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| | #REDIRECT [[Christian ashram movement]] |
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| The '''Christian Ashram Movement''' (not to be confused with the United Christian Ashram movement) is a movement within [[Christianity]] in [[India]] that embraces [[Vedanta]] and the teachings of the East, attempting to combine the Christian faith with the Hindu [[ashram]] model and [[Christian monasticism]] with the Hindu ''[[sannyasa]]'' tradition.
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| ==Origin and spread==
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| The "father" of the Christian Ashram movement was Italian Jesuit [[Roberto de Nobili]], a Christian missionary to India who decided to overcome the cultural obstacles to his mission by adopting the various forms of a Hindu ''sannyāsi''.{{sfn|Trapnell|2001|p=219}}{{sfn|Coward|Goa|2004|p=87}} He was followed in this by [[Brahmabandhab Upadhyay]], who was not a missionary but an Indian [[Brahmin]] who converted to Catholicism. His writing publicized several ideas in the movement, including the identification of the [[Satcitananda|Saccidananda]] with the Christian [[Holy Trinity]],{{sfn|Trapnell|2001|p=220}}{{sfn|Coward|Goa|2004|p=87}} an identification coined by [[Keshub Chandra Sen]] in 1882.{{sfn|Collins|2007|p=83–84}} He also founded an ashram [[Kasthalic Matha]], although it didn't last long.{{sfn|Trapnell|2001|p=220}}{{sfn|Coward|Goa|2004|p=87}}
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| Following Upadhyay and Sen came French priest [[Jules Monchanin]] (who was later to adopt the name Parma Arupi Anananda), and French Benedictine monk [[Abhishiktananda|Henri le Saux]] (who was later to adopt the name Abhishiktananda), the co-founders of [[Saccidananda Ashram]] (also called Shantivanam) an ashram founded in 1938 at [[Tannirpalli]] in [[Tiruchirapalli District]] and still surviving into the 21st century.{{sfn|Trapnell|2001|p=220}}{{sfn|Coward|Goa|2004|p=87}} Upadhyay was also an influence upon [[Bede Griffiths]].,{{sfn|Trapnell|2001|p=220}} who co-founded [[Kurisumala Ashram]] with [[Francis Acharya|Francis Mahieu]] and who took over leadership of Saccidananda Ashram after Monchanin's death and le Saux's decision to leave for his hermitage.{{sfn|Coward|Goa|2004|p=87–88}}
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| In the late seventeenth, early eighteenth, century, P. [[Charles François Dolu]] and Jean-Venance Bouchet designed Catholic ceremonies that integrated Hindu traditions. Bouchet became a noted scholar of Hinduism and adopted Hindu dress, ascetic practices, and even vegetarianism.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}
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| Many other Christian ashrams now exist in India. By 2004, there were at least 50 of them, including: Sacciananda Ashram (aforementioned), Kurisumala Ashram (aforementioned), [[Ernest Forrester Paton#Christukula Ashram|Christukula Ashram]] (located in [[Tiruppattur, Tirupattur district|Tirupattur]] and also founded by [[Ernest Forrester Paton]] and S. Jesudasan, but by Anglicans rather than Roman Catholics, in the 1930s), [[Christa Prema Seva Ashram]] (located in [[Shivajinagar, Pune|Shivajinagar]] and founded in 1927 by Anglican John "Jack" Winslow), [[Jyotiniketan Ashram]] (in [[Bareilly]]), and Christi Panti Ashram (in [[Varanasi]]).{{sfn|Oldmeadow|2004|p=234–235}}{{sfn|Bryant|2003|p=60}}{{sfn|von Brück|Rajashekar|1999|p=551}} Other ashrams founded by the movement include [[Sat Tal Ashram]] (founded by Methodist [[E. Stanley Jones]]) and Nava Jeeva Ashram, Founded by Pradhan Acharya John Thannickal in Bangalore.{{sfn|Bryant|2003|p=60}}{{sfn|Melton|2005|p=50}}
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| Whilst Sacciananda and others were founded by Catholics, with some 80 Catholic ashrams existing by 2005, Christa Prema Seva and Christukula were the first two of the (surviving) Protestant ashrams.{{sfn|Coward|Goa|2004|p=87}}{{sfn|Melton|2005|p=50}} The Catholic ashrams have proven more successful than the Protestant. In addition to their greater number, the continuance of Saccidananda Ashram under Bede Griffiths contrasts strikingly with the problems that Protestant ashrams have had under second-generation leadership, as exemplified by the faltering of Christa Prema Seva Ashram (and indeed by the Protestant ashram founded in 1917 by [[N. V. Tilak]] at [[Satra]], possibly the very first Protestant ashram, which collapsed upon his death in 1919). [[Stanley Samartha]] reported in 1980 that the movement had "almost dried up".{{sfn|Robinson|2004|p=56}}{{sfn|Collins|2007|p=79}}
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| ==Conflicts==
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| The movement has not been without interreligious friction. Although there was dialogue between Hinduism and Christianity in general in the 1960s, this broke down as few were willing to engage in common meditation or social work practice.{{sfn|von Brück|Rajashekar|1999|p=551}} The Christian Ashram Movement, specifically, came under attack from some factions of Hinduism, as can be witnessed from a series of letters exchanged between Bede Griffiths and [[Swami Devananda]] — more on which can be found in ''Catholic Ashrams'' {{harv|Goel|1988}}.{{sfn|Oldmeadow|2004|p=235}} Such criticism from (some) Hindus has been severe; but criticism has also been levelled from the Christian side, where conservative groups within the Catholic Church have regarded the Hindu influences upon Christian ashrams with some suspicion. The view of Indians as a whole appears to be that the Christian ashram movement is mainly "for foreigners"; however the view remains that the movement, at least the Catholic side, will continue in existence and provide (in the words of one commentator quoted by George Soares-Prahbu in 1994) "an important point of contact for dialogue with Hinduism".{{sfn|Robinson|2004|p=56–57}}
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| {{Citation needed span|text=Griffiths hoped to restore Christianity to what he considered its roots where meditation and direct experience of God was emphasized, as with the [[Desert Fathers]]. Proponents consider this spiritual wisdom to be found in the [[New Testament]], but believe that has been de-emphasised throughout much of Christian history.|date=December 2010}}
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| {{Citation needed span|text=While never losing sight of the fact that Jesus is the way to [[salvation]], in the movement the idea (from the [[New Testament]]) that "the [[Kingdom of God]] is within [''or'' among] you" (Luke 17:21) is married to the Hindu concept of the [[Atman (Hinduism)|atman]]. By allying Christianity with mysticism, the movement seeks to ground [[faith]] in direct experience and wisdom arising from the mystical experience of [[nonduality]] and thus allow Christianity to return to being a more inwardly-directed [[religion]].|date=December 2010}}
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| The Second Vatican Council, in its Declaration on Non-Christian Religions, said that "the Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions".{{sfn|Elnes|2004}} In Christian sannyasa, Hindu holy texts such as the [[Mahabharata]] and the [[Puranas]] are considered to be gifts from God.{{Citation needed|date=October 2012}} Brother John Martin Sahajananda summarizes this [[Roman Catholic]] teaching as, "All the sacred scriptures are a gift of God to humanity.".{{sfn|Sahajananda|2009}}
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist}}
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| ===Sources used===
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| {{Refbegin|1}}
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| * {{cite encyclopaedia|
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| encyclopedia=The encyclopedia of Christianity|
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| volume=2|
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| editor1-first=Erwin|editor1-last=Fahlbusch|
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| editor2-first=Geoffrey William|editor2-last=Bromiley|
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| article=Hinduism and Christianity|
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| first1=Michael|last1=von Brück|
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| first2=J. Paul|last2=Rajashekar|
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| publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|
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| year=1999|
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| isbn=978-90-04-11695-5}}
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| * {{cite encyclopaedia|
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| encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of community: from the village to the virtual world|
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| article=ashrams|
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| first=M. Darrol|last=Bryant|
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| volume=1|
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| editor1-first=Karen|editor1-last=Christensen|
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| editor2-first=David|editor2-last=Levinson|
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| edition=2nd|
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| publisher=SAGE|
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| year=2003|
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| isbn=978-0-7619-2598-9}}
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| * {{cite book|
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| title=Christian inculturation in India|
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| series=Liturgy, worship, and society|
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| first=Paul M.|last=Collins|
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| publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd|
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| year=2007|
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| isbn=978-0-7546-6076-7}}
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| * {{cite book|
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| title=Mantra: hearing the divine in India and America|
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| author-first1=Harold G. |author-last1=Coward| authorlink1=Harold Coward|
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| author-first2=David J.|author-last2=Goa|
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| edition=2nd|
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| publisher=Columbia University Press|
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| year=2004|
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| isbn=978-0-231-12961-9}}
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| * {{cite web|
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| url=http://www.scucc.com/sabbatical/days53-55.cfm|
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| title=June 25–27, Days 53–55: Shantivanam Ashram|
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| work=Eric's Sabbatical Journal|
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| first=Eric|
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| last=Elnes|
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| publisher=Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ|
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| year=2004|
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| access-date=2010-03-05|
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| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716022815/http://www.scucc.com/sabbatical/days53-55.cfm|
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| archive-date=2011-07-16|
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| url-status=dead}}
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| * {{cite encyclopaedia|
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| encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Protestantism|
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| article=ashrams, Christian|
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| editor1-first=J. Gordon|editor1-last=Melton|
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| publisher=Infobase Publishing|
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| year=2005|
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| isbn=978-0-8160-5456-5}}
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| * {{cite book|
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| title=Journeys East: 20th century Western encounters with Eastern religious traditions|
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| series=The library of perennial philosophy|
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| first=Harry|last=Oldmeadow|
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| publisher=World Wisdom, Inc.|
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| year=2004|
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| isbn=978-0-941532-57-0}}
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| * {{cite book|
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| title=Christians meeting Hindus: an analysis and theological critique of the Hindu-Christian encounter in India|
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| chapter=Ashrams and Interreligious centres|
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| first=Bob|last=Robinson|
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| publisher=OCMS|
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| year=2004|
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| isbn=978-1-870345-39-2}}
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| * {{cite journal|
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| title=Guidelines for Interreligious Dialogue|
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| first=John Martin|
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| last=Sahajananda|
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| issue=Bulletin 82|
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| date=January 2009|
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| url=http://monasticdialog.com./a.php?id=878|
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| journal=Monastic Interreligious Dialogue|
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| url-status=dead|
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| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219060836/http://monasticdialog.com/a.php?id=878|
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| archive-date=2010-12-19}}
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| * {{cite book|
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| title=Bede Griffiths: a life in dialogue|
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| series=SUNY series in religious studies|
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| first=Judson B.|last=Trapnell|
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| publisher=SUNY Press|
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| year=2001|
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| isbn=978-0-7914-4871-7}}
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| {{Refend}}
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| == Further reading ==
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| * {{cite book|
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| first=Sita Ram|last=Goel|author-link=Sita Ram Goel|
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| year=1988|
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| title=[[Catholic Ashrams|Catholic Ashrams: Adopting and Adapting Hindu Dharma]]|
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| location=New Delhi|publisher=Voice of India}}
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| * {{cite book|
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| title=Bede Griffiths: an introduction to his interspiritual thought|
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| first=Wayne|last=Teasdale|author-link=Wayne Teasdale|
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| publisher=SkyLight Paths Publishing|
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| year=2003|
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| isbn=978-1-893361-77-5}}
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| * {{cite book|
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| title=Hindu spirituality: Postclassical and modern|
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| volume=2|
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| chapter=Indian Christian Spirituality; The Christian Ashram Movement|
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| first=J.|last=Valiamangalam|
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| pages=520–523|
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| editor1-first=K. R.|editor1-last=Sundararajan|
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| editor2-first=Bithika|editor2-last=Mukerji|
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| publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ.|
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| year=2003|
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| isbn=978-81-208-1937-5}}
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| * {{cite book|
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| title=The Guru in Indian Catholicism: Ambiguity Or Opportunity of Inculturation|
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| volume=6|
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| series=Louvain Theological and Pastoral Monographs|
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| first=Catherine|last=Cornille|author-link=Catherine Cornille|
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| publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|
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| year=1992|
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| isbn=978-0-8028-0566-9}}
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| * {{cite book|
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| title=Christian ashrams: a new religious movement in contemporary India|
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| volume=20|
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| series=Studies in religion and society|
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| first=Helen|
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| last=Ralston|
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| location=Lewiston, NY|
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| publisher=Edwin Mellen Press|
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| year=1987|
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| isbn=978-0-88946-854-2|
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| url-access=registration|
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| url=https://archive.org/details/christianashrams00rals}}
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| * {{cite book|
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| title=Christian ashrams: a movement with a future?|
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| editor1-first=Vandana|editor1-last=Mataji|
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| publisher=Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge|
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| year=1993|
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| isbn=978-81-7214-130-1}}
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| {{Wikiquote}}
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| [[Category:Christian movements]]
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| [[Category:Christian mysticism]]
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| [[Category:Christianity in India]]
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| [[Category:Vedanta]]
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| [[Category:Christian and Hindu interfaith dialogue]]
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