Volume 39 No.1 Jan-June 2020
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TYN AR INS M T Y IT R U N T E E H International Centre for Research, H Interfaith Relations and Reconciliation H A bi-annual publication on religion, culture, and interfaith relations Volume 39 No.1 Jan-June 2020 EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Editor Dr. Packiam T. Samuel Dr. M. M. Abraham Associate Editor Consulting Editor Dr. S.S. Waheedulla Hussaini Multani Prof. Akhtarul Wasey Advisory Board Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood Dr. Chilukuri Vasantha Rao Founder, Principal, Zakat Foundation of India United Theological College, New Delhi. Bangalore Prof. T. Swami Raju Prof. Girish Nath Jha Dept. of Religion and Culture Dean School of Sanskrit & Indic Studies ACTC, Hyderabad JNU, New Delhi. Prof. Syed Ali Mohammad Naqvi Prof. Jaspal Kaur Kaang Prof. Shia Theology, Dept. of Guru Nanak Sikh Studies Aligarh Muslim University Panjab University, Chandigarh Prof. Siddiqi Mohd. Mahmood Prof. Rekha Pande Dept. of Education and Training Department of History MANUU, Hyderabad HCU, Hyderabad. Prof. Syed Jahangir Prof. Shahida Murtaza Dept. of Arabic Studies Head Dept. of Women Education EFLU, Hyderabad MANUU, Hyderabad Dr. P.S. Munawar Hussain Dr. Zulfiqar Mohiuddin Siddiqi Joint Registrar, MANUU Oriental Languages Hyderabad Osmania University Dr. Victor Edwin S.J. Dr. Joshua Raja Director, VIDIS Co-Dean Oxford Center for New-Delhi Religion and Public Life, Oxford JOURNAL OF THE HENRY MARTYN INSTITUTE A bi-annual publication on religion, culture, and interfaith relations Volume 39 Number 1 Jan-June 2020 CONTENTS Editorial Packiam T. Samuel Jesuit Writings on Islam Found in the Documents of the Indian 1-23 Academy Victor Edwin SJ Early Phase of Cultural Nationalism and Hindu Radicalism 24-39 in Bengal and Maharashtra Regions Solomon Victus The Concept of Adoption (Tabannī): An Islamic Perspective 40-60 S. S. Waheedulla Ḥussainī Quādrī Multānī The ‘Sacred Cow’ in the Indian Religious and Political 61-78 Narratives Pranay Bin Religion in Times of Pandemics: A Historical and Sociological 79-100 Appraisal Pamhor Thumra Post-Modern Theism 102-118 K.G. Pousonglung Book Reviews A New Compass for the Holy Qur’ān by Peter Du Brul SJ 119-120 Christian de Chergé: A Theology of Hope by Christian Salenson 121-123 The Islamic Enlightenment – The Modern Struggle between Faith 124-130 and Reason by Christopher de Bellaigue Editorial The Henry Martyn Institute has been publishing for many decades important research articles on religions. Time and again scholars in the academia of religions in India and abroad have contributed to this endeavor. While the topics of their research have been varied pertaining to the enormous nature of this study, the focus has been more or less on major religions. The Institute is committed to further researches on different areas of religious studies in the days to come. This issue of JHMI has reflected on many important areas of religious studies. Joseph Victor Edwin’s paper on “Jesuit Writings on Islam Found in the Documents of the Indian Academy,” is a comprehensive analysis of Jesuits’ writings on Islam. It includes studies relating to the foundational themes of Islam like the prophethood of Muhammad, the revelation of Islam, and others. The article also analyses Jesuits’ mission towards Muslims. The polemic approach of these writings, the author opines, neither portrays Islam through the lens of the Muslims nor enhances relations with the Muslims. He calls for a renewed mission towards Muslims. The article on “Early Phase of Cultural Nationalism and Hindu Radicalism in Bengal and Maharashtra Regions” by Solomon Victus is a historical analysis of right-wing Hindu cultural nationalism of the 19th and 20th centuries. It appraises the nature and characteristic of the rise of nationalism during this period in India in the form of Hindu nationalism saturated in Bengal and Maharashtra. The paper also relates these strands of nationalism in fascist Italy and Nazi Germany during this period. “The Concept of Adoption (Tabannī): An Islamic Perspective” by S. S. Waheedulla Ḥussainī Quadrī Multānī studies Islamic principle of adoption in the light of the Qur’ān and ḥadīth. This article focuses on laqīṭ and kafālah as alternative care options for children deprived of a family environment. It considers the Islamic practice of guardianship to un- parented children, a long-held child care practice throughout Islamic societies, consistent with the Sharī‘ah law. Pranay Bin’s article on “The ‘Sacred Cow’ in the Indian Religious and Political Narratives” historically traces the Hindu religious narratives of cows in the ancient, pre-independent and post-independent India. The author observes that this topic has acquired an important place in the social, religious, and political narratives of Indian society. Though divergent narratives abound at present, the author underlines the importance of objective observation of how this issue has evolved. Pamhor Thumra’s article on “Religion in Times of Pandemics: A Historical and Sociological Appraisal,” studies the interface of religion and pandemics. The author opines that religion shapes people’s attitudes towards pandemics and the latter influences people's approach towards religion. It studies religious responses to pandemics and the impacts of pandemics on organized religion from historical and sociological perspectives. The author also observes emerging forms of religious experiences and expressions in the interface of religion and pandemics. The article on “Post-Modern Theism” by K.G. Pousonglung is a positivist religious expression towards understanding atheism. Post- Modern theism is a contemporary trend in the academia of religion. The writer asserts the viability of religious atheists bracketing God. The article observes that though human societies live in an increasingly secular world, atheists are religious conscious and morally dynamic without necessarily invoking the Transcendent. I express my sincere thanks to all the contributors for your invaluable articles and the editorial team for successfully bringing out this issue of JHMI. Packiam T. Samuel Editor-in-Chief CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Victor Edwin S.J. Lecturer - Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi [email protected] Rev. Dr. Solomon Victus Senior Faculty in the Department of Social Analysis Tamilnadu Theological Seminary, Madurai [email protected] Dr. S. S. Waheedulla Ḥussainī Quādrī Multānī Senior Faculty in the Department of Islamic Studies Henry Martyn Institute, Hyderabad [email protected] Pranay Bin, Associate Professor in the Department of Religion Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur, MP [email protected] Pamhor Thumra Doctoral student (Religion) ARRC/HMI, Hyderabad [email protected] K.G. Pousonglung M.Th. (Religion) ARRC/HMI, Hyderabad [email protected] Jesuit Writings on Islam Found in the Documents of the Indian Academy Victor Edwin SJ he Indian Academy (hereafter the Academy) was a forum for Jesuit students of Theology at St Mary’s College, TKurseong. 1 The students presented their research findings, critical reflections, and considered theological opinions on several topics related to India, her peoples, and their cultures and religions.2 These presentations, in the form of research papers, were carefully recorded and preserved in bound volumes.3 Many of the essays preserved in these volumes are handwritten documents; others are typed transcripts. While most of the essays are complete, some of them provide only an outline of an essay with an accompanying note saying that it was improvised while the lecture was delivered. Perhaps it was a sign of greater grip a particular 1 St. Mary’s College is later shifted to Delhi and the college is known presently as Vidyajyoti College of Theology Delhi. Vidyajyoti College of Theology (literally, ‘Light of Knowledge’), Delhi, India, is an institute and faculty of theology run by the Jesuits. It was started in 1879 in Asansol, West Bengal, as a modest ‘Saint Joseph’s Seminary’. From 1889 to 1971 it developed in the mountains of Kurseong, near Darjeeling, where it was renamed Saint Mary’s College. From 1972 onwards it has flourished in the neighborhood of the University of Delhi. 2 Topics include the following: Ethnology and Ethnography (Tribals and Social life), History, Biography (non-Catholic), Civics, Politics, Economics, and Social Questions, Literature (Vernacular), Hinduism (Vedic, Epics, Puranas and Hindu way of life), Philosophy (Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita, Vedanta, Advaita, Ramanuja, Samkhya, Yoga, Nyana and Vaisesika, Purva-Mimamsa, Vaishnavism, and Saivism), Modern Movements, Buddhism, Islam, Other Indian religions, Missiology, Catholic Missions (Historical and Biographical), Protestant Christianity, Comparative, Apologetical, and Controversial, Education, and Art. 3 The library at the Vidyajyoti college of Theology (4 A, Raj Niwas Marg, Delhi) has all the bound volumes from the year 1912 to 1942 till the year the Indian Academy collapsed. St Mary’s College was shifted to Delhi in 1972 and given named Vidyajyoti College of Theology. 1 JOURNAL OF THE HENRY MARTYN INSTITUTE JAN-JUNE 2020 Jesuit had on the matter that was presented in that lecture! The students presented their views on Islam and Muslims at the Indian Academy, in the first decades of the twentieth century. There are thirty essays (presented as lectures) on topics related to Islam in the Academy records.4 Written between 1912 and 1940, the 4 The titles of the articles are mentioned here in the following order: the title, the author, and the year in which it was presented in the Academy. 1. Is Islam a Revealed Religion? M. Vermeire (1912), 2. The First Three Dogmas of Islam: Allāh – the Angels – the Books. M. McDonough (1913), 3. The Introduction to the Study of the Qur’ān. M. Vermeire (1916), 4. The Foundation and Practice of Islam. J. Fell (1917), 5. Muḥammadan Tradition. C. Vanhoutte (1917), 6. Muḥammadan Religious Orders. R. Tanghe (1917), 7. Muḥammadanism: The Predestination of Good, Evil and Fatalism. E. Doran (1917), 8. Islamic Sects. E. Roeland (1917), 9. Muslim Mysticism. C. Gillet (1918), 10. Islam’s God and Islam’s Prophet. H.M. Doran (1920), 11. Al-Ḥallāj: a Martyr of Islam.