Defense Date

2-22-2012

Graduation Date

Spring 2012

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Theology

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Gerald Boodoo

Committee Member

Aimee Light

Committee Member

Sebastian Madathummuriyil

Keywords

Christ, Cosmotheandric, Ecclesiology, Identity, Panikkar, Soteriology

Abstract

One of the most influential figures in recent theological reflection upon interreligious dialogue is Raimon Panikkar. Panikkar was an ordained Catholic priest who also practiced the Hindu and Buddhist faiths. Panikkar lived a life of mystical faith in which his identity was simultaneously Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist, a phenomenon often called `multiple belonging'. However, this mystical unity is not merely an element of Panikkar's faith life, but it also essential to his theology. In fact, it is mystical unity that underlies the very concept of identity in Panikkar's thought. Identity is found through union. It is in the realization of this unity that the concept of `Christ' comes into play. Christ is the principle of this identifying unity, which is found throughout all of Reality. Panikkar's overall theological vision can best be described by his own term: `cosmotheandric', which describes this unity of all of reality in its three poles: the world (cosmos), God (Theos), and Human (Aner). In this way, the very nature of Reality itself is Trinitarian. With this in mind, this dissertation seeks to deduce the ecclesiological and soteriological implications of this theological vision. The key to understanding Panikkar's ecclesiology and soteriology is the interrelation of the concepts of `Christ' and `identity'.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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