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> trac ki n g s p i r i t u a l t r e n d s i n t h e 2 1s t ce n t u r y
v o l u m e 1 9 : 3 7 ( 1,2 2 0 ) / O c t o b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 4
In this issue:
HINDUISM - does it offer satisfactory
answers to lifes big questions?
ISLAM - the Islamic banking boom
and companies that settle for
Shariah-lite
SCIENCE - an atheist with an
appreciation for Scripture thats
bafflingly absent in many selfdescribed Christians
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HINDUISM
The New York Times website includes The
Stone, a forum for contemporary philosophers. There, Gary Guttings post What
Would Krishna Do? Or Shiva? Or Vishnu?
(NYT Opinion, Aug 3 14) notes that Some
of the more important Hindu philosophers
are atheists, arguing that no sacred religious
text such as the Veda could be the word of
God, since authorship, even divine authorship, implies the logical possibility of error.
In his interview with Jonardon Ganeri (visiting professor of philosophy at New York
University Abu Dhabi), Gutting asks him to
clarify his reference to non-theistic concepts of the divine. Ganeri explains, and
refers to different Hindu concepts of the
divine, one of which is an essential reality
in comparison to which all else is only concealing appearance. This is the concept one
finds in the Upanishads. Philosophically the
most important claim the Upanishads make
is that the essence of each person is also the
essence of all things; the human self and
brahman (the essential reality) are the same.
This identity claim leads to a third conception of the divine: that inwardness or
interiority or subjectivity is itself a kind of
divinity.
Later in the interview, in response to an
inquiry about what sort of ethical guidance
Hinduism provides, Ganeri remarks that
leading a moral life is at best an enigmatic
and ambiguous project. No escape route
from moral conflict by imitating the actions
of a morally perfect individual is on offer [in
Hinduism]. ... [T]he idea of karma does not
imply a fatalistic outlook on life, according
to which ones past deeds predetermine all
ones actions. The essence of the theory is
simply that ones life will be better if one acts
in ways that are ethical, and it will be worse
if one acts in ways that are unethical. ...
The essence of Hinduism is that it has
no essence. What defines Hinduism and
sets it apart from other major religions is its
polycentricity, its admission of multiple centers of belief and practice, with a consequent
absence of any single structure of theological or liturgical power. Unlike Christianity,
Buddhism or Islam, there is no one single
hinduism (continued)
disagreements that arise from literalist readings of the texts tend not to arise.
Gutting asks: What ultimate good does
Hinduism promise those who follow it, and
what is the path to attaining this good?
Ganeri replies: The claim is that there are
three pathways, of equal merit, leading in
their own way to liberation. Hindu philosophers have employed a good deal of logical
skill in their definitions of liberation. To
cut a long story short, for some it is a state
defined as the endless but not beginingless
absence of pain; others characterize it as
a state of bliss. The three pathways are the
path of knowledge, the path of religious
performance and the path of devotion. The
path of knowledge requires philosophical
reflection, that of religious performances
various rituals and good deeds, and that
of devotion worship and service, often of a
particular deity such as Krishna.
We finish with Guttings remark: The
liberation youve described seems to be a
matter of escaping from the cares of this
world. Doesnt this lead to a lack of interest in social and political action to make this
world better? In response we encourage
you to follow the link below and consider
Ganeris answer. Then ask yourself if he satisfies Guttings question and the next, concluding the interview. <www.ow.ly/DkTez>
ISLAM
Heavens Bankers: Inside the Hidden World of
Islamic Finance, by Harris Irfan1 reviewer
Gregor Stuart Hunter reports: Mr. Irfan,
an observant Muslim, charts a course from
seventh-century Arabia ... to the 1970s
and the establishment of the first Islamic
commercial lenders in Dubai, as well as
the short-lived Islamization of Pakistans
economy. But its the turbocharged present
that is the focus of the book: Islamic banking, otherwise known as Shariah-compliant
banking, is now an industry approaching $2
trillion, thanks to soaring trade in emerging
markets such as Malaysia and the United
Arab Emirates. ...
Mr. Irfan also provides numerous examples of how Western financiers, determined
to win over the faithful, have diluted Shariah
standards in pursuit of commercial advantage: Bankers delete the word interest from
deal documents in favor of Shariah-friendly
language; Islamic investors wittingly and
unwittingly fund businesses where alcohol and pork products are consumed; and
Islamic scholars find their names used to
APOLOGIAreport
v o l u m e 1 9 : 3 7 ( 1,2 2 0 ) / O c t o b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 4
Michael Jaffarian
Missions Researcher, CBInternational
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