‘In the Beginning’: Three Catholic Insights into Hinduism: Vasco Da Gama, Saint Francis Xavier and Roberto De Nobili

Before the landing of Vasco Da Gama and his seamen, India did not remain an isolated world: during the 4th century B.C., Alexander the Great reached the Indus. During the Middle Ages, Indian themes enjoyed a remarkable expansion in the West. In the mind of the Portuguese discoverers, the concept of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Didier, H. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2023
In: The Downside review
Year: 2023, Volume: 141, Issue: 1, Pages: 3-19
Further subjects:B Abraham
B Evangelization
B Monism
B Da Gama
B Francis Xavier
B Prester John
B West
B Mandeville
B Arabs
B Hinduism
B Missions
B De Nobili
B Vedas
B Ahl al-Kitab
B Portugal
B Mesopotamia
B Krishna
B Islam
B Gospel
B Brahmans
B Seamen
B Upanishads
B Kerala
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Summary:Before the landing of Vasco Da Gama and his seamen, India did not remain an isolated world: during the 4th century B.C., Alexander the Great reached the Indus. During the Middle Ages, Indian themes enjoyed a remarkable expansion in the West. In the mind of the Portuguese discoverers, the concept of an eastern Christianity created by Saint Thomas the Apostle was a deciding factor. Elsewhere, the Moslem abrahamised Hinduism: this was another source of confusion. The apostle of India, Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) belonged to the pre-Tridentine period: therefore, he demonised Hinduism. His meetings with the Brahmans were rather confrontational. But, with Roberto de Nobili (1577-1658) the Christian mission took an alternative path. We must take into account the struggle for indianising Christianity, conceived by Father De Nobili. Unfortunately, this enterprise evaded the key-problem of Hindu esotericism and metaphysical monism.
ISSN:2397-3498
Contains:Enthalten in: The Downside review
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/00125806221150363