Divine Mother, Blessed Mother: Hindu Goddesses and the Virgin Mary

by Francis Clooney

Overview

In Divine Mother, Blessed Mother, Francis X. Clooney, S.J., a scholar of Hinduism as well as a Catholic priest and theologian, offers the first full-length comparative study of Hindu goddesses and the Virgin Mary. Clooney begins by looking at three specific goddesses as they are presented and addressed in religiously and theologically rich hymns from the Sanskrit and Tamil traditions: Nullri Laksmi, the eternal consort of Lord Visnu and life-giver to Him and all the world; the great Goddess Devi, in whom the world and gods too exist and flourish; and the lovely Tamil Goddess Apirnullami, who illumines the inmost mind and heart. Clooney then shows how Goddess traditions can be drawn into fruitful conversation with Christian tradition, taking a fresh look at the veneration and theology of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and Mother of God, as displayed in three famous Marian hymns from the Greek, Latin, and Tamil traditions. The book is enriched by the inclusion of fresh and full translations of all of the hymns, including two translated here for the first time. Analyzing these six Hindu and Christian hymns, Clooney examines such questions as: How have Hindu theologians made room for a feminine divine alongside the masculine—and why? How has Christian thinking about divine gender differed from Hindu thinking? What might contemporary feminists learn from the goddess traditions of India? How might the study of Hindu goddesses affect Christian thinking about God and Mary? This is a book to read for its insights into the nature of gender and the divine, for the power of the hymns themselves, and for the sake of a religious adventure, an encounter with three Goddess traditions and Mary seen in a new light.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195170375
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/11/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 6.36(h) x 0.91(d)

About the Author

Francis X. Clooney, S.J., is a Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). He is Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Theology at Harvard Divinity School.

Table of Contents

1 Sri, Devi, Apirami, and Mary: Who and Why
2 Sri in the Sri Guna Ratna Kosa: Divine Equality, Divine Pleasure; in Light of the Akathistos
3 Devi in the Saundarya Lahari: From Bliss to Beauty; in Light of the Stabat Mater
4 Apirami in the Apirami Antati: Finding Her Within; in Light of the Mataracamman Antati
5 Three Hindu Goddesses, Mary, and Reading Ahead
Glossary
Notes
Works Cited
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Many have looked forward to this kind of book for years... Reading each of the paired texts allows for extraordinary illumination between the two, as the author gives close textual analyses dealing with theology, the use of images, and textual and ritual structures. A final essay is especially valuable, as it focuses on some of the larger, broader questions of goddess worship." —CHOICE

"... [A] notable achievement. It allows new questions to flow about the nature of the divine, letting gender issues take their rightful place in mutually enriching conversation." —WATERwheel

"Divine Mother, Blessed Mother is a groundbreaking study of comparative theology as well as a beautiful book to enjoy, a work that appears to be as much the fruit of devotion and meditation as of scholarship and philosophical reflection." —Theological Studies

"Francis X. Clooney, S.J., once again demonstrates the value of a comparative approach to theology. Through a close textual analysis of particular hymns from each tradition, this study of Hindu goddess traditions in relation to Christian understandings of Mary reveals fresh insight into both traditions and raises new questions to each. Entering both into the vigorous contemporary discussion of gender and divinity, and into the largely intra-Roman Catholic discussion of the historical and symbolic dimensions of Mary's role, Clooney's work is both substantive and provocative. I expect it will engender lively and productive dialogue." —Mary E. Hines, Emmanuel College

"Divine Mother, Blessed Mother is a signal contribution to the growing theological literature on goddesses. Indebted to feminist scholarship and promoting women's well-being, Francis X. Clooney provides a close reading of Hindu and Christian texts, offering an elegant, accessible, and insightful treatment of Sri, Devi, Apirami, and Mary. His genius is in sparking their mutual conversation on their own terms. Clooney invites the reader in, and lets the theological implications flow as they will. Interreligious work is enriched immeasurably by this creative contribution."—Mary E. Hunt, Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual

"Francis Clooney is virtually unique in the field of Hindu Studies as a Catholic theologian with the linguistic and philosophical expertise necessary to produce sophisticated comparative analyses. Written at the intersection of feminist studies, Hindu theology, and Catholic theology, Divine Mother, Blessed Mother is a juxtaposition of three Hindu goddess-centered and three Catholic Marian texts with the aim of investigating the relationship of gender imagery to the practical purpose of liberation. This is an invitation for feminists to view male-authored depictions of sensuous female figures as potentially undermining, not expressive, of patriarchal values; for Catholics to gain empathy for Hindu goddess worship; and for scholars of comparative religion to learn from a master of the art."—Rachel Fell McDermott, Barnard College

From the Publisher