Religion Commons^™

Protestant Bible Translations In India: An Unrecognized Dialogue?, John B. Carman

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

During my first visit to Kyoto in the spring of 1980, I was given the privilege of attending a meeting of the committee of scholars supervising one of the two series of translations of Shinran Shonin's works now appearing in English. Except for Dr. Minor Rogers, an American scholar of Shin Buddhism, and myself, all the other participants were Shin Buddhists belonging to the "Western Temple" branch of Shinran's followers. Dr. Dennis Hirota, who has contributed several of the draft translations, is Japanese American. The rest of the group were Japanese. The procedure used by committee to review a draft, …

The Poetic Vision Of "Walden" And The Idea Of Human Freedom In The "Bhagavadgita", Inder Nath Kher

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

In his seminal essay on "Nature" (1836) Emerson writes:

"In the woods, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life is always a child. In the woods is perpetual youth. Within these plantations of God, a decorum and sanctity reign, a perennial festival is dressed, and the guest sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years."

Thoreau's Walden; Or, Life In The Woods (1854) is more than a tribute to Emersonian ideas; it is a forceful plea for the renewal and regeneration of the self. It …

Viewpoints: Art And Architecture As Locus For Dialogue: The Holy Place As A Common Ground For Dialogue, Jyoti Sahi

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

This year has been in many ways deeply distressing. Sadam Hussein, while preparing the way, along with the various hawks of the West, for a confrontation of armed forces reminiscent of an apocalyptic armageddon, has looked forward to a time when he and Arafat can pray together in the Holy city of Jerusalem. Meanwhile on the banks of the River Ganges Hindus and Muslims have laid claims to a plot of land which for different reasons each holds to be sacred. The confrontation threatens to tear Indian spiritual unity apart, setting person against person in bloody conflict.

Book Review: "Neo-Hindu Views Of Christianity", Ronald Neufeldt

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A review of Neo-Hindu Views of Christianity, edited by Arvind Sharma.

Book Review: "Inter-Religious Dialogue: Voices From A New Frontier", Anand Amaladass

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A review for Inter-religious Dialogue: Voices From A New Frontier, edited by M. Darrol Bryant and Frank Flinn.

Reports And Interviews: Abhishiktananda Society: Retreat--Seminar: Mysticism -- Saiva And Christian: Rajpur, India November 1-6, 1990, Bettina Bäumer

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

It was Swami Abhishiktananda's dream to realize a spiritual dialogue between Hinduism and Christianity. During his lifetime most of the dialogue meetings in which he took an active part were in fact ecumenical meetings of Christians encountering Hinduism. Together we had planned a Hindu-Christian meeting in Varanasi which did not come about. In fact, Swamiji's was a personal dialogue, first within himself, and with his Hindu gurus, friends, fellow sannyasis and disciples. The results he passed on to his Christian friends and disciples.

Reports And Interviews: Abhishiktananda Society: Retreat--Seminar: Mysticism -- Saiva And Christian: Rajpur, India November 1-6, 1990, C. Murray Rogers

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

From October 31 - November 7, 1990, the Abhishiktananda Society of Delhi called together some 26 men and women, Hindu and Christian, for a shared life of mediation and study around the chosen topic. The Rajpur Retreat and Study Centre, near Dehra Dun in the foothills of the Himalayas, provided the setting for such a venture which must surely have rejoiced the heart of Sawmi Abhishiktananda himself (Dom Le Saux). Furthermore, the Swami, the sale of whose books enabled us to have the physical enjoyment of such a location, must have been delighted that the moment had come for such …

Reports And Interviews: Interview With Mr. Subramanian, Anand Amaladass

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Mr. P.N. Ganapathi Subramanian (born in 1938) is at present First Secretary (Ecom) at the Indian Embassy in Vienna an India's Alternate Permanent Representative to UNIDO. He has been serving the Indian Mission abroad in various capacities for several years, including as interpreter in Chinese for India's Defence Department.

What follows is not strictly an interview with Mr. Subramanian, but rather an attempt at Hindu-Christian dialogue, a free conversation over common concerns with specific reference to Indian situation. The Bulletin is meant to promote conversations of this type, though scholarly articles on specific themes will also find their due place …

Book Review: "A New Look At Aurobindo", Harold Coward

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A review of Frank Thompson's A New Look at Aurobindo.

Translating, Teaching, Conversing: A Reflection In Response To The Essays Of Richard Desmet And John Carman, Francis X. Clooney

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

After reading "R. de Nobili as Forerunner of Hindu-Christian Dialogue" by Richard DeSmet, S.J., and "A Forgotten Dialogue: Protestant Bible Translations" by John B. Carman, one immediately recognizes the truth of Carman's insight that the Protestant Bible translators were engaged in a real encounter with Indian thought, even a true (though poorly documented and perhaps unintended) dialogue. Though their language skills were often minimal, and their interest in India's religions even less developed, their commitment to the project of translating the Bible provided numerous occasions for the missionaries and their pandits to search together for correct renderings of Biblical terms, …

Response To John Carman, Dennis Hudson

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

John Carman concluded his essay with request for further information about "conversations between Hindu pandits and the Christian missionaries supervising their translations." I would like to respond with some information about Arumuga Navalar's side of the dialogue that developed with Peter Percival while working with him on the "Tentative Version" of the Tamil Bible from 1841 to 1848. The information comes from Navalar's Tamil booklet, The Abolition of the Abuse of Saivism (Caivatusanaparikaram), published in Jaffna in 1854. Navalar intended the booklet to be used by Saivas as an intellectual aid in their opposition tot he aggressive attacks on …

Viewpoints: Art And Architecture As Locus For Dialogue: Inter-Religious Dialogue Through Art, Caroline Mackenzie

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

The epic Ramayana is a central Hindu Scripture, which, unlike the Vedas and Upanisads, has been accessible to all sections of the Society. The story originated from an oral tradition and was written down by the sage Valmiki. The date is disputed and could be anything between 1500 and 200 BC. It is said to be the "adikavya", the first and the ideal poem.

Book Reviews: "The Yoga Of The Christ In The Gospel According To St. John", David J. Hawkin, Bibhuti S. Yadav

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Two book reviews for Ravi Ravindra's The Yoga of the Christ in the Gospel According to St. John.

Table Of Contents

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Table of contents for this volume.

The Transformation Of The Scholar As A Factor In Hindu-Christian Studies, Francis X. Clooney

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A lively, varied range of scholarly activities is gathered today under the title of "Hindu-Christian studies." Indeed, we find as many different approaches and interests surfacing in this field as can be found in other areas of theology and the study of religion. The wealth of material that deals with the study of the religions grouped loosely under the titles of "Hinduism" and "Christianity" is itself enormous and still growing. Now, in addition, many of us are documenting and predicting the relationships among these religions: monographs, collections of essays and, most recently, this journal, all offer us considerations of how …

Book Review: "Hindu-Christian Dialogue: Perspectives And Encounters", John B. Carman

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A review of Dr. Harold Coward's Hindu-Christian Dialogue: Perspectives and Encounters.

Book Review: "River Of Compassion: A Christian Commentary On The Bhagavad Gita", David C. Scott

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A review of River of Compassion: A Christian Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita by Bede Griffiths.

Book Review: "Spirituality In Interfaith Dialogue", M. Amaladoss

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A review of Spirituality in Interfaith Dialogue, edited by Tosh Arai and Wesley Ariarajah.

Book Review: "East-West Dialogues: An Interreligious Encounter", Jeffrey R. Timm

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A review of East-West Dialogues: An Interreligious Encounter by Satyaraja Dasa Adhikari (Steven Rosen) and Rev. Alvin V. P. Hart.

Reports

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A collection of reports, including "The Abhishibtananda Society" by Bettina Bäumer, "Inter-religious Dialogue Centres" by Navin Frank and Dr. Josephine, and "The Ecumenical Dialogue of Kirtananda Swami Bhaktipada" by Joel Bjorling.

News

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

News pieces, including "Editorial Advisory Board Appointed" and "Raimundo Panikkar Edits New Monograph Series."

The Mystical Path Of Total Abandonment To God In Jean-Pierre De Caussade And The "Bhagavad-Gita", Robert L. Fastiggi

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

One of the creative tensions in Hinduism is the concept of God as Impersonal Absolute vs. the concept of God as Personal. In the Bhagavad-Gita (written c. 400-200 B.C.), the concept of God as personal, loving and compassionate is emphasized. It is not surprising, therefore, that many scholars and spiritual writers have found in the Bhagavad-Gita a rich source of comparison with Christian spirituality.

Academic Study And The Phenomena Of Dialogue, Robert D. Baird

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

To what extent is the academic study of religion interested in Hindu-Christian dialogue, and to what extent can it handle the phenomena of dialogue within the limitations of its method?

Next Issue And Editorial Policy

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A preview of the contents of the next issue and the editorial policy.

Book Review: "In Search Of Self In India And Japan: Toward A Cross-Cultural Psychology", Harold Coward

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

A review of Dr. Alan Roland's In Search of Self in India and Japan: Toward a Cross-Cultural Psychology.

Front Cover

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Front cover for this volume.

Viewpoints: Levels Of Dialogue, Bettina Bäumer

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

As in any human relationship, the relationship between religions is also taking place at many levels: There is the merely external physical or social meeting, which can take the form of a neutral coexistence or aggressive confrontation. Then there is the human level of living together which can produce a certain mutual understanding and acceptance. This happens naturally in any pluri-religious society, among neighbours, colleagues at work, or even within the same family as in the case of interreligious marriages. Another type of conscious dialogue takes place on the academic or intellectual level. In fact, most of what is talked …

Viewpoints: In Dialogue With Hindus? My Experience And Reflections, Sr. Vandana

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Today, in our pluralistic global village, with its technological civilization, ecological disasters, socio-economic-political oppression apparently crumbling churches, and religion seemingly becoming increasingly redundant especially in the West, wondrous vistas are opened up in the spiritual world. For, I do believe, that as religions in past centuries often served to divide us, in the coming decades and century, spirituality will unite us more and more. "Indeed the hour is coming and is already here ... when the Father will be worshipped in spirit and in truth" (John 4.23-24), irrespective of religions. Today too, it is hardly possible to be a good …

In Memoriam: Richard W. Taylor, David C. Scott

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

The Rev. Richard W. Taylor ("Dick Taylor" to all his friends), Senior Associate Director of the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, (CISRS), Delhi and Bangalore, passed away on October 19, 1988. He was 63.

Editorial Policy

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

The editorial policy for The Hindu-Christian Studies Bulletin.