Befriending the Other (Christian Embrace of Other Religions)

It comes naturally for us to form our identities in terms of our social, cultural, economic, religious, ethnic realities. Along with our multiplicities of identities comes our understanding of the other, who do not share our identities. Normally we rival the other, ridicule, ignore or talk them down. The 33 articles in this volume urge us to respect the other, enable and empower the other. The other makes us what we are. To some extent, they provide us with our own identities. The book, emerging from a seminar organized on the quasquicentennial (125 years) of Jnana Deepa, Institute of Philosophy and Theology (Nov 24-28, 2015), urges us to befriend the other and treat them with gentleness, kindness and compassion. It looks on the other from Christian perspectives, drawing from philosophical, theological, psychological, sociological and multidisciplinary perspectives.

Dr Kuruvilla Pandikattu SJ (born 1957-) is a professor of Physics, Philosophy and Religion at Jnana Deepa, Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Pune, India. Currently, he is the Dean, Faculty of Philosophy, JD. Author of more than 45 books and 180 articles, Pandikattu is a Jesuit priest belonging to Dumka-Raiganj Province, India. He has been involved in science-religion dialogue and inter-religious collaboration. The main topics of his research are anthropology, eschatology, life- management and transhumanism. He may be contacted at kuru kuru.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages