Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Volume 25 Article 19

November 2012

Book Review: "Liturgy of Liberation: A Christian Commentary on Shankara's Upadesasahasri," Reid B. Locklin

Anantanand Rambachan

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Recommended Citation Rambachan, Anantanand (2012) "Book Review: "Liturgy of Liberation: A Christian Commentary on Shankara's Upadesasahasri," Reid B. Locklin," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 25, Article 19. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1525

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Cover Page Footnote A review of Reid B. Locklin's "Liturgy of Liberation: A Christian Commentary on Shankara's Upadesasahasri" by .

This article is available in Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol25/iss1/19 Rambachan: Book Review: "Liturgy of Liberation: A Christian Commentary on Shankara's Upadesasahasri," Reid B. Locklin

Book Reviews 73

North American Protestants: the section on capabilities” (120). The Jesus infancy narratives “What is ?” does not have an also provide a “strong, compelling argument equivalent “What is Christianity?” Given this against any and all . . . forms of human audience, the work possesses a number of degradation, exploitation, and strengths. It is written in a very accessible commodification, as they demonstrate clearly manner, explaining difficult ideas and that Jesus was fully human from birth” (122). complicated stories to a lay readership. It gives The ethical element remains important in parallel treatments of and of Christ, Jesus’ adult life: he aligns himself “with providing a rough balance between them. It outsiders: those who are ostracized and cast makes a strong case to ordinary Christians that out; those who are excluded from community” they would benefit in their own religious life by (172). And when Jesus saves people, “he sympathetically examining religious traditions continually shows his persistence at seeking and sources other than their own. Finally, it out those whom it would be easy to overlook encourages its readers to expand their notions and forget” (178). On the other hand, the of the divine in ways that could be helpful to Krishna story is about the spiritual love of God, them and to the world. according to Largen. Thus “the Gita is a There are two matters which merit further profoundly spiritual and even mystical text discussion with the author. The first is her about the loving nature of God” (155). total disregard of the importance of the Moreover, the “ultimate point of Krishna’s tradition of the baby Jesus and his mother Mary engagement with the world—both as a child in Roman Catholicism. The Philippines, for and as an adult—is to lead people into a higher example, has an extremely rich Christian understanding about the world, to convey the tradition of the Santo Niño. Thus the author’s knowledge of the right way to live in order to statement that “images of the crucified Jesus attain peace and happiness, and finally, to predominate” in the collections of “most, if not invite them to enter into an ultimate loving all Christians who have images of Jesus Christ” relationship with Krishna in order to attain is certainly open to question. By ignoring the union with the Divine” (167). Perhaps Largen prominence of the baby Jesus and his mother in does believe that one of the differences in the Roman Catholicism the author not only soteriological implications of the Krishna and misrepresents the Christian tradition, but more Jesus stories is that the former leads to a importantly misses the opportunity for some spiritual enjoyment with the divine, while the very interesting comparative work between the latter leads to a divinely inspired ethical Christian and Hindu traditions in relation to engagement with the world. If so, she should divine infants. say so, and furthermore admit that this line of The second matter is the way in which the thinking has a robust history. Overall, author links the Jesus narrative with ethical however, Largen has done a great service by behavior, and the Krishna narrative with non- introducing the divine life through the prisms ethical “spiritual” activity. For example, of Krishna and the non-canonical Jesus, in ways Largen argues that the Jesus infancy narratives that could be attractive and compelling to a urge us not to define humanity simply by number of ordinary Christians. rationality, excluding children, “or the Arun W. Jones mentally ill, or those with diminished mental Emory University

Liturgy of Liberation: A Christian Commentary on Shankara’s Upadesasahasri. Reid B. Locklin. Grand Rapids: Wm.B.Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2011, xviii + 345 pp.

REID B. Locklin’s, Liturgy of Liberation, is a Commentaries on Non-Christian Sacred Texts,” contribution to a series, “Christian edited by Catherine Cornille. Earlier works in

Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2012 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 25 [2012], Art. 19

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this series offered commentaries on the valid source of knowledge (pramana), that Bhagavadgita (ed. Catherine Cornille), the explains so much of the Advaita approach to Narada (Daniel P. Sheridan) and Three this text, enrich the authenticity of his Holy Mantras of Srivaisnava (Francis X. commentary and the depth of the dialog that Clooney). he develops between Advaita and the Christian This project of offering Christian tradition. Although the Christian dimension of commentaries on non-Christian texts, while Reid’s reading is important for us, I found this not unprecedented, certainly breaks new commentary to be valuable also as an grounds. Reid notes (p.35) the ancient practice exposition of the intra-Advaita reception and in India of teachers of one tradition exposition of the Upadesasahasri. In fact, judged commenting on the texts and teachings of in terms of content volume, this is focus of other traditions. The motive in most cases, most of Reid’s commentary. however, was apologetic and concerned with What does the Christian reader of this demonstrating the untenability of the opposing commentary gain? It is fair to assume that that viewpoint and the validity of one’s own. We see this is the primary reader addressed. Along this method in the commentaries of Shankara with offering her an exposition of the text in its and others in the tradition. Here also context, Reid intentionally and successfully there is normative tradition in which the helps this reader connect with the text by commentator is located that certainly informs providing reflections that relate the concerns the nature of the Christian commentator’s of the text with the Christian tradition. engagement with the text. Reid acknowledges “,” as Reid insightfully puts it, this and “the sharp limits upon what the “ is not a Christian heresy and it stands, at least Christian hearer can be willing to affirm and to in its self-understanding, opposed to any and do, but this reader perceives such limits as an all forms of dualism (dvaita); so perhaps it expression of weakness, rather than a comes as no great surprise that Shankara’s privileged position from which she can pass teachings do not quite match those which judgment (p.321). ” There are tensions in this Iranaeus finds so offensive (p.109).” The divine project, but the awareness of one’s normative Spirit in Iranaeus through which “we see and commitment, the willingness to be vulnerable, hear and speak,” calls to mind Shankara’s and the searching humility that opens one to understanding of the atman as the illumining the possibility of deep learning from the sacred awareness in every being that makes possible text of another tradition distinguish this all sense and mental activities. The Advaita commentary from the engagement that is insistence that a student must qualify himself entirely apologetic. The motivation and the (adhikara) to receive scriptural instruction may nature of the reading attempted here break be related to the Christian practices of new ground. “continuous preaching, teaching and ritual,” Reid’s work on the Upadesasahasri extends “the cultivation of moral virtue, intellectual the commentarial tradition by offering a assent and an increasingly intense desire for Christian reading, but this is grounded liberation (p.121).” Shankara’s critique of appropriately in the Advaita lineage of prasamkhyana as a practice over and above the commentaries on this text. There is a revelation of the serves as a heartening recognition of the value and reminder also to the Christian reader to rely significance of the sampradaya, the traditional not on transient experiences but “in the God flow of wisdom, methods and practices revealed by the scriptures, who perdures and surrounding this text and reaching down to transcends all experiences whatsoever (p.152).” present times. Reid draws often from the These are only a few examples of Reid’s commentary of Swami Paramarthananada, a reflections on the teaching of the teacher with whom he studied portions of this Upadesasahasri that open the doors to a text. His familiarity with this rich exegetical potentially rich and fruitful dialogue between tradition, and especially with the wider Christian and Advaitins. If one can ask of epistemological understanding of scripture as a anything more here, it is the wish to see some

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol25/iss1/19 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1525 2 Rambachan: Book Review: "Liturgy of Liberation: A Christian Commentary on Shankara's Upadesasahasri," Reid B. Locklin

Book Reviews 75

of the connections pursued further and their these issues, cognizant of similar problems in implications elaborated. the Christian tradition and the ambiguities Reid’s readers, however, are not limited to associated with the Christian understanding the community of Christians. This Christian and practice of agape. His critical treatment of commentary on a Hindu sacred text is likely to Advaita is not one-sided. be read also by Hindu Advaita theologians (like Reid’s work on the Upadesasahari reflects this reviewer!) who become participants in this the rigorous demands of good comparative conversation between the Christian theologian theology. There is no simplistic conflation of and reader. What does the Advaitin reader Shankara;s theology with Christianity and Reid gain? Certainly, a deeper understanding of the recognizes that there are issues, jivanmukti, for Christian theological tradition offered in example, over with reconciliation may not be context of an empathetic study of a Hindu text. possible. He immerses himself deeply and For Advaitins, who engage in dialogue with reverentially in text and tradition, suggesting Christians, the learning afforded by Reid’s work both familiar and novel places for mutual is invaluable. There is an invitation here also to reflection and deep learning. His work reconsider important dimensions of the demonstrates the possibility of fruitful study of Advaita tradition, often taken for granted, such another tradition from a location of as the ethic of renunciation, the overcoming of commitment to one’s own and reverence for desire, attitudes to physicality, and the status the sacred worth of the other. of the other. “There can be no true love and care for others, in other words, where there are Anantanand Rambachan no true others to love (p.315).” Reid highlights St. Olaf College

Oxford Bibliographies: Hinduism and Christianity. Edited by Chad Bauman, Arun Jones, Brian Pennington, Joseph Prabhakar Dayam, and Michelle Voss Roberts, 2012: http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/ view/document/obo-9780195399318/obo-9780195399318- 0042.xml?rskey=zjee Zu&result=2&q=

THE online, annotated bibliography Hinduism reflection occurring outside of India, and the and Christianity is a welcomed, if curiously Hindu diaspora’s encounters with Christianity placed, addition to the Oxford Bibliographies in the United States and Europe. As the editors project. Located within the project’s sub- note, this field of study is as complicated as it is section on Hinduism and alongside a diverse diverse. Their bibliography is a rich resource array of bibliographies that range from that will help both the seasoned scholar and Abhinavagupta to and from architecture novice inquirer explore more deeply the to politics, Hinduism and Christianity provides a generals and specifics of Christian and Indian thorough and well-balanced introduction to interactions. scholarship on the historical, social, and Chad Bauman, Arun Jones, Brian theological developments of Christianity in Pennington, Joseph Prabhakar Dayam, and India. Although its present content focuses Michelle Voss Roberts comprise the project’s primarily on Christianity in India—the editorial team. Each brings to the bibliography bibliography’s content will continue to grow— his or her specialization and expertise, which it does well to include sections on Hindu help to ensure the quality of resources across responses to Christianity, the impact of Hindu this wide field. The works these editors have theology and philosophy on theological culled together demonstrate the inter-

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