Circling the Elephant: A Comparative Theology of Religious Diversity - Paperback

by John J. Thatamanil (Author)

This book argues that Christian theology must be done in conversation with other religions. The book integrates theology of religious diversity, comparative theology, and constructive theology by moving beyond reified accounts of "religions" that make interreligious learning impossible. The author proposes a new theory of the religious that celebrates interreligious learning.

Author Biography

John J. Thatamanil is Associate Professor of Theology and World Religions at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. He is the author of The Immanent Divine: God, Creation, and the Human Predicament; An East-West Conversation (Fortress, 2006). He teaches a wide variety of courses in the areas of comparative theology, theologies of religious diversity, Hindu-Christian dialogue, the theology of Paul Tillich, theory of religion, and process theology. He is committed to the work of comparative theology--theology that learns from and with a variety of traditions. A central question that drives his work is "How can Christian communities come to see religious diversity as a promise rather than as a problem?"