The Importance for Christian Theology of Religious Experience among Hindu with a Special Reference to the Work of the Spirit in General Revelation

Abstract

Vengal Chakkarai, a convert to Christ from Hinduism engaged in Rethinking Christianity by newlineemploying various disciplines of study ranging from Hinduism, theology, natural sciences, newlineEastern and Western philosophy, in order to identify and examine common epistemological newlineground and interpret the nature of reality and to show interconnectedness within the nature of newlineuniverse. newline In his hermeneutics, he rejects the Aristotelian categories of substance and enthrones newlinemodern scientific categories of process and becoming. He regards the philosophy of Adviata newlineVedanta of Sankara, being at conflict with the deep yearnings of the human spirit; because his newlinephilosophy which regards itself as a transcendental reflection and can never materially embrace newlinethe whole concrete nature of existence as real. He asserts, Sankara committed the philosophical newlinesuicide of monism. And turning to Ramanuja he considers, his philosophy created eternal newlinedualism. He is appreciative of Bhakti Marg of Saiva Siddhanta but regrets its emphasis on newlinepolytheism. He emphasizes India s need for more than speculative theism. India, he asserts, newlineneeds a living dynamic resulting in the recognition that God the Father as made known to newlinepeople through the Son whom people will behold with their own eyes. He asserts God is newlineunintelligible apart from Jesus, we hence it is justified begin theological reflection from Christ newlinerather than God. newlineChakkarai considers the role of the scriptures and system of philosophy continued until the newlinetimes of the incarnation of Jesus. Chakkarai s search to reconcile the unity of God with the newlineindividuality of human being was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth in whom the fullness of God newlinedwells in bodily form. newline