Veli-Matti kärkkäinen’s Gods of the Religions in relation to Hinduism

14^th July

Veli-Matti kärkkäinen’s Gods of the Religions

So that was my discussion on Brahman.  I want to now move on and see what Veli-Matti kärkkäinen has to say about Hinduism.  Kärkkäinen is a Christian Finnish theologian who wrote a few pages.  He has lived in that part of the world, so it is appropriate to listen to his expertise.

This information is found in his chapter named The Gods of the Religions

Pages 223 – 232

As a religious educator I will be interested in his outline and whether or not there is room to follow other aspects of the debate about the Unity of God.  When we talk about any form of monotheism… whether it is Jewish, Christian, Muslim or other religions that have a monotheistic tendency.  

 

Just to tie some loose ends Kärkkainen makes an important point on orientation and background to theological discussion of Hinduism in India.  He makes the point that Hindus and other Eastern religions don’t have the idea of ex nihilo (Creation from nothing).  He makes the point that whereas in the West time is linear with an ‘end’, it is not so with Eastern religions as there time view is cyclic and there is no ’conclusive end’ (Pages 234 -235).

 

Kärkkäinen mentions that in the Rig Veda, Upanishads (4^th major part) that there are philosophical and theological definitions.  He then talks about the Atman (World-Soul and the Trimurti).  On the latter Trimurti he said that scholars have not gotten very far (page 232).  The points in this paragraph are not in my remit.