“This marvelous book should stand as an invitation to many. I very much hope that it is taken up.” (Harvard
Theological Review, 1 April 2012)
“In this context, Comparative Theology is a timely publication.” (Teaching Theology, 2012)
“There is much to admire in this short but insightful book – not least the background that Clooney sketches: the genealogy of the term ‘comparative theology’ and the summary of various contemporary comparativists, from Raimon Pannikkar, Robert Neville and Keith Ward to a whole school of younger scholars which is beginning to emerge, especially in the United States.” (The Way,1 April 2011)
“It’s a fascinating book, all the same. I warmly recommend it .” (Theology, 1 March 2011)
“Comparative Theology will be of interest to people looking for a method for interfaith dialogue that affirms the value of one’s theological commitments and could serve well as a textbook for courses exploring interfaith theological discourse.” (Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 1 January 2011)
“But as this volume suggests, our interreligious milieu provides a new impetus not just for learning about our neighbors’ faiths but learning from them. Francis X. Clooney, S.J., is a most trustworthy guide.” (The National Catholic Weekly, September 2010)
“Clooney’s book thus provides an extremely needful, as well as accessible, contribution to the furthering of this developing discipline, and as such it is a very valuable piece of scholarship.” (American Theological Inquiry, July 2010)
From the Inside Flap
This is a highly engaging introduction to comparative theology by one of the world’s most respected scholars in this fast-growing field. The book describes the development of the area and shows the reader both how to understand and undertake comparative theology.
Drawing on the author’s three decades of work in the area of comparative theology, the book discusses the history of the field and the distinctive features of its current practice. While giving a clear sense of the purposes and methods of the discipline, Clooney draws upon his extensive study and experience to illustrate how one makes the necessary choices about which traditions to study, and how to focus manageably the comparative study any of us endeavors to undertake. Several chapters offer full-length examples of comparative theology in practice. The book also considers the issues of truth and the long-term effects of the comparative theological project on living religions in their faith, truth, and practice, on the study of religions, and on the comparativist.
This multifaceted introduction to the field enables the reader to engage in comparative study, demonstrating that comparative theology can be initiated from within any religious tradition and even in accord with a personally defined spiritual path.
From the Back Cover
This is a highly engaging introduction to comparative theology by one of the world’s most respected scholars in this fast-growing field. The book describes the development of the area and shows the reader both how to understand and undertake comparative theology.
Drawing on the author’s three decades of work in the area of comparative theology, the book discusses the history of the field and the distinctive features of its current practice. While giving a clear sense of the purposes and methods of the discipline, Clooney draws upon his extensive study and experience to illustrate how one makes the necessary choices about which traditions to study, and how to focus manageably the comparative study any of us endeavors to undertake. Several chapters offer full-length examples of comparative theology in practice. The book also considers the issues of truth and the long-term effects of the comparative theological project on living religions in their faith, truth, and practice, on the study of religions, and on the comparativist.
This multifaceted introduction to the field enables the reader to engage in comparative study, demonstrating that comparative theology can be initiated from within any religious tradition and even in accord with a personally defined spiritual path.
About the Author
Francis X. Clooney, S.J., is Parkman Professor of Divinity at Harvard University. His primary areas of scholarship are theological commentarial writings in the Sanskrit and Tamil traditions of Hindu India, and the developing field of comparative theology. He was the first president of the International Society for Hindu-Christian Studies, and, from 1998 to 2004, was coordinator for interreligious dialogue for the Jesuits of the United States. Professor Clooney is the author of numerous articles and books, including Hindu God, Christian God (2001), Divine Mother, Blessed Mother (2005), Jesuit Postmodern: Scholarship, Vocation, and Identity in the 21st Century (2006), Beyond Compare: St. Francis and Sri Vedanta Desika on Loving Surrender to God (2008), and The Truth, the Way, the Life: Christian Commentary on the Three Holy Mantras of the Srivaisnava Hindus (2008).
Wow! eBook
