Overview

Hindus and Christians have a long history of interaction on the Indian subcontinent. Since the latter half of the twentieth century, with the increased possibilities for immigration, Hindus and Christians live side by side in many parts of the Western world and there are growing numbers of Hindu-Christian marriages and families. In North America, for example, the population of Hindus is approaching three million. Hindu students are attending many colleges with a Christian history and ideals. To avoid the dangers of these communities sharing geographical space but not understanding each other, Pathways to Hindu-Christian Dialogue offers dialogue that fosters mutual understanding, respect, and learning in both communities.

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9781506474601

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Pathways to Hindu Christian Dialogue is the fruit of Anantanand Rambachan's lifetime of reflection and conversation, deep theological learning, and patient commitment to dialogue as understood and practiced at home and abroad. He shows us in a simple and direct way, free of jargon and from the heart, the ever-greater value of dialogue in today's fractured and intolerant world. Hindus and Christians, and believers in every tradition, will want to travel the wise and serene pathway Rambachan clears for us. --Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Parkman Professor of Divinity, Harvard University, and first president of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies Pathways to Hindu-Christian Dialogue is a thoughtful and thought-provoking series of essays on the blessings, challenges, and possibilities inherent in Hindu-Christian dialogue. Based on his own decades-long experience in the field, Prof. Rambachan presents his reflections with the intellectual rigor of a scholar and the humility of an earnest seeker of truth. --Swami Tyagananda, head of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, Boston, and Hindu chaplain, Harvard University and MIT Anantanand Rambachan offers a superb reflection on Hindu-Christian dialogue based on decades of his own committed participation. He wonderfully integrates personal narrative and theological analysis as an accomplished scholar and Hindu practitioner who is deeply acquainted with Christian life and thought. He clarifies the reasons for dialogue as the shared quest for meaning, friendship, and the moral imperative to work together to transform structures of injustice in a shared affirmation of human dignity. He also provides unsparing critique of both Christian and Hindu triumphalism and of caste, as well as profound insights into the core vision and concepts of each tradition. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in interfaith dialogue and is a worthy complement to Rambachan's landmark work, A Hindu Theology of Liberation. --Kusumita P. Pedersen, professor emerita of religious studies, St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, NY In Dr. Anantanand Rambachan, who lives his life according to the Hindu religious tradition, I see a marvelous example of Hindu initiative to dialogue with Christians. Dr. Rambachan is aware of the significant evolution that the Hindu religious tradition has been undergoing. Though fundamentally different one from the other, Hindu and Christian religious traditions have much in common to engage in a fruitful dialogue for the benefit of both and especially for the common good of society, where these traditions are lived, especially in India. Dr. Rambachan challenges Christians to have an appreciation of Hinduism in order to overcome the present state of unease. Going beyond the general tendency to dwell on apparent analogies with facile irenicism, and avoiding superficial compromise, Dr. Anantanand Rambachan encourages friendship on a deeper level between Hindus and Christians, whose traditions, though different, could become occasions for mutual enrichment and engagement in creative dialogue for a peaceful and harmonious society. The book Pathways to Hindu-Christian Dialogue brings out emphatically an encouraging message for a fruitful Hindu-Christian dialogue. --Archbishop Felix Machado, Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, Vasai, India

Author Information

Anantanand Rambachan is professor of religion, philosophy, and Asian studies at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota. He is the author of many books including A Hindu Theology of Liberation (2015) and The Advaita Worldview (2006). He is active in interfaith education and in the dialogue programs of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He was recently appointed co-president of the World Council of Religions for Peace.

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