Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Volume 22 Article 19

January 2009

Book Review: "Sacrifice and Cosmos: ajñaY and the Eucharist in Dialogue"

Swami Tyagananda

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs

Part of the Religion Commons

Recommended Citation Tyagananda, Swami (2009) "Book Review: "Sacrifice and Cosmos: ajñaY and the Eucharist in Dialogue"," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 22, Article 19. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1446

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]. ~ I Tyagananda: Book Review: "Sacrifice and Cosmos: Yajña and the Eucharist in Dialogue" 60 Book Reviews

Sacrifice and Cosmos: Yajiia and the Eucharist in Dialogue. George Praseed, IMS. New Delhi: Decent Books, 2009, 413 pp.

MUCH scholarly work has been done on the relation between the Eucharist and the cosmos general theme of sacrifice, but the relationship was recognized by the Orthodox theologians but between sacrifice and the universe has received neglected by Catholic and Protestant minimal attention, a lacuna that the present book theologians. The general tendency among seeks to fill. Fr. George Praseed attempts to Christians is to view Christian sacrifice as show how sacrifice as a ritual is the key to primarily spiritual, not ritual. Praseed seeks to understand the interrelationship between God, prove the opposite; namely, that it "not merely the universe, and human beings. The study, spiritual but ritual and, only as a ritual, can it structured around the Hindu "Yajfia" and the have a true cosmic value" (176). He avoids the Christian "Eucharist," provides a comparative reductionistic trap by approaching the theme framework in which the spiritual visions of the from both directions: descending (God offering two traditions are compared and contrasted in a to humans in sacrifice) and ascending (humans balanced and respectful manner. Divided into offering themselves to God in the Eucharist). three parts, the book deals with Yajfia in the This he does by discussing the truly sacrificial first, the Eucharist in the second, and makes a nature of the Last Supper and Jesus' self-giving comparative study of the two in the third. to the Father on the cross. Praseed contends that Sacrifice has been seen variously as a "gift," Protestants failed to understand the Catholic as a "communion," and as a "communication"· position on the Eucharist as sacrifice. He affirms between the sacred and the profane. Praseed that neither Jesus' sacrifice nor the sacrificial views it primarily as a "ritual repetition" of nature of the Eucharist should be denied. He creation of the world and a "ritual action" that analyzes the views of Maximus the Confessor, maintains the world. He analyzes the Purusha­ V. Lossky, J. D. Zizioslas, and Teilhard de SUkta (Rig-Veda 10.90) as a prototype Vedic Chardin to show that in all of them the sacrifice to demonstrate its cosmic significance Eucharistic sacrifice has a cosmic dimension. in the creation and maintenance of the world, A comparative analysis of Yajfia and the affirming that "the cosmos is the product of Eucharist shows both the Vedic primordial man sacrifice, the sacrifice is in the beginning of (purusha) and Christ to be the creator and. everything" (47). Two Vedic rituals connected sustainer of all creation. While the Vedic with the Purusha-SUkta, Asvamedha and sacrifice is the ritual repetition of the self-giving

I, Agnicayana, are analyzed to show that "sacrifice sacrifice of purusha, the Eucharist is the ritual ,I is the beginning of all realities and to sacrifice is memorial of the death and the resurrection of to make sure the survival of oneself and of the Jesus Christ. Both the Vedic sacrifice and the whole cosmos" (114). The Vedic vision was Eucharist are means for' the existence and I" interiorized in the Upanishads, which privileged survival of the cosmos, and both are also the the mystic experience of nonduality in means by which immortality can be attained. Brahman!Atman over the ritualistic sacrifice Food is another point of convergence: while found in the Bdihmanas, the earlier section of Brahman is the "food oflife," Jesus is the "bread the Vedas. This paved the way for the of life" (307). There are significant differences emergence of devotion (bhakti) in the Gita, as well between Y ajfia and the Eucharist. One where sacrifice was equated with self-discipline, obvious difference is that the Vedic purusha is a selfless work and self-surrender to God. mythical figure whereas Jesus is a historical According to Praseed, whereas the cosmic person. Another difference is that for Vedic dimension of the Vedic sacrifice is "almost self­ the creation is through the sacrifice of evident," it is "hidden" in the Eucharistic the purusha while in the redemption sacrifice. The reason for this is the lack of is through the sacrifice of Jesus. cosmic vision in the Eucharistic theology. The

Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2009 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 22 [2009], Art. 19 Book Reviews 61

The similarities between Yajfia and the Brahman (brahmayajfia) alongside the liturgy of Eucharist become obvious in the Vedic five the Word. great daily sacrifices (pafica-mahiiyajfia). Originally written as a doctoral dissertation Praseed is at his comparative best in Chapter presented to the Institute of Pastoral Liturgy, Seven of the book where he holds sacrifice to Abbey of st. Justine, Padua (under the author's the gods (devayajfia) alongside the Eucharist as old name George Padinjattukara Varkey), the sacrifice to God the Father; sacrifice to the dead book is both insightful and informative even if (pitryajfia) alongside the offering of the somewhat wordy and repetitive. Praseed quotes Eucharist for the dead; sacrifice to all living profusely from theologians past and present, and beings (bhiitayajfia) alongside the intercession provides a useful glossary and a bibtiography. for the well-being of all in the Eucharist; sacrifice to human beings (nryajfia) alongside Swami Tyagananda the Eucharist as the agapic meal; and sacrifice to Harvard University

Kurisumala: Francis Mahieu Acharya-A Pioneer of Christian Monasticism in . Marthe Mahieu-De Praetere. Trans. by Susan Van Winkle. Kalamazoo, Mich.: Cistercian Publications, 2007, xv + 394 pp.

WESTERN scholars of the contemporary four years later by entering the monastery of Our Hindu-Christian encounter are familiar with the Lady of Scourmont in Chimay, where he towering figures, Swami and .followed a very asceticallifestyle. In the coming , and with their institution, decades he nurtured an interest in Indian Shantivanam Ashram. Much less is commonly spirituality and gained permission in 1955 from known among scholars about their one-time his superiors to move to India. There he joined confrere, Francis Acharya (1912-2002). Acharya Jules Monchanin and Swami Abhishiktananda at and Griffiths had together founded Kurisumala Shantivanam Ashram, which had been Ashram, an institution that is strong and thriving established four years earlier. Mahieu was today, so it is surprising that Acharya is not fascinated by their project of integrating better known. However, this situation may soon Christian monasticism with Indian culture. change, for Acharya's niece, Marthe Mahieu-De Acharya's interests quickly moved away Praetere, has written the first biography of him. from Shantivanam. Soon after his arrival in It was first published in ·in 2001 and an India in 1955 he met Raimundo Panikkar, who

I I: English translation was published in 2008. introduced him to Bishop Rene Feuga of , , ,i Francis Acharya was bom as Jean Mahieu to Mysore. The bishop, in tum, introduced Acharya a wealthy, Catholic family in Ypres. The young to some of the thriving Christian communities of i 'I Mahieu could have had a very successful career . Acharya was deeply enchanted by the , , in his father's Union Factory, but he had a, life vibrant community life and the Syriac liturgies changing experience in 1931 while he was a he encountered, versions of which had been student in . He caught sight of Gandhi celebrated in India since the earliest eras of on the latter's famous visit to and was church history (139-42). Acharya had a great impressed by the man's display of simplicity love of the early Christian theologians of the before the pomp of the British Empire. He East, and the Syriac liturgy was a living link to stated, "For me, it was the victory of a man who that world (82, 98). Further, he was disappointed incarnated poverty. It was the epiphany of a that Shantivanam was failing to attract new purely spiritual power and I dreamt of following members and to build a strong community life. the same path" (22). Mahieu dismayed his father Acharya hence resolved to found a monastery in

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol22/iss1/19 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1446 2