Towards a Theistic Re-Orientation of Raimon Panikkar's Pluralistic Theology of Religions
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Anthropocosmic-theism: Towards a Theistic Re-orientation of Raimon Panikkar’s Pluralistic Theology of Religions A Dissertation Submitted to the University of Birmingham In Partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Xavier Francis (SID. 1375657) Supervisor: Dr. David Cheetham May 2017 ii University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract Although Raimon Panikkar represents a different genre within the pluralistic theology of religions, his response to the pluralistic question does not fit in with the faith traditions because the religious meaning is blanketed through a constant disengagement with theism. It means to say that theism should be the benchmark for the pluralistic theology of religions. In this sense, the direction of Panikkar’s dialogical engagement highlights disengagement with theism. While every approach has positive and negative dimensions, the limitation of non- theistic frame is that it cannot reach the theistic possibilities. Therefore, the present study differs from the previous researches on Panikkar since the other interpreters of Panikkar take things in a more pluralistic direction by tapping on his non-theistic method but I prefer to retrieve a more theistic approach in his pluralistic method. Accordingly, the basic problem this thesis both seeks to address and discuss is the non- theistic orientation of Panikkar’s pluralistic approach. The first chapter argues that his non- theistic method emerged from his cross-cultural context and engagement. The second chapter argues that Panikkar’s non-theistic categories blanket the theistic meaning of his pluralistic approach. The chapter on Pneumatology contends that his concept of the Spirit does not possess theistic meaning but holds non-theistic implications. The fourth chapter on Panikkar’s non- theistic Christology argues that his approach reduces Christ to a non-theistic concept. The fifth chapter maintains that his manner of multiple belonging overlooks the unique faith experiences because Panikkar’s non-theistic approach does not subscribe to a particular faith tradition. Thus, in the six chapter, I propose a theistic correction called anthropocosmic-theism to re-orient Panikkar’s non-theistic pluralistic theology of religions. I argue that the anthropocosmic-theism upholds theism as the prerequisite and foundation for the pluralistic theology of religions. The final chapter provides a broad-brush view of the theistic dialogue of deeds within the present Indian pluralistic context. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………….iii Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………..iv Acknowledgements...…………………………………………………………………….........x Chapter One: Reasons for Studying Raimon Panikkar’s Pluralistic Theology of Religions…..1 1.1. Introduction…………………………...………………………………………......1 1.2. Main Research Question.…………………………………………………….........3 1.3. Panikkar: A Cross-cultural thinker………………………………………………..4 1.4. Panikkar’s Life Context……………………………………………………….......5 1.5. Methodology……………………………………….……………………………...7 1.5.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………....7 1.5.2. Transformation in Panikkar’s Pluralistic Thought………………………….....8 1.5.3. Research Works on Panikkar………………………………………………….9 1.5.4. Comparative Analysis of the Pluralistic Approaches.………….…………...11 1.6. Indian Thought and Panikkar’s Non-Theistic Pluralistic Vision….……………...16 1.7. The Pluralistic Genre of Panikkar……………………………………………......23 1.8. Implications of Panikkar’s Non-theistic Pluralistic Paradigm…………………...28 1.9. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….30 Chapter Two: Religion, Theos, Mythos and Logos, Symbol Anthropos and Cosmos: Cross-cultural Categories of Panikkar……….……………………………………….35 2.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………….35 2.2. Religion…………………………………………………………………………...38 2.3. Theos……………………………………………………………………………...43 2.4. Mythos and Logos…………………………………………………………….......46 iv 2.5. Symbol …...……………………………………………………………………....50 2.6. Anthropos …………………………………………………………………….…..52 2.7. Cosmos……………………………………………………………………………54 2.8. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..57 Chapter Three: Creative Synthesis in Panikkar’s Non-Theistic Pneumatology.......................61 3.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………........61 3.2. Notion of the Spirit in Panikkar……………………………………………….....61 3.2.1.A non-theistic Spirit?.....................................................................................63 3.3. Understanding the Spirit in Hindu and Christian Traditions……………….........64 3.3.1. Naming the Spirit…………………………………………………………..66 3.3.2. Conclusion.……………………………………………………...................68 3.4. Immanence and Creative Movement of the Spirit……………………………….69 3.4.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………..69 3.4.2. Creative Movement?....................................................................................69 3.4.3. Conclusion…………………………………………………………….......71 3.5. Towards a Creative Synthesis in the Spirit…………………………………........72 3.5.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………......72 3.5.2. A Holistic Spirit……………………………………………………….......73 3.6. Spirit, Relationality and Creative Synthesis………………………………….......75 3.7. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….76 Chapter Four: A non-theistic Christology?...............................................................................79 4.1. Purpose of Studying Panikkar’s Christology………………………………........79 4.2. Indian Christological Paradigm and Panikkar’s Prospect…………………….....82 v 4.3. Cross-cultural Christological Paradigms in Panikkar……………………………94 4.3.1. Relational Paradigm………………………………………….................94 4.3.2. Non-historical Paradigm………...……………………………………...99 4.3.3. Experiential Paradigm………………………………………………....101 4.3.4. Cosmological Paradigm……….…………………………………........102 4.3.5. Symbolic Paradigm……………………………………………….......104 4.3.6. Ecosophical Paradigm…………………………………………............106 4.4. Christ, the Trinity and Hinduism in Panikkar’s Theology....................................109 4.5. Problems in Panikkar’s Non-theistic Christology……………………………….113 4.5.1. Problem of the Historical Jesus and the Cosmic Christ……..................113 4.5.2. Problem of Relationality of the Threefold Nature…………………......115 4.6. Non-theistic Christ? .….……………………......................................................121 4.7. Conclusion………………………………………………………………….......125 Chapter Five: Appropriating Multifaceted Religious Belonging and Interreligious Dialogue: Non-theistic Methodology of Panikkar………………………..……………………129 5.1. Introduction……………………………………………………….....................129 5.2. Multiple Religious Belonging and Interreligious Dialogue: Non-theistic Method ?...…………………………………………………………………..130 5.2.1. Diatopical Hermeneutics: Methodology for Multiple Belonging.........131 5.2.2. Models of Diatopical Approach……………………...………….........133 5.3. Multiple Religious Belonging and Dialogue of Religions………………….......136 5.3.1. Contextual Approach of Panikkar……………………………………136 5.3.2. Dialoguing from within: Intrareligious Methods…………….............142 vi 5.3.3. Three Intrareligious Models...…………………………………..........145 5.4. Multiple Religious Belonging and Interreligious Dialogue: Foundational Myth?.........…………………………………………………………………….155 5.4.1. Introduction………………………………………………………......155 5.4.2. Multiple Religious Belonging and Fundamental Human Attitude…...155 5.4.3. Human Condition and Intrareligious Dialogue……………….............156 5.4.4. Appreciating the Myth of the Other...………………………………...158 5.5. Multiple Religious Awareness and Comparative Religion……….……….........160 5.5.1. Non-theistic Comparative Theology of Religions...……………..........160 5.5.2. Dialogical Dialogue………………………………………………......163 5.5.3. Homeomorphic Equivalence: Functional Relationality……………....165 5.6. Multiple Religious Belonging and Centrelessness………………....................166 5.6.1. Evolution of Multiple Belonging in Swami Abhishiktananda and Panikkar...……………………………………………………………………167 5.6.2. Centreless Theo-foundationalism of Abhishiktananda…....................168 5.6.3. Centreless Non-theism of Panikkar.………………………….............170 5.7. Conclusion………………………………………………………………….….172 Chapter Six: Anthropocosmic-theism: Re-orienting non-Theism……………………........176 6.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………..................176 6.2. Theoretical Benefits of Anthropocosmic-theism……………………………….176 6.3. A post-Panikkar Approach?.................................................................................177 6.4. Anthropocosmic-theism: Self Objections…………………………………........179 6.4.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………….....179 6.4.2. Frist Objection……………………………………………………….........179 vii 6.4.3. Second Objection………………………………………………………....180 6.4.4. Third Objection………………………………………………………….180 6.5. Exploring Anthropocosmic-theism……………………………………………….181 6.5.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………........181 6.5.2. Differentiating Anthropocosmic-theism and Cosmotheandrism……........181 6.5.3. Religion as Relationality of Anthropos and Cosmos to Theos in Anthropocosmic-theism………………………………………………….184