Marcus Schmücker - Böcker

Is time a creation of God? How can God be considered eternal, if he is responsible for the existence of time? Is God temporal or is he timeless? The relationship between God and time has been an object of inquiry in philosophical and theological traditions around the world for centuries. This volume takes up these and other questions, presenting a range of answers not only as brought forth in European philosophical traditions and in early Christianity, Judaism and Islam, but also positions taken by mediaeval Indian theologians and in the influential traditions of early Buddhism. Traditionally, discussions have focused on questions such as whether time is a necessary concomitant of God’s existence, or whether time should be identified with God. But there is a further question: did these traditions develop their own unrelated and independent view of God and time? Or are there similarities in their reflections? This volume, with contributions of scholars from various relevant fields, offers a novel approach to these inquiries. When taken as a whole, it provides new momentum to contemplation on an age-old enigma.

Is there a language of transcendence which does not fall under the well-worn categories of monism, theism, pantheism, biblical or pagan monotheism, personal or tripersonal God, or an impersonal absolute, conceived as immanent and/or transcendent? The present set of studies from different fields of research centers on the question whether it is possible to speak at all of transcendence or a divinity, and if it is, under what limitations does such speech proceed. In current discussion in theology and in philosophy of religion, there is a pervasive awareness that the inherited terms and alternatives, developed in the western tradition, no longer facilitate an adequate understanding of the divine. Increasing familiarity with the languages of ‘immanence’ and ‘transcendence’ (under erasure) in Hindu and Buddhist thought has further jumbled our coordinates, while holding out the promise of a more subtle and vital engagement with the matter itself of religious inquiry. A further long-established distinction, between ‘personal’ and ‘impersonal,’ also takes on rich new hues in Asian contexts, where the very notion of ‘person’ may undergo unsettling critiques. Transgressing the categories of ‘personal’ and ‘impersonal’ points to the mystical depth of religious traditions, emphasizes their openness and reintegrates essential elements of both perspectives. Advancing with curiosity and caution, all the contributors take seriously the diversity of historical religious traditions, while nevertheless searching for a fresh language that may connect these traditions and provide a common ground of understanding.

What influences the development and religious identity of a tradition like Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta? This volume examines the multifaceted formation of Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta and its interactions with other Indian philosophical and religious traditions, including Mīmāṃsā, Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Pañcarātra, and Pāśupata. It highlights the tradition’s influence on and integration of these schools, addressing theological, epistemological, and metaphysical issues. Key contributions analyze the work of seminal figures in this tradition like Yāmuna, Rāmānuja, and Veṅkaṭanātha (Vedāntadeśika), focusing on their systematic integration of Pūrva Mīmāṃsā principles, the concept of prapatti (self-surrender), and their engagement with scriptural interpretation. Essays also delve into the role of the goddess, free will, and the complex relationship between God, the Veda, and the cosmic aeons.This collection offers profound insights into the theological and philosophical dynamics of Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta, making it essential for scholars of Indian philosophy, comparative theology, and intellectual history.