Chapter 13 Riches Line the Path: An Introduction to Hindu-Christian Comparative Theology
In: A Companion to Comparative TheologySearch for other papers by Kristin Johnston Largen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Abstract
This chapter introduces the Hindu-Christian part of the Companion to Comparative Theology. The chapter begins by describing and elaborating on key issues that continue to be important for Hindu-Christian dialogue, first identified by Francis X. Clooney. These issues are categorized as Christian dominance, which refers to the lopsidedness in the dialogue and the overrepresentation of Christian scholars; the issue of identity, in particular the reality of the intersectional identities we all bear and bring to an interreligious dialogue; the need for a “third space” – that is, a space that does not “belong” solely to either tradition; the “scholar/practitioner” question, and the tension around who best speaks for a tradition and who decides the rules for an interreligious engagement; and finally, the “so what” of Hindu-Christian dialogue: who is the dialogue for, and why does it matter in the world? In the course of the discussion of these themes, the three chapters that make up this part of the volume, by Holly Hillgardner, Francis X. Clooney, and Jonathan Edelmann are also introduced.