Conceptualizing the Divine in Hindu Devotionalism and Karl Rahner
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Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies Volume 23 Article 10 January 2010 A World Filled With Grace: Conceptualizing the Divine in Hindu Devotionalism and Karl Rahner Ankur Barua Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Barua, Ankur (2010) "A World Filled With Grace: Conceptualizing the Divine in Hindu Devotionalism and Karl Rahner," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 23, Article 10. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1462 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]. Barua: A World Filled With Grace: Conceptualizing the Divine in Hindu Devotionalism and Karl Rahner A World Filled With Grace: Conceptualizing the Divine in Hindu Devotionalism and Karl Rahner Ankur Barua University of Cambridge IN recent decades, a substantial body of theologians struggled with a similar question of scholarly work in the field of Hindu-Christian whether divine grace, which is uncaused, can be studies has been produced, which has not only said to be freely offered to all human beings. done much to dispel earlier stereotypes of Hindu We shall begin with an outline of the life-worlds as steeped in 'pantheism', 'world Christian understanding of prevenient or negation' and the like, but also urged Christian antecedent grace, and then move on to consider thinkers to reflect on their own foundational certain parallels to this conceptualization of beliefs through Hindu motifs. A relatively divine agency in the Hindu religious traditions. unexplored theme remains that of whether, and The Christian diagnosis of the human in what ways, the divine reality can be predicament is that the correct relationship with conceptualized as 'gracious' in Hindu God is now ruptured because of the fault of devotionalism, especially given that the human beings, and they cannot restore it through Christian doctrine of ' grace' is related to a their unaided .efforts. The consciousness of this constellation of other notions such as creation fault.is expressed through the language of 'sin', out of nothing, justification and so on, which and it is significant that the Greek word that have no clear analogues in the former. In this Paul uses in these contexts, hamartia, means the article, I seek to trace certain parallels to the failure to hit the mark or the goal. The mark here Christian understanding of 'grace' in some is the 'supreme Thou' in front of whom the figures of South Indian SrI-Vaiglavism through 'subjects. of sin' have the fearful consciousness a dialogue with the thought of Karl Rahner, and that they face the divine wrath for their lack of show how they attempt, in their specific truthful relationship with God. 1 Nevertheless, theological contexts, to affirm both the divine God also steadfastly seeks the reconciliation of freedom and the divine accessibility to all the world, and by turning human beings away human beings. Karl Rahner, one of the most from their sinful immersion into themselves influential Roman Catholic theologians of the graciously draws them to Godself through the last century, emphasized the gratuitousness of atoning death of Christ. In, writing about how grace while denying that grace is offered only to Christ has brought about a decisive a limited few chosen by the divine will. In the transformation in the lives of those who have universe of SrI-Vai~I?-avism, structured by a become incorporated into his Body, Paul distinctive understanding of the divine-human therefore invokes the metaphor of a transfer relation within an Upani~adic framework, from one owner (servility to sin) to another (the Ankur Barua completed his Ph.D. from the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, in 2005. He is currently a Teape Research Fellow in Hindu-Christian Studies at the same faculty. His research interests are Hindu-Christian dialogue and comparative philosophy of religion. His publications include The Divine Body in History: A Comparative Study of Time and Embodiment in the Theologies of St Augustine and Ramanuja (Peter Lang, 2009) and articles in Oxford Ioumal of Hindu Studies, Ioumal of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, Harvard Theological Review, and Intemational Ioumal of Hindu Studies. Ioumal ofHindu-Christian Studies 23 (2010):40-48 Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2010 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 23 [2010], Art. 10 A World Filled With Grace: Conceptualizing the Divine 41 new life under the grace of Christ).2 Given this of God as the unique supreme Person (Siva) who close interconnection between these key is both the transcendent Lord and the immanent Christian doctrines, it is not surprising that many indweller of all beings. In the verses of the Christian theologians have commented on the Saivite poets such as Campantar (first half of the absence of the notion or consciousness of 'sin', seventh century CE) and his contemporary and consequently that of 'grace' as the Appar, one comes across eXpressions of their forgiveness of sin by the 'holy' God, in the sense of self-abasement and their deep Hindu traditions. 3 We may take these awareness of their vileness in the presence of observations as a warning against a too hasty Siva before whom they are unworthy to sing his application of the Christian understanding of praises. Evoking the metaphor of conjugal union 'sin' and 'grace' to Hindu religious contexts.4 they speak of Siva as the bridegroom and the Scholars in comparative philosophy have rightly soul (pasu) as his bride, and yet declare that the alerted us to the dangers of plucking out devotional love with which they seek concepts from diverse contexts and squeezing communion with him is itself generated and them into a Procrustean bed by chopping off brought to fruition by the grace of Siva.6 The their distinctive edges. However, this attention dual emphasis on the spontaneous and to the specificity of origin need not hinder us in unconditioned nature of divine grace, on the one trying to sketch certain resemblances to the hand, and the individual's consciousness of conceptions of 'sin' and 'grace' in some Hindu separation from the divine, on the other, emerges theistic currents, especially when we keep in also in Nammalvar's Tiruvaymoli which mind the notion of 'sin' in terms of the failure to constitutes a major part of the 'ramil Vedas'. In hit the mark, in this case the divine reality. In the a detailed study of the Tiruvaymoli R. David following, we shall outline some of the Kaylor notes that there are seemingly similarities to the Christian conceptions of 'sin' contradictory passages regarding the question of and 'grace' in the three figures of . whether grace, understood as the Lord's MaI;1ikkavacakar, the ninth-century bhakti poet favourable action or attitude to humans, is of Tamil Saivism, Nammalvar, the author of the totally spontaneous or responsive to human Tiruvaymoli, and Ramanuja, one of the most deeds. Kaylor concludes that though certain important theologians of Sri-Vai~I;1avism. passages which speak of the results of ritualistic deeds or the worship of the Lord at temples or * * * self-surrender to the· Lord seem to indicate that I the Lord responds to individuals in keeping with I In the Tiruvacakam, MiiI;likkavacakar sings their character or deeds, these passages must be praises of/the Lord Siva who takes the initiative read within a context which emphasizes the not only ih breaking his bondage to saIiJ.slira but priority of 'prevenient' grace.7 Thus Nammalvar also in graciously possessing him and melting speaks of himself as unworthy to be the Lord's his heart. It is only because of Siva's grace (aruJ) slave, and states that he is devoid of any quality that the 'base' MaI;1ikkavacakar is able to that might have prompted the Lord to look understand the Lord and enter into communion graciously towards him. For Nammalvar the with his transcendent master who is beyond transcendent Lord who cannot be.known except speech and mind. In Glenn E. Yocum's reading through His self-manifestation is also graciously of the Tiruvacakam the unconstrained grace of accessible through his many incarnations, icons the 'playful' Siva releases a creature (pasu) like in temples and presence as the inner controller in MaI;1ikkavacakar from the cycle of rebirths and all human&, and this dialectic of divine fills him with madness (pittam) which sovereignty and immediate accessibility plays an transcends the limitations of worldly wisdom important role in the theology of Ramanuja. The (catur).5 This dialectic of the Lord Siva's root meaning of' 'sin' as the lack of a veridical sovereignty and intimate presence also appears relationship with the divine underlies his claim in some of the other canonical texts of the Saiva that because the embodied self has since SiddhiInta which revolve around the conception beginningless times moved away from the Lord https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol23/iss1/10 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1462 2 Barua: A World Filled With Grace: Conceptualizing the Divine in Hindu Devotionalism and Karl Rahner T 42 Ankur Barua and does not have the correct knowledge that it receiving either praise or blame for its actions. i is an 'accessory' of the Lord, it is therefore In this manner, Ramanuja is able to affirm both il immersed in 'sinfulness' (Papa). Therefore, the that the embodied selves can attain release from sdf's burden of piipa may be regarded, in this the stream of saJiJ.sara only by surrendering specific sense, as 'sinful' in a manner that has themselves to the Lord (bhagavatprapattl);12 and some resonances with the Christian that by seeking refuge (prapad-) in the Lord they understanding of 'sin' as the attempt to shall perform all actions with the know ledge that emancipate oneself from God and thereby it is the Lord who is the supreme Agent behind become lord unto oneself.