to the noble truths &amp; liberating anatta, which ends the fetters of self-belief (sakkāya-diṭṭhi) &amp; doubt (vicikicchā). It also appears to negate beliefs in reincarnation as factors of stream-entry because the dhamma to be verified is to be seen here &amp; now, etc.