Introductory Information and Introduction Bradley Malkovsky

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Volume 17 Article 4

2004 Introductory Information and Introduction Bradley Malkovsky

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Recommended Citation Malkovsky, Bradley (2004) "Introductory Information and Introduction," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 17, Article 4. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1313

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]. r Malkovsky: Introductory Information and Introduction

EDITORS

EDITOR: Bradley J. Malkovsky CO-EDITOR: Anand Amaladass 232 Malloy Hall, I. Institute ofPhilosophy and University of Notrtl?3.H'1'€ Culture Notre Dame, IN 46)56 USA 81 Lattice Bridge Road Email: [email protected] Thiruvanmiyur, Madras INDIA 600 041 EDITOR'S ASSISTANT: Rita George Tvrtkovic

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

R. Balasubramanian Raimundo Panikkar University of Pondicherry University of California, Santa Barbara Klaus Klostermaier S. Cromwell Crawford University of Manitoba University of Hawaii at Manoa Francis X Clooney, S.J. David C. Scott Boston College United Theological College Julius Lipner J. T. K. Daniel University of Cambridge Serampore College . John Carman R. Vijayalakshmi Harvard Divinity School International Institute for Tamil Studies U. R. Anantha Murthy DianaEck Mahatma Gandhi University Harvard University Margaret Chatterjee Westminster College, Oxford

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies is an annual scholarly journal published jointly at the University of Notre Dame and at the Institute of Philosophy and Culture, Madras, India. It is the official publication of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. The aim of the Journal is to create a worldwide ferum for the presentation of Hindu-Christian scholarly· studies, book reviews, and news of past and upcoming events. Materials selected for publication will be balanced between historical research and contemporary practice and, where pOSSible, will employ analytical and theoretical analysis set within the context of our shared contemporary experience. Contributions are invited and may be addressed to either the Editor or the Co-Editor. Articles of roughly 4000 wor<;is are preferred, though occasionally longer pieces will be published. Send manuscript in paper form as well as on diskette. A style sheet is available on request. The Journal adopts a policy of non-gender specific language where applicable. All articles are subject to review before acceptance and may be edited in the course of publication.

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

An annual subscription is included with memberShip in the Society for Hindu-Christil;ll1 Studies. Membership annual dues: US dollars $35; Students, US dollars $15; Special 3-year rate, US dollars $80. Subscription only rates (individuals and institutions): US dollars $15; Overseas address, US dollars $16. Single copies of back issues: US dollars $15. No other currencies can be accepted. Make check or money order in US dollars payable to the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies and mail to Bradley Malkovsky at the address above. For subscription information within India, please write to Anand Amaladass at the address above. The Journal is indexed in the A TLA Religion Database, published by the American Theological Library Association.

Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2004 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 17 [2004], Art. 4

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION

WITH this issue and in its seventeenth year enlist Mahatma Gandhi "as representative of the Hindu-Christian Studies Bulletin the largely unarticulated dialogue ordinary officially changes its name to the Journal C?f Hindus have been having with Christianity," Hindu-Christian Studies. The change is and they make him the spokesperson for the intended to more clearly indicate that this widespread Hindu revulsion against periodical is an academic, peer-reviewed Christian attacks on Hindu practices and journal that explores the intersection of beliefs. The article underscores the Hindu and Christian traditions in India and difficulty of a real encounter and open and abroad. It is the only journal in the world fruitful dialogue between Hindus and that deals exclusively with this topic. The Christians, given Christianity's history of Journal is indexed in the ATLA Religion intolerance and attempted conversion of Database, published by the American Hindus. Theological Library Association. Bajaj and Srinivas are themselves the Contributigns are invited for the next issue topic of the next article, as their Religious and should b,e addressed to either the Editor Demography of India, a recent analysis of or Co-Editor. Indian census data, is the subject of an This year the major theme of the extensive review by Francis Clooney. Bajaj Journal is the encounter between Hindus and Srinivas present an impressive breadth and Christians that takes place "on the of data on India's shifting demographics and ground" in India. Much of contemporary express concern about the future of that discussion on dialogue and dialogical nation's religious identity. While Clooney models has focused on the historical, takes note of the book's very real colonial, missiological and doctrinal accomplishments, he also points out its dimensions, too often leaving out the lived unnecessarily alarmist tone, its simplistic experiences and expressions of people on survey of data and perspective, its concern the ground or which does not take into to exclude Christians and Muslims from the account the more fluid and spontaneous category of "Indian religionists" while dialogical models embraced by Hindu and including Parsis and Jews as such, its Christian laity. In these new models of underlying "Clash of Civilizations" theme, encounter" and shared experience what is and its need to defend a monolithic, neatly sometimes revealed is the complex and defined and well-demarcated Hindu identity. complicated identities of Hindus and He ends with a plea to broaden the Christians in India. There is a growing perspective beyond quantifiable statistical interest in this area of study among younger religious identity into a consideration of scholars as evidenced by an increasing religious identities that are more complex, number of Ph.D. dissertations on popular more personal, more theological, and more religion in India. An exploration of this interactive, even to the point of an assertion theme should add breadth and depth to of dual identities. traditional notions of what constitutes Vasudha Narayanan next introduces us "Hinduism," "Indian Christianity," and the to two places of lived popular religion in "Hindu-Christian encounter." India that illustrate the difficulty of an In the first essay J. K. Bajaj and M. D. orderly division of Hindu and Christian Srinivas summarize what Hindus in general religious practice and belief: the Basilica of feel and believe about dharma, especially as Our Lady of Health in Velankanni, articulated in regard to idol-worship, cow Tamilnadu and the Infant Jesus Shrine at protection and conversion. The two authors Viveknagar, Bangalore. Both churches are

Journal ofHindu-Christian Studies 17 (2004) 1-2 http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol17/iss1/4 2 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1313 Malkovsky: Introductory Information and Introduction 2 Bradley Malkovsky

regarded as sacred by Christians and by and practice: the shrine of St. Antony at Hindus representative of all castes and Uvari in Tamilnadu. His description of economic classes. Members of both ritual exchange emphasizes even more than religious traditions visit the sacred sites in the previous article the reality of a kind of order to avail themselves of the divine communion across religious boundaries, "of power that answers prayers for marriages, religious identities that reveal the fluidity success in business and physical cures. and blurring of boundaries between Hindu While noting a commonality of devotional and Catholic. At the shrine, religious practices among. Hindus and Christians at distinctions are neither dismissed nor the two churches the author goes on to forgotten but temporarily obliterated and observe that the Hindu devotees will transcended as irrelevant to their pragmatic generally bring their own distinctive piety human concerns and existential religious and practice with them. For Hindus at both experiences." He concludes that such a churches tend to believe more in the efficacy grassroots encounter anchored in religious of their own rituals and practices than those praxis rather than in theological abstractions performed by the Christians at the Christian and conceptual, elitist and institutionally sites. Yet despite their concern not to lose sanctioned dialogue is more in tune with the their religious identity at a Christian church lived experience of Hindu and Christian Hindus worshippers do also recognize that laity and helps overcome rigid and the spiritual power that they and Christian oppositional notions of religious identity. devotees testify to transcends institutional identification and categories. Bradley Malkovsky In the final article Selva Raj presents University of Notre Dame one more example of shared religious sp~ce

Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2004 3