Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies Volume 21 Article 5 January 2008 A Retrospective of Hindu-Christian Studies: Establishment of the Journal and Formation of the Society Harold Coward Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Coward, Harold (2008) "A Retrospective of Hindu-Christian Studies: Establishment of the Journal and Formation of the Society," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 21, Article 5. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1404 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]. Coward: A Retrospective of Hindu-Christian Studies: Establishment of the Journal and Formation of the Society A Retrospective of Hindu-Christian Studies: Establishment of the Journal and Formation of the Society Harold Coward Professor Emeritus of History and Founding Director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and ~ociety University of Victoria A retrospective look at "How We Do Hindu­ In volume 2, the 1989 issue of the Bulletin, Christian Studies" can be had by going through the death of Richard Taylor is noted. A the issues of our journal from 1988 to the missionary of the United Methodist Church, present. In the first issue of the journal the USA, Dick Taylor served in India for 35 years approach was described as follows: "Materials as Research Secretary for the Christian Institute selected for publication will be balanced for the Study of Religion and Society in Delhi between historical research and contemporary and Bangalore. Taylor's books assessed the practice, and, where possible, should employ contributions of early pioneers in inter-faith analytical and theoretical analysis set within the dialogue from a sociological perspective. He context of our shared human experience."] The also wrote on Christian art and the Ashram issue contained two articles illustrating this Movement in India. In volume 2 of the Bulletin, approach: an overview of Hindu-Christian the focus on Hindu-Christian dialogue continues dialogue in India in the 1970s and .1980s by with articles by Anand Amaladass and Klaus Anand Amaladass, and an assessment of the Klostermaier. Amaladass draws attention to the various approaches to dialogue in the modem encounter between Christian Europe and Hindu West by Klaus Klostermaier. While Amaladass India in Wilhelm Halbfas' book India and fmds the focus in India in the 1980s to be on· Europe: An Essay in Understanding. For the church organizations and their theology of ~. European, India fascinates as a pristine guardian dialogue (with some Christians linking dialogue of primordial wisdom and offers hidden pieces with prose1ytisation), Klostermaier sees dialogue of one's self-understanding. By contrast, on the is the West occurring at the academic level in side of India there is no such searching toward Religious Studies courses where he feels there is the West - instead, there is only a stance of self­ a greater openness and honesty ''where formerly satisfaction and a lack of curiosity towards the dissimulation and hypocrisy were the rule.,,2 In outside. In India there is traditionally no search each tradition, says Klostermaier, our study for challenges and alternatives from foreign requires scholars who are willing "to fight hard shores. Indeed India discovers the West and against prejudice and pretense, against petrified Christianity through the process of being tradition and vested religious interest" if the discovered by the West - although this Hindu-Christian dialogue is to be open and insulation was broken through by the nineteenth honest.3 century Indian Renaissance thinkers who set the Harold Coward is Professor of History and Founding Director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, University of Victoria. He has authored eighteen books, the most recent of which is The Perfectibility of Human Nature in Eastern and Western Thought (SUNY, 2008). He was the founding Editor of the Journal ofHindu-Christian Studies. Journal ofHindu-Christian Studies 21 (2008):3-10 Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2008 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 21 [2008], Art. 5 4 Harold Coward stage for today's Hindu-Christian dialogue. In Dabholkar sees Gandhi as a living embodiment her article, Margaret Chatterjee (Director, Indian of Hindu-Christian dialogue. 1o S. Gangadaran Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla) identifies and Israel Selvanayagam offer a comparison to six principles for Hindu-Christian interaction the communion of Saints from Tamil Saiva and including the felt need of Indian Christians to Christian perspectives.ll It is worth noting that inculturate their faith in Hindu cultural practice, in the 1992 issue of the journal a balanced thus requiring the study of Hinduism in engagement of both Hindu and Christian Christian seminaries. Chatterjee also notes that scholars is achieved for the first time. there is a draw for some few Christians to the The comparative approach continued in the mystic route (e.g. Advaita Vedanta) of 1993 issue of the journal but with a' context shift Hinduism. 4 One such person, Jacques-Albert from dialogue to the question of human Cuttat (son of a wealthy Swiss banker, Professor responsibility for the environment. Articles from of Philosophy at the Sorbonne, later the Swiss Klaus Klostermaier and Roger Hutchinson along Ambassador to India) was fascinated by the c with O. P. Dwivedi and Sehdev Kumar once mysticism of Vedanta. The "Cuttat Study again showed a balance of Christian and Hindu Group" which he established during his tenure scholars. The passing of Bede Griffiths, a leader as the Swiss Ambassador in Delhi focused on in Hindu-Christian dialogue was noted. In the the notion of "inner dialogue" which must reviews, the publication of Francis Clooney's precede "external dialogue" Cuttat stressed the first venture into comparative theology was need to develop methods for an encounter of examined. In the 1994 issue the focus on Hindu­ spiritualities rather than a mere engagement in Christian dialogue reappears but now in the comparative religion. 5 context,of religious pluralism in India, America. The focus on "dialogue" as the key to and Australia with articles by Clooney, Hindu-Christian studies continued in the 1990, Chatterjee, Carman, Ayookuzhiel and Bilimoria. 1991 and 1992 issues of the journaL Robert . In a viewpoint essay, David Scott (of the United Baird examined the relationship between Theological College in Bangalore) examines the dialogue and academic study, and was relationship between religious fundamentalism complemented by Francis Clooney's analysis of and pluralism in India. 12 Also in 1994, the the transformation of the scholar as a factor in founding meeting of the Society for Hindu­ Hindu-Christian Studies.6 In the same issue ,Christian Studies was held in conjunction with Bettina Baumer of the Abhishiktananda, Society the American Academy of Religion meetings in in Varanasi points out three levels of dialogue: Chicago. In relation to the question, "How do on the lay level between neighbours, at work or we do Hindu-Christian Studies?" the founding in the family; on the academic or intellectual of the Society provided a permanent home for level; and on the bhakti or devotional level like the journal and fostered a yearly gathering of the sharing of festivals, prayers and rituals. 7 scholars in the field - a gathering that has grown Richard De Smet offers an assessment of "de from an initial group ,of twenty to our current Nobili as Forerunner of Hindu-Christian sessions of fifty or sixty scholars. The program Dialogue," and John Carman suggests that for the Society's, first meeting was a panel Protestant Bible translations in India constitute review of Diana Eck's Encountering God, with a an unrecognized example of Hindu-Christian response from the author. dialogue.8 Art and' architecture are seen as locus During the five-year period 1995-2000 we for dialogue by Caroline MacKenzie and Jyoti see a shift from the focus on dialogue to a series Sahi.9 In the 1992 issue the focus on dialogue of thematic studies. In the 1995 and 1996 issues continues but in an academic comparative voice. of the journal, the topic of the role and function Julius Lipner offers a comment on the concept of scripture takes center stage with a of hindutva in relation to the Christian Roman comparative me,thod frequently being adopted. Catholic ascetic, Brahmabandhab Upadhyay The Hindu approach to scripture is analyzed in (1861-1907). Ronald Neufeldt looks at the articles by Anantanand Rambachan and Bibhuti contribution of Max Muller to the comparison of Yadav with the Christian approach being Christianity and "other religions," and Devadatta examined by Michael Deroche and R. S. https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol21/iss1/5 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1404 2 r Coward: A Retrospective of Hindu-Christian Studies: Establishment of the Journal and Formation of the Society A Retrospective of Hindu-Christian Studies 5 Sugirtharajah. Also in these issues Frances in the Bible that support the ending of any Clooney led a cultural and cross-cultural study conflict between science and religion. The of the Hindu mind as found in the work of methodology here is not really comparative but Professor Dharampal and seen in his book rather an inner attempt of each tradition to relate Bharattya Chitta Manas and Kala released in itself positively to modem science. In the 1998 Madras in 1993. Responses to Dharampal's issue the theme of "The Hindu Diaspora" is statement of the need to decolonize the Hindu studied through a series of historical surveys: in mind are offered by Lance Nelson, Anantanand Trinidad (Marion O'Callaghan); in Australia \ Raffibachan, Nilima Chitgopekar and Anand (Purushottema Bilimoria); in North America Amaladass.