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Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Volume 10 Article 15

January 1997

Book Review: " in Neo-, A Meeting of and "

Ronald Neufeldt

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Recommended Citation Neufeldt, Ronald (1997) "Book Review: "Jesus in Neo-Vedanta, A Meeting of Hinduism and Christianity"," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 10, Article 15. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1161

The Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies is a publication of the for Hindu-Christian Studies. The digital version is made available by Digital Commons @ Butler University. For questions about the Journal or the Society, please contact [email protected]. For more about Digital Commons @ Butler University, please contact [email protected]. Neufeldt: Book Review: "Jesus in Neo-Vedanta, A Meeting of Hinduism and Christianity" Book Reviews 49

of Songs, the Gospel according to John, openness becomes interesting, and spiritually Bonaventure's Journey of the to , worthwhile (p.301). Clooney does not the Spiritual exercises of St Ignatius Loyola, discuss what happens when one's and Hans von Balthasar's , and invites commitment to one's tradition is not strong the readers to enter into a project of reading enough or when the transformation leads to back and forth between powerful texts the rejection of one's original commitment. across religious boundaries to gauge the While the author introduces his scholarly possibilities and limits of personal and religious affiliations in the opening commitments. For Clooney, the discourse of chapter, the last chapter does not disclose Bonaventure does not obliterate the much by way of the changes that are discourse of the Srivai~I).ava acarya wrought in his life as a result of his Nampillai; adherence to the one does not commitment to the Tiruvaymoli. Rather, we preclude openness to the other (p.301). He are led through a thoughtful and rich series clearly says that by reading these texts. with of possibilities that could occur with these passion and intelligence, "the way one boundary crossings. thinks about religious things is going to be Seeing through texts focuses on transformed... The Bible, Bonaventure, boundary crossings which lead one directly Ignatius: for a Christian who has studied the to the of another tradition. While this Srivai~I).ava tradition, these are still there, study focuses on texts, I was reminded of still central, but they do not mean now what other boundary crossings which occur from they did before" (p.304). When one studies side by way of shared . texts like the Tiruvaymoli, one will probably Many in South make be changed forever by it, but the of to the of St Alphonsa or such an enterprise can be enriching: frequent the dargah (shrine where a Muslim When ... one allows one's eye to play is buried) of Shahul Hamid in Nagore. across a series of juxtaposed Christian It would be a wonderful study if these and Srivai~I}ava texts, all kinds of boundary crossings share similarities with combinations become possible; if they those that Clooney speaks about with such are not immediately subjected to a rule ardour and erudition. of , the one text will be allowed to This book is a very important linger on the periphery of a credal contribution to the fields of Srivai~I).avism, corrnnitment to the other. The reader , and . It is a will not forget Tiruvaymoli when remarkable account of scholarship and reading the Bible, even if, as a passion, a "must read" book for all of us Christian, one is totally corrnnitted to who dare to open and surrender ourselves to the Gospel. Or vice versa. a text or ritual of another tradition, and This kind of openness makes possible a appropriate it for ourselves: wider and broader range of shifting positions, even for those who remain very Vasudha Narayanan much committed to their own traditions, if University of their commitments are strong enough that

Jesus in Neo-Vedanta, A Meeting of Hinduism and Christianity. K. P. Aleaz. : Kant Publications, 1995, xiv+242pp.

AS THE TITLE indicates, the focus of this Vedanta. The author confines Neo-Vedanta volume is on the treatment of Jesus in Neo- to Vivekananda, Swami Akhilananda,

Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 1997 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 10 [1997], Art. 15 50 Book Reviews

Swami Prabhavananda, Swami define the various of religion are Satprakashananda, Swami , useful, particularly with respect to the and SarvepalIi Radhakrishnan. In other discussion of Indian Christian constructions. words, with the exception of Radhakrishnan, They are less useful in the discussion of the the discussion focuses largely on the views Neo-Vedantins. For example, in the of those swamis within the discussion of Radhakrishnan and Mission who were attracted to and offered Vivekananda, it is difficult to make a commentary on the person and message of distinction between and Jesus. The bulk of the volume (chapters four pluralistic inclusivism. There are obvious through ten) is in fact devoted to a summary elements of "fulfilment theology" in the presentation of this commentary. These thought of both Radhakrishnan and presentations are preceded by discussions of Vivekananda which the author seems to the definition of Neo-Vedanta, the Neo­ ignore. It is true that one does not find Vedantic perspective on inter-religious sectarian emphases in either thinker. relations and the importance of Neo-Vedanta However, the mere absence of sectarian for the construction of an Indian christology. thinking is not enough to classify The volume ends with brief discussions of Neo-Vedantins as pluralistic inclusivists. various Indian Christian christological There are in the thinking of Vivekananda in constructions, Christian responses to particular elements of exclusivism which Vivekananda's views on aspects of need to be taken into account in any Christianity, and the significance of Neo­ assessment of the usefulness of his thought Vedantic christology. in the enterprise of dialogue. Furthermore, The concern of the author is to present both Vivekananda and Radhakrishnan do Neo-Vedantic christology as an example or propose models of religion that are aspect of dialogical theology, which hierarchical in . This would seem to provides for mutual acceptance of religious put them in the camp of inclusivism, as . In this case he is concerned about the described by the author, rather than the possibility of the mutual convergence of camp of pluralistic inclusivism. Christianity and Hinduism. This, he argues, Why choose Neo-Vedanta in the first is possible only through pluralistic instance as fruitful ground on which to inclusivism, an approach in which one dares pursue the issue of convergence? The author to receive insights from other traditions. The argues that because our understanding is contributions thus received serve to fulfil the contextual any attempt at christology in insights of one's own faith. Pluralistic India must take into account the Indian inclusivism is juxtaposed against other context and, in particular, the Indian ethos theologies of religion; exclusivism, in which of pluralism. While he is p.o doubt correct in one sees one's own faith as the sole criterion underlining the contextual nature of our for judgment; inclusivism, in which one sees understanding, placing Neo-Vedanta in a the insights of other faiths as valuable, but privileged position to speak about context insists that they must be fulfilled by the and the Indian ethos of pluralism is a insights of one's own faith; and pluralism questionable exercise. This privileging is which sees traditions other than one's own apparently based on the assumption that as offering a legitimate path to . is the culmination of The author sees Neo-Vedanta, particularly as religious (p.8). Neo­ enunciated by Vivekananda and Radhakrish­ Vedanta is, in turn, seen as a reconception nan, as pluralistic inclusivism. Hence his of Advaita in w~ich human and emphasis on these two thinkers and a few of human life are given an emphasis they do the swamis of the . not have in Advaita. The author goes so far The categories which the author uses to as to say that "the Indian hermeneutical

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol10/iss1/15 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1161 2 Neufeldt: Book Review: "Jesus in Neo-Vedanta, A Meeting of Hinduism and Christianity" Book Reviews 51

context of Neo-Vedanta decides the content Hindu anyone was not considered of the gospel in Jesus" (p.43). This is, in unique or superior seems to my view, a questionable approach to the ignore the fundamental distinction between context of Indian thought in that it .~a dharma and other in perpetuates the myth begun in the early classical Hindu thought. years of that Advaita and modern Notwithstanding the issues raised above, reinterpretations thereof define all that is the volume is a useful one for anyone important in Indian and Hindu thought. interested in summaries of Neo-Vedantic Certainly recent scholarship on Hindu­ thinking on Christianity and the convergence Christian dialogue would challenge such or lack of convergence of this thinking with privileging of Advaita and Neo-Vedanta in Indian Christian christological constructions. the context of Hindu thought. The author's description of the Indian ethos of pluralism Ronald Neufeldt must also be subjected to challenge. To University of argue that historically for the orthodox

Revelation, History, and the Dialogue of : A Study of Bhartrhari and Bonaventure. David Carpenter. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1995, xi+ 208 pp.

IN THIS BOOK David Carpenter under­ considered in the first part of the book, takes a comparative study of the Indian Bonaventure in the second, while the third grammarian and of language part lays out points for comparison - Bhart~ (450-500 CE) and the Christian similarities and differences - and evaluates theologian Bonaventure (1221-1274), with a these points. Carpenter does a masterful job particular focus on as exemplified in chapters 2 and 3 in presenting in their respective scriptures, the Veda and Bhart~haii's difficult writings - grammatical the Gospel. Carpenter describes this project and metaphysical statemenrs are deeply as an exercise in the history of religions and intertwined - in a clear and accessible way. not in theology because, while he respects He helps us to understand Bhart~hari' s deep the importance of revelation and its for consideration of , an analysis rooted believers, he does not begin with any in the language's grammatical details and in specific about how the truth its larger role as reflective 9f a first Word of Veda or Gospel should impact the original to the world, as the -expression scholar's work. Rather, he is interested in of the primal verbal , Sabda-. determining what is meant by "revelation" By comparison, the usually formidable and how it functions in these different Bonaventure seems rather accessible; religious systems. As a historian of religion, chapters on his context (ch. 4), he wants to thematize revelation as an object of revelation (ch. 5), the history of of historical-critical scrutiny, examining "the revelation (ch. 6), and the reception of the diversity of disclosiveor revelatory language of revelation (ch.7) show us how phenomena and the forms of their rich and imaginative a thinker Bonaventure mediation" (p.5). was, as a theoretician, practitioner, and Carpenter pursues his inquiry through preacher of the Chri'stian faith, one who balanced and detailed considerations of admirably intertwined the historical Bhartrhari and Bonaventure. Bhartrhari is specificity of Jesus Christ with a larger

Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 1997 3