This autobiography traces Francis X. Clooney's intellectual and spiritual journey from middle-class American Catholicism to a lifelong study of Hinduism. It explains how he came to fashion comparative theology as a way of learning interreligiously that is boldly intellectual and deeply personal and practical, lived out in intersections of his roles as theologian and scholar of Hinduism, as professor and Catholic priest, and over the tumultuous decades from the 1960s until now, in his role as Parkman Professor of Divinity, Harvard University. Clooney sheds fresh and realistic light on the idea and ideal of scholar-practitioner, since his wide learning, Christian and Hindu, is grounded in his Catholic and Jesuit commitments, as well as in a commensurate learning with respect to several Hindu traditions that are most accessible to scholars willing to learn empathetically and in a participatory manner. What Clooney has learnt and written must be understood in terms of a love of Christ deeply informed by a Hindu instinct for loving God without reserve. A fundamental spiritual disposition - intuitions of God present everywhere - has energized his work over his long career, love giving direction and body to his professional academic work.

"Traces Clooney's intellectual and spiritual journey from middle-class American Catholicism to a lifelong study of Hinduism. It sheds fresh and realistic light on the idea and ideal of scholar-practitioner, since Clooney's wide learning, Christian theological and Hindu, is grounded in his Catholic and Jesuit commitments and in a commensurate learning with respect to several Hindu traditions that are most accessible to scholars willing to learn empathetically and in a participatory manner"--

Abhishiktānanda (also known as Henri le Saux OSB) is among the most studied Roman Catholic expatriates in India. His life and work have been investigated mainly in the fields of spirituality and interreligious dialogue. While his search for the spiritual awakening is well known, however, less known is his effort to reawaken the sacramental sensibility within the Roman Catholic Church. No scholar has, in fact, extensively analyzed Abhishiktānanda’s understanding of issues surrounding nature and the supernatural. In this book, the focus is primarily on Abhishiktānanda’s concern for the sacramental character of all created existence in terms of the connection between the ecclesial character of his spiritual search and the underlying theme of his theological and literary writings. While the scope of this study is limited, it nonetheless subjects Abhishiktānanda to an interpretative turn by proposing a reinterpretation of him as primarily a product of mid-twentieth century French Roman Catholicism in transition from the reigning neo-Scholasticism to the theology of ressourcement.

In late 20th-century India, Christian-Hindu dialogue was forever transformed following the opening of Shantivanam, the first Christian ashram in the country. Mario I. Aguilar brings together the histories of the five pioneers of Christian-Hindu dialogue and their involvement with the ashram, to explore what they learnt and taught about communion between the two religions, and the wide ranging consequences of their work. The author expertly threads together the lives and friendships between these men, while uncovering the Hindu texts they used and were influenced by, and considers how far some of them became, in their personal practice, Hindu. Ultimately, this book demonstrates the impact of this history on contemporary dialogue between Christians and Hindus, and how both faiths can continue to learn and grow together.

Merton and Hinduism is the first book to thoroughly and definitively trace the lasting influence of Yoga and Hindu traditions on the life and writings of renowned author Thomas Merton, Catholic Priest and Trappist Monk, and pioneer of inter-religious dialogue. Informative and original essays by leading scholars highlight specific points of contact between Merton and various aspects of the Hindu and Yoga traditions, such as Merton and Gandhi, Merton and the Bhagavad Gita, and Merton's dialogue and friendship with key Indian intellectuals such as A.K. Coomaraswamy, among many others. Approximately half of the book collects Merton's own writings on Hinduism and Yoga, and many essays are published here for the first time. These essays portray Merton as teacher and novice master, cultural commentator, and contemplative practitioner interested in the mutually enriching dialogue among Catholic Christianity, Hinduism, and Yoga traditions.

Mindfulness has come a long way from its days as an obscure Buddhist meditation technique known only to monks and a few New Age enthusiasts to what it is now-one of the hottest new spiritual practices of our day. It's being used by people of all ages, from all walks of life, for everything from gaining self-awareness and inner calm to treating PTSD and other anxiety disorders. Corporate executives, Hollywood stars, medical doctors, teachers, secretaries, and even clergy are avidly embracing it. But what exactly is this practice? Where does it come from and how did it become so popular, so fast? And what about all the media hype surrounding its much-publicized effectiveness for our mental health and well-being? Even more important, is this practice compatible with Catholicism? A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness attempts to answer these questions in a concise but compelling exploration of one of the most intriguing psycho-spiritual movements of our time.

This book is a collection of essays on religious thoughts across various religious traditions and belief systems in the world. It covers essays on Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, African Traditional Religion, Mythology, and Philosophy of Religion from a comparative perspective. It offers the reader an insight into the thoughts of these religions, where they relate to each other and how they differ from each because of many factors, which include cultural background. An understanding of this nature in very important in interfaith, interreligious and intra-religious relationships aimed at fostering better understanding and appreciation of our diversities, towards building harmonious relationships among followers of various religions thereby reducing religious/global tensions occasioned by intolerance, misunderstanding and/or ignorance of other peoples religious beliefs and traditions.

With a plethora of temples, churches and mosques all over the country, it is obvious that religion is alive and thriving in the Indian sub-continent. Religion is integral to Indian identity and spirituality. Every Indian has multiple identities such as caste, class, religion and region. Political groups try to capitalize this for their own gain. Inculturation has been the Church''s way of evangelizing since her very beginning as she moved from her Jewish background into global settings. Today the Church faces a greater challenge as she moves into a multicultural digital world. Due to significant political and theological developments, the Indian church has been suffering an identity crisis. Catholics in India are debating the wisdom of this "inculturation" - whether it is right or not to fuse Roman Catholicism with Hindu culture. When the Vatican advocated that the Church should move with the times while suppressing unchanging Catholic doctrine, many Catholics participated in these changes. Many of the clergy and the laity, out of obedience to the supreme Pontiff and eagerness for change, did not question the Vatican II counsel. Some feel this devalued and allowed the organized storming of the Catholic faith - allowing heresies to take deep root in defiance of God''s commandments! Many theologians are trying to convince us that Christianity in India has inherited an undesirable Western ambience and must realize her genuine identity. This inculturation effort involves a transformation of Catholic theology to provide greater spiritual accommodation for indigenous Indian religions and to dispel the notion that Christianity is the only true faith. If inculturation now means denying the exclusivity of Christianity, equating Christ with Hindu and Muslim deities, asserting that all religions have equal validity, and in some cases even aban�doning Christian theology to discover higher forms of spirituality in other religions, then is it acceptable to Catholics? If Catholic leaders can give up reading the Bible, meditate on the Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita for inspiration, and consider Krishna "a genuine revelation of God''s grace and love," then why are they calling themselves Catholics or a Christians? If we look at the practices in the Catholic Church in India today, we can understand why resistance has been building among the laity against the effort of the theologians and many clergy to In�dianize the Catholic faith. Most of us ''old school'' Catholics were raised to worship in a particular way, and now it is be�ing radically altered. We are being told that our religious claims have been exaggerated. So why is Christianity being tailored for the Hindus, who don''t want to practice it, instead of for the Catholics who do? We are in a spiritual battle rather than a cultural or informational warfare. Unless we redefine our spirituality, we will go nowhere. Indians are wise and only a wise Church can serve them. How can we get back to our old traditions of faith in a modern non-Catholic or even a non-Christian environment? What answers do we have for our Hindu friends when they accuse Christians of doing things that are misleading Hindus? "Morphing My Faith" is all about inculturation in the Catholic Church in India. Not everything is wrong and we should welcome all that is good. I do not want to get back into a cocoon, but I still draw my strength from our traditions. It is our legacy, it is what keeps us going. We may accept the Vatican''s guidelines, but do we have to go overboard? The fact is that there is a tremendous difference between drawing from a faith tradition and blending faith traditions. When we look at what we have in the Catholic Church in India today, can we say that we are spirituality thriving even if we are starting to morph the way we worship in the predominantly Hindu environment? I hope and pray that we are. We are at the crossroads of our faith and I pray that we are not walking on religious quicksand.

In Divine Mother, Blessed Mother, Francis X. Clooney, S.J., a scholar of Hinduism as well as a Catholic priest and theologian, offers the first full-length comparative study of Hindu goddesses and the Virgin Mary. Clooney begins by looking at three specific goddesses as they are presented and addressed in religiously and theologically rich hymns from the Sanskrit and Tamil traditions: Nullri Laksmi, the eternal consort of Lord Visnu and life-giver to Him and all the world; the great Goddess Devi, in whom the world and gods too exist and flourish; and the lovely Tamil Goddess Apirnullami, who illumines the inmost mind and heart. Clooney then shows how Goddess traditions can be drawn into fruitful conversation with Christian tradition, taking a fresh look at the veneration and theology of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and Mother of God, as displayed in three famous Marian hymns from the Greek, Latin, and Tamil traditions. The book is enriched by the inclusion of fresh and full translations of all of the hymns, including two translated here for the first time. Analyzing these six Hindu and Christian hymns, Clooney examines such questions as: How have Hindu theologians made room for a feminine divine alongside the masculine--and why? How has Christian thinking about divine gender differed from Hindu thinking? What might contemporary feminists learn from the goddess traditions of India? How might the study of Hindu goddesses affect Christian thinking about God and Mary? This is a book to read for its insights into the nature of gender and the divine, for the power of the hymns themselves, and for the sake of a religious adventure, an encounter with three Goddess traditions and Mary seen in a new light.