아드바이타 베단타 신학과 그리스도교 신학의 만남 ― 우파드야야(Brahmabandhav Upadhyaya)를 중심으로 ― (A Dialogue between Advaita Vedānta Theology and Christian Theology ― Focus on the Brahmabandhav Upadhyaya's Thought ―)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국종교학회
· 수록지 정보 : 종교연구 / 61호 / 153 ~ 188페이지
· 저자명 : 이명권

초록

India has tried to understand Christian Theology from various points of views. There had been attempts of interpretations in the last two centuries, both by conservative and progressive Christian, or extr-Christian and Christian. Among them, we can find evolutionary theology as well as pneumatic Christology. There are also contributions of inter-religious dialogical interpretation as Brahmabandhav Upadhyaya has pioneered in the Indian Christian context. As an Indian Christian and Philosopher, B. Upadhyaya has responded to the Westernized Christianity as his own indigenous method which he has accepted and used the Advaita Vedānta philosophy of India. His method of interpretation for inter-religious dialogical theology is very interesting and informing to us as well as give valuable contributions to Indian Theology.
In the soil of Indian philosophy, especially in Upanishads(Vedānta) and Śankara's position of Advaita Vedānta which stands for unity and universality in the midst of diversities as one, he used the conception of Brahman for the comparing it with the conception of Christian God. He believed that Vedānta philosophy can be used as an aid to strengthen the Christian theology in Indian context. And also he insisted that the European clothes of Catholic religion should be removed for the Indian indigenous Christianity. So he said as follows: “In fact, the Vedānta must be made to do the same service to Catholic faith in India as was done by the Greek philosophy in Europe.” Therefore he has pioneered new way of Indian Christian theology. The first way of hermeneutical method was the compare Brahman with Christian God as trinity.
What Upadhyaya takes as the basis for the comparing of his conception, Sat-Chit-Ānanda, can be pointed to the Supreme Being, Brahman as Christian God. Brahman as an ultimate Reality in Upanishads philosophy can be divided into three parts according to His attribution(guna) such as Sat(Being), Chit(Consciousness), Ānanada(Bliss). In Śankara's Advaita the Supreme Being is also called Sat-Chit-Ānandam as well as Nirguna(non-attribution). But he insist that the conception of Brahman as Nirguna is not contradictory to the conception of Him/Her as Sat-Chit-Ānandam because the meaning of Sat-Chit-Ānandam is as follows: “He is Sat-existing by himself; He is Chit-self-knowledge, knowing Himself without any external intervention; He is Anandam-supremely happy in His self-colloquy.” According to Upadhyaya personality means ‘self-knowledge’, therefore it is wrong to say that the Vedānta has an impersonal conception of God.
Upadhyaya explain the Sat-Chit-Ānanda as follows: we have to admit a self existent(Sat) eternal being, otherwise we would be compelled to admit the absurdity of existence proceeding from non-existence. And apart from intelligence(Chit), beginning is absurd. Moreover, if the Eternal Being(also Bliss) finds no repose in the Infinite Image of His own being, then it is wanting in perfection. Therefore we can say that the Infinite Being is wanting in perfection is a contradiction. Thus is proved Sat-Chit-Ānandam, comparing with Christian God as trinity.
Upadhyaya explains the Christian God as trinity, ‘Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit’ as follows: “God comprehends Himself by one act of eternal knowledge. The knowing himself is the Father, the known self or the self-begotten by His knowledge is the Son; and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of reciprocal love proceeding from the Father and the Son.” Of course Upadhyaya acknowledged the limitation of reason to understand the Reality, or to equate Sat-Chit-Ānandam with Trinity, so he asked the need of revelation to understand the inner life of God. In here also Upadhyaya's logical and methodological limitation is. But he at the same time give us many interpretational imagnation in the field of inter-religious dialogue today.

영어초록

India has tried to understand Christian Theology from various points of views. There had been attempts of interpretations in the last two centuries, both by conservative and progressive Christian, or extr-Christian and Christian. Among them, we can find evolutionary theology as well as pneumatic Christology. There are also contributions of inter-religious dialogical interpretation as Brahmabandhav Upadhyaya has pioneered in the Indian Christian context. As an Indian Christian and Philosopher, B. Upadhyaya has responded to the Westernized Christianity as his own indigenous method which he has accepted and used the Advaita Vedānta philosophy of India. His method of interpretation for inter-religious dialogical theology is very interesting and informing to us as well as give valuable contributions to Indian Theology.
In the soil of Indian philosophy, especially in Upanishads(Vedānta) and Śankara's position of Advaita Vedānta which stands for unity and universality in the midst of diversities as one, he used the conception of Brahman for the comparing it with the conception of Christian God. He believed that Vedānta philosophy can be used as an aid to strengthen the Christian theology in Indian context. And also he insisted that the European clothes of Catholic religion should be removed for the Indian indigenous Christianity. So he said as follows: “In fact, the Vedānta must be made to do the same service to Catholic faith in India as was done by the Greek philosophy in Europe.” Therefore he has pioneered new way of Indian Christian theology. The first way of hermeneutical method was the compare Brahman with Christian God as trinity.
What Upadhyaya takes as the basis for the comparing of his conception, Sat-Chit-Ānanda, can be pointed to the Supreme Being, Brahman as Christian God. Brahman as an ultimate Reality in Upanishads philosophy can be divided into three parts according to His attribution(guna) such as Sat(Being), Chit(Consciousness), Ānanada(Bliss). In Śankara's Advaita the Supreme Being is also called Sat-Chit-Ānandam as well as Nirguna(non-attribution). But he insist that the conception of Brahman as Nirguna is not contradictory to the conception of Him/Her as Sat-Chit-Ānandam because the meaning of Sat-Chit-Ānandam is as follows: “He is Sat-existing by himself; He is Chit-self-knowledge, knowing Himself without any external intervention; He is Anandam-supremely happy in His self-colloquy.” According to Upadhyaya personality means ‘self-knowledge’, therefore it is wrong to say that the Vedānta has an impersonal conception of God.
Upadhyaya explain the Sat-Chit-Ānanda as follows: we have to admit a self existent(Sat) eternal being, otherwise we would be compelled to admit the absurdity of existence proceeding from non-existence. And apart from intelligence(Chit), beginning is absurd. Moreover, if the Eternal Being(also Bliss) finds no repose in the Infinite Image of His own being, then it is wanting in perfection. Therefore we can say that the Infinite Being is wanting in perfection is a contradiction. Thus is proved Sat-Chit-Ānandam, comparing with Christian God as trinity.
Upadhyaya explains the Christian God as trinity, ‘Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit’ as follows: “God comprehends Himself by one act of eternal knowledge. The knowing himself is the Father, the known self or the self-begotten by His knowledge is the Son; and the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of reciprocal love proceeding from the Father and the Son.” Of course Upadhyaya acknowledged the limitation of reason to understand the Reality, or to equate Sat-Chit-Ānandam with Trinity, so he asked the need of revelation to understand the inner life of God. In here also Upadhyaya's logical and methodological limitation is. But he at the same time give us many interpretational imagnation in the field of inter-religious dialogue today.

참고자료

· 없음