Interfaith dialogue can be understood through the lens of mystical consciousness. The article argues that the Trinity can be directly experienced in interfaith contexts and proposes an interfaith framework that accounts for the possibilities, complexity, and challenges of such encounters. It applies Gavin Flood's three orders of discourse—traditions' experience and texts, interpretation within traditions, and academic inquiry—to the study of interfaith mysticism, using a phenomenological emphasis on hermeneutics. The inquiry draws on Hindu mystical figures (Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo) and Christian interfaith thinkers (Henri Le Saux, Bede Griffiths, David Steindl-Rast), in conversation with Raimon Panikkar and Francis X. Clooney.
This chapter argues that the mystical experiences of Ramana, Aurobindo, and Christian interfaith pioneers in India reveal Hinduism and Christianity as complementary traditions. Using a hermeneutics of solidarity and phenomenological commitment to both divine and human narratives, the authors propose that mystical consciousness provides a foundation for mutual understanding and growth in Hindu-Christian dialogue. The chapter demonstrates how hermeneutical phenomenology and theological inquiry can work together in creative interfaith explorations.
This chapter introduces the lives of Hindu sages Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo, arguing that their roles as rishis, avatars, and gurus in India reveal the continuity of Hinduism through the lens of sages. The inquiry examines their physical locations and interactions with world events, leading to an existential view of Hinduism. It also identifies existential dynamics important to interfaith mysticism and dialogue, proposing that sages function as "Mediators" in Panikkar's sense. Methodologically, the chapter demonstrates hermeneutical phenomenology, integrating historical and political research to deliver mystical-existential perspectives.
This book argues that interfaith dialogue can be advanced by examining mystical consciousness through a hermeneutical-phenomenological approach. Drawing on the works of Francis X. Clooney and Gavin Flood, it addresses fairness to the religious 'Other' and the impact of interfaith mysticism on religion's future. The study proposes a triadic structure of mystical consciousness, aligned with the Trinity and Aurobindo's Triple Divine, and develops a trinitarian framework from bottom-up contrastive inquiry within interfaith mysticism. It reflects on the Trinity from historical Hindu-Christian engagement, connecting Ramana and Aurobindo with Christian interfaith pioneers, and emphasizes the practical and scholarly value of exploring interfaith dialogue and mysticism.