A leading academic from Heythrop College was handpicked from hundreds of Hindu-
Christian experts to brief the Archbishop of Canterbury ahead of his much-publicised visit to India this month (9-24 October 2010).
Dr Rowan Williams has just completed a 16-day trip at the invitation of the Communion of
Churches in India, travelling across several cites including Kolkata, Ranchi, Nagpur, New
Delhi, Chennai, Vellore, Bangalore and Thiruvanathapurum, and in the build up to the trip Dr
Martin Ganeri met the Archbishop to discuss Christian engagement with the philosophical and spiritual traditions of Hinduism.
Dr Ganeri, who is Director of Heythrop's Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue, briefed the Archbishop on three important but different theological and spiritual engagements that have taken place in the 20th and 21st centuries - first, engagement with Advaita
Vedanta, second with Hindu theistic or bhakti traditions, and third, the evolution of a distinctive Indian form of liberation theology.
"My presentation to the Archbishop highlighted that there can be a positive and constructive engagement between Christian and Hindu religious traditions or cultures, be it in India or more widely," Dr Ganeri explained. "It's possible and indeed a good thing to have a distinctive Indian Christian community in the world and for Christianity globally to be enriched by Hindu insights; but second, that such engagement should be dialogical in character if it is going to work well. What's done has to be understood and accepted by both Christian and
Hindu communities. It requires conversation and negotiation to take place between the members of these two cultures - if it is to work well."
Dr Ganeri, who is the Prior of Blackfriars, Cambridge, has taught at Heythrop College since
2006. He is a member of the Catholic Bishops' Committee for Relations with Other Religions and a director of the Hindu-Christian Forum, UK. "It is obviously a tremendous privilege for me personally to be asked to brief the Archbishop of Canterbury - but it also brings hugelydeserved recognition to the college, and especially the work of the Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue, for our world-leading expertise in this field," Dr Ganeri said.

On 10 November 2010 Revd Canon Guy Wilkinson, Advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury on Interfaith Affairs (Church of England) will join Dr Ganeri and a number of other highprofile speakers at the Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue's 'Meeting God in
Friend and Stranger' conference. The event will reflect on the 2010 teaching document of the Catholic bishops of England and Wales on interreligious dialogue. For more information about the conference go to http://www.heythrop.ac.uk/outreach/centre-for-christianity-andinterreligious-dialogue/events.html.
-ENDS-
For more information please contact Phil Smith, Media Relations Consultant for
Heythrop College, on 01727 733888 or phil@communicationsmanagement.co.uk.
ABOUT HEYTHROP COLLEGE
Heythrop was established in 1614 in Louvain by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) for the study of philosophy and theology. Since 1970, it has been a College of the University of London, while retaining a modern Catholic ethos, and offers an educational experience that respects all faiths and perspectives. In addition to undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, it also provides a resource for faith communities and others, especially through the work of the Centres and Institutes.
College staff have a wide range of expertise, with particular research strengths in interreligious dialogue and comparative theology, Middle Eastern Christianity, practical and pastoral theology,
Catholic theology, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind/psychology, and aesthetics. Research is an increasingly important part of the College's academic life and Heythrop participated for the first time in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, gaining recognition for its work at an international level. Heythrop is also the Lead College for the University of London International Programme's
Bachelor of Divinity degree and Diploma in Theology.