“Beyond compare” and Christian-Vaishnavite encounters

[Vedaprakash]

“Beyond compare” and Christian-Vaishnavite encounters
By vedaprakash
http://vaticanculturation.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/beyond-compare-and-christian-vaishnavite-encounters/

“Beyond compare” and Christian-Vaishnavite encounters

Recently, the book, “Beyond compare” written by Francis Xavier
Clooney, Professor of Theology, Harvard University appears to have
created a lot of heat among the Vaishnavites.
Beyond compare: Wrapper of the book

Beyond compare: Wrapper of the book

About the comparison of Vedanta Desikan and Francis de Sales, they
have not only relished, but also raised serious objections.

“Beyond Compare is an amazing book. The research is thorough and the
appreciation of Sri Vedanta Desika’s thoughts and writings prove
beyond doubt that this Harvard Divinity School Professor has imbibed
the teachings of our great Teacher in the true spirit of a
Srivaishnava. The comparative study of St.Francis de Sales’ Treatise
and Swami Desika’s Srimad Rahasyatrayasara makes most interesting
reading and invites Srivaishnavas to read about the Catholic saint’s
ideas on loving surrender to God. Beyond Compare is truly beyond
compare! .”—Anuradha Sridharan, associate editor, Sri Nrsimhapriya

In his commentary, Clooney achieves multiple goals—the book is a
contribution to Christian spiritual theology, highlighting for today
the beautiful insights into love by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1623),
Doctor of the Church. At the same time it points out how even in our
world of many religious paths, we can recover and deepen the ancient
tradition of loving surrender into God’s hands by opening ourselves to
the wisdom of India and one of Hindu India’s most famous traditions of
loving God, explained to us by the south Indian Hindu theologian Sri
Vedanta Desika (1268-1369). Clooney goes further, offering a
comparative study of these classic works in which he self-consciously
writes about the process of reading the two works and the impact this
approach has on the reader. The good advice found through this deep
engagement with these texts offers a deeper insight into how we can
most fruitfully and spiritually think about religious pluralism in the
21st century, remaining open in heart and mind while loyal still to
our own tradition.

As mentioned elsewhere, some of them have been unhappy the way in
which he is being encouraged and promoted by the Vaishnavites of India
and abroad.

the preface of the book can be seen here:

http://press.georgetown.edu/pdfs/9781589012110_Preface.pdf

Table of content can be seen here:

http://press.georgetown.edu/pdfs/9781589012110_TOC.pdf

In the process of “inculturation”, no Christian has ever hidden their
agenda and therefore, it is quite amusing that these learned
Vaishnavite elites would not know Clooney’s motive.
Francis X. Clooney Anand Amaladass

Francis Clooney and Anand Amaladass have brought several books on the
subject of “comparative theology”.

Having helped him, as could seen in the reports available as early as
1992, there is no meaning in crying wolf about his activities.



Since 2005, there has been a feeling that Clooney has been going
beyond the limits in his methods of “inculturation” involving his
friends in such “inter faith dialogues” with or without their
knowledge.
M A Venkatakrishnan Anbil Ramaswamy

It is learnt that under the auspices of “Centre for Policy Studies”,
Clooney was reportedly invited for a “dialogue” and he was allowed to
speak. But later, when discussion time, the attended scholars and
others reportedly appreciated him and even honoured him with salvai
and all. Only S. Gurumurthy asked one question pointing out that his
writings had been addressed to the western audience E for which
Clooney replied in affirmative!