Non-Dual Śaivism and the Panentheism of Karl Christian Friedrich Krause
Klara Hedling, Benedikt Paul Göcke
Religions June 24, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/rel16070823 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Krause's articulation of panentheism and the Pratyabhijñā school's non-dual Śaiva philosophy converge on several core themes, including the metaphysics of ultimate reality, liberation through knowledge, the teacher's role in liberation, the purpose of creation, and the treatment of evil, while also diverging in ways that reflect each tradition's distinctive theological commitments. |
Abstract
This paper explores striking philosophical parallels between Karl Christian Friedrich Krause’s 19th-century articulation of panentheism and the much earlier non-dual Śaiva philosophy of the Pratyabhijñā school in Kashmir. While Krause is widely credited with coining the term panentheism, models of divine immanence and transcendence akin to panentheism are already present in the Pratyabhijñā tradition. Through comparative analysis, the study identifies key convergences between these two systems in their metaphysics of ultimate reality, their accounts of liberation through knowledge, the role of the teacher in the liberative process, their views on the purpose of creation and their respective treatments of evil. The paper concludes by examining significant points of divergence, shedding light on the distinctive trajectories and theological commitments of each tradition.