After reading the following comments by Hooker and recording my response, I began to reflect further on this subject during my night walk. No philosophy successfully understands or explains bhakti. Though philosophy and theology (doctrine) are essential for articulating the inner experience with God, they cannot go beyond the intellect, which depends upon verbal expression. When God comes and interacts with our atman, that relationship, expressed through our bhakti, transcends all kinds of philosophy (theology). As I was reflecting, inspiration came to me while walking, and I wrote this song [BT 996] stanza by stanza. After writing one stanza, I continued my walk, and with further reflection, I returned to my table to write the next stanza, completing the song before finishing my walk.
This is what Hooker wrote:
“I must explain further what I meant when I wrote, ‘Christianity perpetually remains a faith in search of a philosophy.’ As an anti-Barthian, I do not believe that the Gospel can exist on its own, suspended, so to speak, in space. I think it must ultimately be rooted in the local intellectual (and other) soil, i.e., it is always searching for the best philosophy through which it can be expressed, but at the same time, it can never be finally expressed in Thomas Aquinas or anyone else. But I entirely agree that much depends on how we define philosophy, which must ultimately be judged by its adequacy for the ordinary man.” (Hooker Letter 31 August 1975)— Graham Kings, Christianity Connected: Hindus, Muslims and the World in the Letters of Max Warren and Roger Hooker, New Delhi, (2002), Indian Edition, ISPCK, 2017, p. 362 [I think Barthian refers to Karl Barth’s theology.—db]
I agree with Hooker that the gospel cannot be suspended in space. But my solution is to allow it to ‘incarnate’ in any culture and tradition and to work its way of expression that addresses the needs of the ordinary man. Neither Thomas Aquinas nor any Hindu Vedanta can finally express the gospel in their philosophical terms. When ordinary bhaktas (and converts) live peacefully with their simple faith, only philosophers break their heads and lose their peace of mind and soul. Theologians, in the name of guarding the doctrine of their denominational church, complicate the life of a bhakta.
Gurukulam
10-6-2024
After reading the following comments by Hooker and recording my response, I began to reflect further on this subject during my night walk. No philosophy successfully understands or explains bhakti. Though philosophy and theology (doctrine) are essential for articulating the inner experience with God, they cannot go beyond the intellect, which depends upon verbal expression. When God comes and interacts with our atman, that relationship, expressed through our bhakti, transcends all kinds of philosophy (theology). As I was reflecting, inspiration came to me while walking, and I wrote this song [BT 996] stanza by stanza. After writing one stanza, I continued my walk, and with further reflection, I returned to my table to write the next stanza, completing the song before finishing my walk.
This is what Hooker wrote:
“I must explain further what I meant when I wrote, ‘Christianity perpetually remains a faith in search of a philosophy.’ As an anti-Barthian, I do not believe that the Gospel can exist on its own, suspended, so to speak, in space. I think it must ultimately be rooted in the local intellectual (and other) soil, i.e., it is always searching for the best philosophy through which it can be expressed, but at the same time, it can never be finally expressed in Thomas Aquinas or anyone else. But I entirely agree that much depends on how we define philosophy, which must ultimately be judged by its adequacy for the ordinary man.” (Hooker Letter 31 August 1975)— Graham Kings, Christianity Connected: Hindus, Muslims and the World in the Letters of Max Warren and Roger Hooker, New Delhi, (2002), Indian Edition, ISPCK, 2017, p. 362 [I think Barthian refers to Karl Barth’s theology.—db]
I agree with Hooker that the gospel cannot be suspended in space. But my solution is to allow it to ‘incarnate’ in any culture and tradition and to work its way of expression that addresses the needs of the ordinary man. Neither Thomas Aquinas nor any Hindu Vedanta can finally express the gospel in their philosophical terms. When ordinary bhaktas (and converts) live peacefully with their simple faith, only philosophers break their heads and lose their peace of mind and soul. Theologians, in the name of guarding the doctrine of their denominational church, complicate the life of a bhakta.
Gurukulam
10-6-2024
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