Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Volume 7 Article 9

January 1994

Hindu-Christian Dialogue in the Making in

Purushottama Bilimoria

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Recommended Citation Bilimoria, Purushottama (1994) "Hindu-Christian Dialogue in the Making in Australia," Journal of Hindu- Christian Studies: Vol. 7, Article 9. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1097

The Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies is a publication of the Society 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 information about Digital Commons @ Butler University, please contact [email protected]. Bilimoria: Hindu-Christian Dialogue in the Making in Australia

Hindu-Christian Dialogue in the Making in Australia

" I Purushottama Bilimoria Deakin University, , Australia

IT WOULD NOT be an exaggeration to say more urban, educated, upwardly-mobile at the outset that Hindu-Christian dialogue is middle-class' migrants (increasingly the still in its infancy in Australia when dominant cluster in a liberalizing Australia). compared, for instance, to Buddhist­ By 1981 the native Indian population Christian, Jewish-Christian, Mus lim­ increased three-fold, with further intakes Christian, and even Muslim-Jewish dialogue. from Malaysia, , , East and However, there have been some South Africa, and New Zealand. developments in recent times and there is On specifically Hindu migration, clearer something of a history, albeit discontinuous, figures emerge from the 1986 census, which of Hindu-Christian encounters in Australia. identifies 21,500 (but this includes a variety of Western-based neo-Hindu I. The professional Hindu diaspora followers of gurus, yoga schools, Meher Although the first Hindu labourers were Baba devotees, Hare Krishnas, and so on). brought to Australia by the British in the At a conservative estimate there would have 19th century, it wasn't until the mid-J960s been 20,500 Hindus of non-Australian that the "White Australia" policy was ancestry (regardless of birthplace). The officially disbanded, although reservations break-down of overseas Hindus by country about admitting people with "different of birth (with presumed Indian ancestry) is standards of living, tradition and culture" given as follows: 35.7%; Fiji 21.5%; persisted. Church leaders seemed ambivalent Sri Lanka 11.0%; Malaysia 7.1 %, U.K. about the issue; some defended the change 4.3 %, South Africa 3.8 %, New Zealand in deference, to the responsibility good 2.5 %, other 14.1 % (this would comprise Christians have towards people of other Hindus from other states of Africa, (poorer) regions, others opposed the changes Southeast Asia, North AInerica, Europe and for the instability this could bring about. the Arab regions). 74% of overseas-born However, a more relaxed immigration Hindus arrived between' 1967 and 1976. system facilitated the arrival of Among Australian-born Hindus 28 % professionals, such as doctors, engineers, indicated Indian ancestry, 25 % reported teachers and technicians, from India. By British ancestry, 12.2 % Australian ancestry, 1966 there were 4411 Indians and between and the rest other ancestry; 300 Aboriginal 1966 and 1971 a total of 6418 "ethnic people identified themselves as of Hindu, Indians" were approved for entry; bringing Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish religion!. Two­ the total Indian population in Australia by fifth of employed Hindus were professionals the end of 1971 close to 11,000; Sri Lankan or para-professionals. A higher. percentage migration also increased among both its of Hindus (alongside Jews) earn an annual ethnic groups - Sinhalese and Tamil Hindus. income in excess of $32,000, which places

This trend continued as r employment and Hindus (and Sri Lankan Buddhists) in the educational opportunities attracted more and most affluent group of . all South Asian

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migrants. impressions and sounded less than sanguine By 1991 the Hindu population reached a about the prospects of Vedanta being accept­ 3 record 43,580 (declared Hindus). This ed widely in Australia . Nevertheless, during figure, again, includes people of European his numerous subsequent visits Swami Ran­ descent who have converted to one or other gathananda ran spiritual retreats in which a sect or guru-based popular following (such number of Christians, lay and clerical, as Vedanta, Hare Krishna); but at the same participated. He also took active part in time it does not include South Asians who academic meetings of religious studies are either too shy to disclose their religion, professors, and in one such meeting at or whose identification by sect-names may University engaged in something of not have registered adequately under a heated discussion on the subject of the "", and those who, like the Sufis, Bhagavadgita with Professor Eric Sharpe follow a syncretic religion (although Baha'i and others. does record some 7,500 followers). In any In this period also arrived Transcendent­ event, with recent additions and adjustments, al Meditation and the Hare Krishna move­ it would be safe to say that presently there ment, Swami Muktananda, the Divine Light are close to 45,000 Hindus Australia-wide. order of Guru Maharaji, Rajneeshis, and But this is a small percent-age in comparison spokespersons for spiritual masters such as to the Christian population of Australia, Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharsi, Satya Sai which is over 7 million. The statistical Baba, and Swami Sivananda. Apart from the likelihood of a Christian meeting a Hindu is occasional formal reception extended to a 1,000 to 1, although this would be higher in middling Church figure, the gurus or leaders inner urban areas. of these orders did not seek to engage in any kind of serious interaction with Neo-Hindu Groups representative members of the Church. On In the 1960s and 1970s, like in other parts one occasion when a discussion (to be . of the Western world, an assortment of videoed) was arranged between Swami gurus, swamis, babas and yoga teachers Muktananda and a leading Catholic visited Australia. The Sufi-Hindu "Avatar", academic, the colourful Baba gave facile Meher Baba, would be among the earliest of responses to questions put to him, using the such visitors. Each attracted a following of occasion to preach the virtues. of Siddha some sort or another, and most of the Yoga. What was conspicuous by its absence disciples came from Christian or Jewish during the quite visible presence of these backgrounds. The encounter with a tradition gurus and teachers was the positive gesture from the East in one form or another towards ecumenism of the kind that, for inevitably created an ambience or occasion example, Swami Chidan~nda (the successor for discussing within family and peer-group to Swami Sivananda) was engaged in. But circles the appeal and conflicts roused by the Chidananda did not set foot in Australia, and teachings. It was not unusual for the odd his fellow gurus, such as Swami Australian or European migrant to forfeit the Venketesananda (who established a farm­ Christian faith and adopt in a serious way ashram in ) and Swami Satyananda, the life-style of a Hindu monk. One such were more interested in getting on with their noted personality was a Polish man who reclusive yoga teachings. The exception to called himself Mauni Sadhu (Paul Brunton's this list was Swami Saccidananda (popularly counterpart in Australia). He remains an known as the "Woodstock" Guru, having icon in some "New Age" spiritual circles. appeared at that famous pop festival), who In 1964 Swami Rangathananda, a senior welcomed any opportunity of coming monk of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda together with religious leaders of diverse Order, arrived in Australia. He wrote of his persuasions and discussing issues of mutual

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol7/iss1/9 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1097 2 r Bilimoria: Hindu-Christian Dialogue in the Making in Australia Hindu-Christian Dialogue in the Making in Australia 33

theological interest. During his visits to students on issues ranging from the alleged Australia he continued the northern polytheism to the life-negating fatalism (a za California style ecumenical celebration of karma) of Hinduism. In his writings too, the "Light". However, during the Kesarcodi-Watson continued a form of discussions preceding one such "ecumenical dialogue between his former theologian-to-be offering", when a participating academic self and his new-found Hindu titman (which attempted to raise serious issues of he rendered as personhood). Perhaps the r,. significant theological concern, the Swami better known of all academics in this area is politely retorted that he began with the Professor Eric Sharpe, who has made assumption that all religions are equal and numerous radio broadcasts on the fruitful one in the eyes of God. The discussion did interactions between Hindus and Christians, not progress much further beyond platitudes whether in India's colonial past or in terms drowned by stem silence of the panel of the possibilities opening up in Australia members. (Saccidananda died last year.) with its increasing Hindu population. Eric Similarly, Swami Chinmayananda (who also Sharpe was requested to deliver the key passed away last year), was not known for address during the inauguration of the first his sympathies for non-Hindu religions in Australia (Sri Mandir in (being a staunch supporter of the Vishwa Sydney), in which he welcomed the Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Ayodhya­ contribution Hindus are well placed to make Ramjanmabhoomi movement). He would in a religious plural society which Australia happily have a Christian leader or scholar now recognizably is4. He also welcomed the present an address at his inaugural lecture­ challenge of religious ecumenism in the retreats, only to dismiss the talk as soon as broader sense, which his presence itself in the visiting speaker left the room, and to some ways flagged. It is not apparent sing praises of "the superior Vedanta". His however that the Hindu assembly ever took one-time associate guru, Dayanand Saras­ up this challenge further than inviting Eric wati, during his visits appeared more open Sharpe again, or inviting some church to interreligious interchanges, being a more minister to address the gathering on certain articulate and informed teacher himself. festive occasions. Eric Sharpe's overtUres need to be II. The Academic Monologue placed in the broader context of a legacy On the academic front, scholars and teachers that has existed in Australia from the time of whose primary interest has been Hinduism Charles Strong. Charles. Strong was a lay or comparative religion have in their own preacher who became concerned that ways continued a dialogue between Australia should forge a religion which Hinduism and Christianity. A.L. Basham suited its own diversity of faiths (including was forever enchanted with Hinduism (and that of the ) and its once confessed, "I could almost be a conditions in the antipodes. He thus founded Hindu"), which led him to make positive the so-called "Australian Church", which, comparisons between the two traditions in however, did not gain wide support or his numerous lectures, as did his colleague popularity. Funds collected for the new J.T.F. Jordens. Ian Kesarcodi-Watson, who Church were later endowed as The Charles taught in La Trobe University until his death Strong (Australian Church) Memorial Trust, in 1974, had early on left his Baptist faith to one of whose chief objectives has been to pursue studies in Vedanta with Professor promote the study and intermingling of J.G. Arapura in Canada. While a vociferous religions within' the Australian context. defender of Hinduism, he took every Several scholars of comparative religion! opportunity to engage in serious philosophy have been the recipients of the interchanges with Christian scholars and Trust's Memorial Lecture scheme, including

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Prof. Dr Raimon (Raimundo) Pannikar (in nevertheless readily voice their own 1974), Eric Sharpe (on Universal Religions, denominational views). Rather, serious 1978) and Bilimoria (for his work on inquiries and invitations to contribute Hinduism in Australia, 1986). With the alternatively-argued perspectives come from support of the Trust, the theme chosen for bioethicists, philosophers and social theorists the 1982 conference of the Australian engaged in these discussions. Association for the Study of Religion was "Religious Interaction". This theme was III. Ecumenical Movements chosen to coincide with the visit of H.H. the The potential, I believe, for an all-round Dalai Lama, who presented the keynote dialogue that spans issues in religion, ethies, address at the conference and participated in and even politics is certainly there, but it is ecumenical gatherings organized variously not exploited adequately, except in sporadic by the Victoria Council of Churches. Hindu spurts when the occasion is provided by the priests and representatives also participated presence of foreign spiritual dignitaries, in these meetings. The Dalai Lama en­ representatives or scholars. In this regard couraged dialogue and presented Buddhism the Conference of the International to the Christian leaders present in ways less Association for the History of Religions, threatening than Hindu gurus had hitherto held in Sydney in 1985, provided an succeeded in doing. However, neither the interesting context for scholars and believers Australian Association for the Study of of different faiths to mingle, discuss and Religions nor the Australia and New dialogue. Likewise, the international Zealand Theological and Seminary Asso­ conference of the World Council of ciation - the two academic bodies devoted to Churches, held three years ago in , studies in religion and theology - has been br()ught together a range of "insiders", in any great haste to take up the challenge of inCluding Indian Christians with strong religious dialogue in all but crass academic Hindu sensitivities, who battled out issues 5 terms . Indeed, as Dr Greg Bailey has spanning the place of women in religious claimed in the pages of the AASR's own institutions, the fate of indigenous religions, newslink, the study of religion - just like the and the environment. Among the participants entire cultural framework in which it occurs was Diana Eck. from Harvard, who spoke is dominated by what he calls, about her Pluralism Project and afterwards "Christianist discourse" 6. Even in the visited with the Hindu community in enterprise of dialogue Christianity is not able Sydney. She expressed disquiet at the to resist casting non-Christians as "the difficulty one Hindu group was facing in its other", "the different". Hence, since the plans' to build a temple in an area dominated non-Christian religions of the world or of by Catholics. , the diverse people that make up Australia's More significantly, the international population are not taken seriously, there is meeting of the World Conference for virtually no scope for either in-depth com­ Religion and Peace (WCPR), held earlier in parative studies or for the attendant dialogic in 1989, drew an astounding encounter this calls for at the level of praxis. number of people from different faiths in an On issues concerning ethics and ambience that can only be described as one contemporary questions like those raised at of high-powered dialogical interaction. The an alarming rate in bioethics (e.g. in IVF, late Archbishop of the Anglican Church, jl I i; embryo experimentation, euthanasia, genetic Rev. Dr David Penman, invited the engineering, medical intervention, and so President of the Hindu Society to be on the

I on), responses from across the diverse Organizing COIIunhtee of the conference. cultural and religious communities are not (Dr Penman was an advocate for an "Aussie sought out by clerics and ministers (who church" that would reflect the history, hopes

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol7/iss1/9 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1097 4 Bilimoria: Hindu-Christian Dialogue in the Making in Australia Hindu-Christian Dialogue in the Making in Australia 35

and struggles of Australians shaped by its vindicated in the end! It is likely that under 140 nationalities.) Some 20 Hindu delegates the leadership of its dynamic and sensitive came from India (including one Hindu Australian Secretary-General, Rev. John leader from Bali). Prominent among the Baldock, WCRP will create an on-going delegates was Acharya Sushil Kumar Jain, context for dialogue in which Hindus can who, though he overtly represented the Jain feel comfortable to express their concerns, tradition, is a firm supporter of the VHP. of theological or social kinds. This was perhaps one of the rare such Indeed, that expression and participation meetings and occasions for Hindu-Christian is not entirely absent. The Australia-Asian dialogue in Australia. But then that is the Association of Victoria, under the legacy of the WCPR which has had VHP Presidency of Sir Edward Dunlop (whose backing since its inception (one of its former sympathies towards India date back to his Presidents was Hindu, and Chinmayananda war days in the Burma Trail) included in its was in attendance at the inaugural programs an "Interfaith Religious Service", assembly), and middle-class Hindus have a which usually took the form of an address vested interest in safeguarding their current on religious interaction. In October 1977 a political involvement in the subcontinent. Week of Prayer for World Peace was WCRP now has a permanent secretarial convened by one Fran Boyd, and this event office in Melbourne, which is charged with with its interfaith services continues organizing regular interfaith meetings and annually. From this arose the need to rumilng conferences on issues such as establish an interfaith group that would truly religious pluralism, children's rights, and engage in dialogue. In the early 1980s the freedom of thought. Religious pluralism is a Inter-Theological Ecumenical Meeting concern high on the agenda of WCRP, and Group, later named Interfaith Council, was at a recent meeting chaired by Max formed in which a local Hindu lay priest, Charlesworth (himself a noteworthy Mr Chintaman Datar, represented Hinduism. advocate of religious interaction), Hindus This group met regularly and organized a and Buddhists challenged the exclusivism of number of interfaith meetings and seminars the mainstream churches in Australia. The as well as continuing the Week of Prayer chairperson of WCRP-Australia, Bishop meetings, variously held in Anglican and Michael Challen, admitted that whereas, for Uniting (a Presbyterian-Methodist amalgam) example, "Australia was ol1ce thought of as churches. The Hindu community was a little a Christian country, that cannot be so easily apprehensive at the overtures from maintained".~ He called for a reassessment of predominantly Christian leaders. The fear commonly-held assumptions about the nature was that this might be a pretext for of the Australian community. A report read: conversion, until Mr Datar explained that ,"The interaction and discussion was fulsome the Christian brothers and sisters were and stimulating. At the end of the day genuinely interested in talking about mutual participants expressed a strong desire to problems confronting religious communities meet again. WCRP is planning a similar in Australia. Some funding for an on-going meeting in 1994"7. Indeed, the WCPR in dialogue was obtained by the Council. collaboration with the Institute for the However, due to certain internal exigencies Religions (convened by Dr Ian Weeks in and differences among the committee Deakin University) is coordinating an memb~rs, especially after the Sikh Australian-centred project on Religious representative won the ballot at a public P~uralism, which takes the native Aboriginal meeting of the Council for the Presidency, and the Asian-Pacific context of Australian the Council seemed to have lost momentum belief-patterns and experiences utterly and all but ceased to function. The Hindu seriously. Polytheism might well be support for the Sikh candidate was not met

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with enthusiasm by the outgoing committee, - Islam, Judaism, Buddhism - are well which refused to hand over the reigns to the represented here. The symbolic value alone incoming President. of a temple in our capital cannot be Happily, the function of the Council has overstated. "8 continued in other ways in smaller, region­ based "Faith-to-Faith Dialogue" groups IV. Syncretic Trialogue scattered around Melbourne. Mr Datar is But such open-minded gestures are not actively involved in one such group. His always forthcoming. The local Anglican group trains leaders to lead study circles minister, who was one of the valued guests exploring issues of particular concern to at the dedication ceremony for the grand Sri each of the religious communities involved. Venkateswara Hindu Temple in Helensburgh Mr Datar remarks, from personal family (outside Sydney) in 1985, expressed an i) , experience, that of all things intermarriage ambivalent response to the spectacle in his provides an inexorable context for dialogue regular newspaper column. While pleading since the tension created between the for even-mindedness and tolerance he fortuitous coming together of two faiths in nevertheless admitted being troubled by the such a union challenges the parties and the array of granite images, idols, dvarapalas, families concerned to understand and come demonic fiends, and their elaborate worship to terms with each other's religious orienta­ during the ceremony. "Idolatry" appeared to tion or background. Datar echoes a truism: be a denigration of "... the glory of the It is through dialogue that there is healing of incorruptible God into an image made like to the spiritual and cultural rifts as well. corruptible man, and to birds, four-footed Over the past decade, Australia has beasts, and creeping things" (Romans 1.23 witnessed a number of Hindu temples is cited)9. Gandhi's universalism, aligned coming up in each of the major metropolitan with the Vedanta dictum about the one truth areas. Some of the temples are housed in having various paths, is also put under abandoned Christian churches, which itself scrutiny in the light of Christ's dictum: "I rouses some curiosity on the part of the am the way, the truth and life, and no one I, I remaining parish. During the stone-laying comes to the Father but by me". The , I and inaugural (kumbabhiseka) ceremonies, minister concluded his sermon by confessing : I apart from prominent visiting swamis, high­ that it is a difficult task ind~ed "to be ranking representatives of the Christian tolerant, while at the same time holding denominations and local parishes are also firmly to what we believe to be true". The invited as guests. In one such recent function dialogue ended there, with a whimper as it in the mition's capital, Canberra, the were, only to be rescued by several letters to Archdeacon of the Anglican Church, Rev. the editor from the .local community, David Oliphant, addressed the gathering in admonishing the minister's equation of these sanguine terms: "I am pleased to be Hinduism with idolatory. One correspondent here. I am replacing the Bishop who was expressed the view that in the future unable to come. The time is well overdue humanity will look to the Indian people for for us to listen to one another, to explore social change and inspiration, and that "we different layers of spirituality and to find should be very honoured to have this small and assert our common humanity." An link with this (Hindu) civilization in our Anglo-Australian summed up the backyard"lO. Of course, the recent turmoil in neighbouring community's response, thus: Ayodhya might dampen the enthusiasm "The Hindus I have met seem serene and somewhat, although at the second gentle people. They are welcome here ... I kumbabhiseka cer~mony held last month am pleased that Canberra is finally getting a [January 1994] at the same temple site, an Hindu temple. The other minority religions even larger non-Hindu crowd was evident,

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol7/iss1/9 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1097 6 Bilimoria: Hindu-Christian Dialogue in the Making in Australia Hindu-Christian Dialogue in the Making in Australia 37

with people travelling from different parts of Peace and an informal Christian meditation Australia to witness a colourful and moving collective. Retreats were organized at which spectacle given much coverage in the media Amal Das led workshops on yoga, wherever such events happened. meditation and adapted mantra recitation. Perhaps the best known and most The exploration of Hindu-Christian revered icon in Australia of genuine spirituality at the crossroads, highlighted ill interreligious interaction is Dom Bede this visit, has continued throughout the Griffiths. Dom Bede is more widely read country. A number of devout Christian lay and listened to in Australia than are Thomas and clerical members have travelled to India Merton or William Johnston, for there is to spend time in Dom Bede' s Shantivanam greater fascination with India in respect of Ashram in South India (where an its promising spiritual mysteries than with "Australian Hut" was sponsored from the China or Japan. This particular predilection funds collected during his visit). Before is· related to Australia's colonial link with leaving Australia, Dom Bede participated in India and the consistent activities of a joint bhajan session (sung by Hindu and theosophists, spiritualists and neo-Hindu Christian devotees) and Mass conducted groups over the last few decades. Dom Bede according to the Syrian Indian rites. It was first visited in 1985 and the public lectures, an ecumenical liturgy, the first of its kind to seminars and interreligious meetings he held be held here, and it was broadcast on attracted large audiences. Invariably, his national television. Dom Bede expressed talks and discussions turned to the many high hopes for this kind of interface between noble virtues of Hinduism, especially in Hinduism and Christianity in Australia regard to the areas of individual spiritual (always careful not to make direct reference practices, such as meditation, yoga, the to Hindus as a group)l1. sannyasa/contemplative life-style, as well as . Dom Bede visited again, for the last to the fertile" input Hindu mysticism can time, in 1991 and again drew large make into current cross cultural thinking in audiences. Once again, the questions that cosmology, physics, and theology. To many came up with greater frequency from the admirers Dom Bede embodied the perfect assembly related to Dom Bede's views on blending of· Eastern and Western rebirth, sin and karma, .and predestination. spiritualities, and his mere presence inspired Dom Bede was able to handle .these. dialogue, whether carried on internally in questions without either giving blaspheme to the heart of the seeker, or externally in the the church or accepting a literal under­ confrontatiol1 of the different faiths, most standing of troublesome doctrines such as especially Christianity and Hinduism. While rebirth. His approach was to look upon Hindus themselves often expressed rebirth as an interesting metaphor, in the reservations about the extent to which Dom light of discoveries by Rupert Sheldrake of Bede represented and appropriated Hinduism distant field influences, and in view of the in all its sophistication, complexity and possible interpolation of rebirth as an early contradictions, nonetheless Hindu doctrine in some parts of the Bible or representatives came forth to take part in elsewhere (including Plato). He would then whatever discussions and meetings or plead for an open mind towards such beliefs interfaith services were organized. Dom in other cultures which form a basis of Bede was accompanied by Brother Amal moral living for a large number of people. Das, who claimed to be of mixed Syriac and Over a dozen cassette recordings of his Malayali-Saivite background, although he lectures and dialogu,e sessions made during had taken initiation in the Benedictine Order his visits are in circulation; the national under Dom Bede. Amal Das proved to be radio, the Australian Broadcasting rather popular with groups like Catholics for Corporation, replays interviews with him at .

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regular intervals. One might say that Dom the need to integrate with the diverse Bede has left behind a legacy worldwide, spiritual and cultural values now extant in including in Australia, for his efforts at the antipodean nation just overcoming its bridging the chasm between Hinduism and colonial slumber and moving towards the Christianity, although much more work postmodern era. remains to be done in the area of bringing a more historically informed, theoretically balanced and scholarly orientation to Notes Hinduism into the discussions. 1. "Religion in Australia 1991 " , census profIle I will end this overview with an anecdotal 2510.0 p.21, 23, Australian Bureau of reference to a lone pursuit by a concerned Statistics. convert to Hinduism that exemplifies other 2. (ibid, p.40)2. kinds of efforts towards making a dent in the 3.' Swami Ranganathananda, A Pilgrim Looks at religious dialogue enterprise. Peter Lawry The World, Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. 1977, p.75 . . i , became a follower of Swami Muktananda in 4. Foreword to P. Bilimoria, Hinduism in the early 1970s, but did not sever links with - :1 Australia, Mandalafor the Gods. Spectrum, his Christian background. Eager to persuade 1988a. his peers and folks to the virtues of 5. Although the AASR and its leading members Hinduism, or at least of the sufi-yoga path I., have published essays dealing with "Religion he was involved in, he enrolled to study in Multicultural Australia", the focus has theology in one of the leading theological largely been on initiating curriculum colleges in Melbourne. After graduating he material or class discussions rather than on succeeded in gaining ordination as a minister guiding actual religious interface in more of the Anglican Church and took charge of concrete terms. The gauntlet thrown into the a parish comprising Anglo-Australians fray raising deeper questions of metaphysical seeking an alternative life-style and semi­ and epistemological import - such as, professionals from mostly Christian homes. whether religions possess "truth" in any Rev. Lawry gradually introduced teachings measure; whether GOD REALLY EXISTS; whether Hindu or Christian; and whether and practices from yoga-tantra and God\/Sunyata might. cancel each other out synthesized these with the regular services, entirely; have not been taken up at all. Cf. sermons and activities of the parish. This Bilimoria "A Problem for Radical (onto­ has resulted in the creation of a unique theos) Pluralism", Sophia, vol 30, July syncretic congregation that appears to be as 1991, pp.21-33. much Hindu, broadly understood, as it is 6. "The Discourse of Christianity and the Christian. Lawry's aim of providing a focal Other" ,Australian Religious Studies Review, point for mediation between the two spiritual VI, 2, July 1991, pp.61-70. traditions to which Australians seem to be 7. "Bridges of Peace", WCPR Newsletter, drawn appears to have paid off. The Melbourne, 1993. rainbow church on Panton Hill has 8. Personal correspondence via Carl Vadivella convinced its congregation to take ideas such Belle (who has been compiling invaluable as karma and rebirth seriously. This information on Hindu activities in Australia). 9. Northern News, N.S.W. 9 August 1985. experimentation might indeed constitute an 10. Reported in Bilimoria, Hinduism in exception, but it has a place in the broad Australia, pp.131-132 . Australian landscape. This may even become 11. Before leaving Australia Dom Bede had sent one significant model for Hindu-Christian the writer a postnote saying: "I think we interaction as both the population of Hindus have forged a link with India" . I suppose we increases and the dominant religious or have, or have we? cultural groups become more conscious of

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