Hindu Wisdom and Christianity: A Comparative Theology Review

Introduction: Clooney's Approach to Interfaith Dialogue

In his book Hindu Wisdom for All God's Children, Francis Clooney begins his Christian journey into the Hindu religion by noting that when he first arrived in Kathmandu, he felt a profound sense of disappointment that the place he visited was not more "different" than where he had left (Clooney 1). Clooney, a Jesuit Professor of Theology, stresses the similarity between the Christian and Hindu traditions rather than their fundamental dissimilarity. His main desire in writing the book was to create a sense of dialogue and connection between these two faiths, separated by geography as well as philosophy. He does not deny that there are core differences between Christianity and Hinduism; however, he sees these differences as sites of theological discussion through which Christians and Hindus can grow in wisdom, rather than as excuses for disharmony. One tradition is Western, the other Eastern, yet both have much to offer in mutual conversation.

Clooney structures his book around three core themes of difference and dialogue. The first is that of the creation myths, which contain in their essences the core value differences common to Christianity and Hinduism respectively — one myth focuses on the "I," the other upon God's relationship to that "I" created by God. The second is the syncretism, or blending of religions, that is key to understanding Hinduism's development in relationship to Buddhism, from which originates Hinduism's focus upon love and harmony — a focus it shares with both Buddhism and Christianity. The third is the contemporary state of dialogue between Christianity and Hinduism, rooted in both religions' pacifism. Clooney believes that the wisdom found in Hinduism can be spiritually beneficial not only to Hindus or to secular individuals seeking spiritual solace in Eastern religious traditions, but even to Christians willing to cultivate a more holistic form of global spirituality. Hindu wisdom can benefit those of any faith, he stresses, expanding the philosophy and practice of any sectarian form of devotion.

Creation Myths: The 'I' in Hinduism and God in Genesis

Clooney begins his discussion with the core Hindu creation myth, a myth over twenty-five hundred years old. Rather than stressing the alien quality of this myth or the strangeness of its names to a Western ear, Clooney asserts that the myth's core is that the universe began with a sense of "I" and a sense of self. He contrasts this with the Genesis account, where God — rather than the "I" of humanity — is at the beginning of the universe as human beings know and understand it. In Genesis, God creates the "I"; in Hinduism, the "I" is present from the beginning. From this, he draws the message that in Hinduism there can be no understanding of the world without an understanding of the "I," of the core self, rather than of the self's relationship to a transcendent God (Clooney 4–5).

Despite this apparent difference, the Hindu creation myth also references the fundamental core self's first fissure — from an "I" into the two halves of male and female — paralleling the creation of the genders in the second phase of the Genesis myth common to Christianity. Although in Hinduism the self's quest, as opposed to God's creation, may be paramount, this does not mean that pure solitude is humanity's highest state. Rather, pure solitude is a stopping-off place on the way to the loneliness of self-discovery. Both creation myths, Clooney implies, contain a certain sense of incompleteness and division from first cause — from what is primary and whole.

Division, Incompleteness, and Renewal in Both Traditions

Both Christianity and Hinduism, albeit in different ways, compel human beings to recognize their state of loneliness and incompleteness in the world. Christianity traces this break back to God's first creation of the world, of which humans are a part; Hinduism traces it to the creation of the first self. Still, both practices require their adherents to reconcile themselves to this early break of humanity with the eternal state of creation. Hinduism and Christianity both exist in cycles of birth and renewal — in the latter case, the renewal of the self, and in the former, the renewal of the soul through God's participation in the world.