The World and God Are Not-Two

A Hindu–Christian Conversation

Daniel Soars

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English

Fordham University Press
24 May 2023

Oriental & Indian philosophy; Hinduism; Mysticism, magic & ritual

Series: Comparative Theology: Thinking Across Traditions

"The World and God Are Not-Two is a book about how the God in whom Christians believe ought to be understood. The key conceptual argument that runs throughout is that the distinctive relation between the world and God in Christian theology is best understood as a non-dualistic one. The ""two""-""God"" and ""World"" cannot be added up as separate, enumerable realities or contrasted with each other against some common background because God does not belong in any category and creatures are ontologically constituted by their relation to the Creator.

In exploring the unique character of this distinctive relation, Soars turns to Sara Grant's work on the Hindu tradition of Advaita Vedanta and the metaphysics of creation found in Thomas Aquinas. He develops Grant's work and that of the earlier Calcutta School by drawing explicit attention to the Neoplatonic themes in Aquinas that provide some of the most fruitful areas for comparative engagement with Vedanta. To the Christian, the fact that the world exists only as dependent on God means that ""world"" and ""God"" must be ontologically distinct because God's existence does not depend on the world. To the Advaitin, this simultaneously means that ""World"" and ""God"" cannot be ontologically separate either. The language of non-duality allows us to see that both positions can be held coherently together without entailing any contradiction or disagreement at the level of fundamental ontology. What it means to be ""world"" does not and cannot exclude what it means to be ""God."""

By: Daniel Soars
Imprint: Fordham University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781531502041
ISBN 10: 1531502040
Series: Comparative Theology: Thinking Across Traditions
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 24 May 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

List of Abbreviations and Conventions | ix Introduction | 1 1 The Distinctive Relation between Creature and Creator in Christian Theology: Non-dualism from David Burrell, CSC, to Sara Grant, RSCJ | 17 2 Roman Catholic Encounters with Advaita Vedānta: Between Transcendental Illusion and Radical Contingency | 40 3 The Relation between the World and God in Śaṁkara and Thomas: Sara Grant’s Case for a Form of Christian Non-dualism | 69 4 Creation: “Ex Nihilo” or “Ex Deo”? | 97 5 How Real Is the World? Being and Nothingness in Śaṁkara and Thomas | 129 Conclusion | 161 Acknowledgments | 173 Notes | 177 Bibliography | 221 Index | 231

Daniel Soars teaches in the Divinity Department at Eton College and is book reviews editor for the Journal of Hindu–Christian Studies.

Reviews for The World and God Are Not-Two: A Hindu–Christian Conversation

"Daniel Soars's The World and God Are Not-Two is a compelling and carefully rendered comparative theological study of distinction, and of distinctions between creator and creation in Christian and Hindu worldviews. . . This erudite and captivating study is required reading for scholars of Hindu-Christian studies and comparative theologians more generally. Systematic theologians are also sure to benefit from Soars's invitation to think comparatively.-- ""Horizons: The Journal of the College Theology Society"" This is the most precise and comprehensive treatment available on non-duality in Hindu-Christian perspective. Soars offers the strongest case that has ever been made for the deep and surprising convergence of the writings of Shankara and Thomas Aquinas on the mystery of creation, which is the mystery of non-duality. The book thus represents a milestone in Hindu-Christian philosophical-theological engagement and will be useful for any person interested in pondering the mystery of their own existence before God.---Bradley Malkovsky, University of Notre Dame, former editor of the Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies"