News

Francis X. Clooney, one of the world's leading comparative-theology scholars, will become the Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Theology at Harvard Divinity School, effective July 1, 2005, Dean William A. Graham has announced.

Clooney, a Roman Catholic priest and a member of the Society of Jesus, is currently Professor of Comparative Theology at Boston College, where he has taught since 1984.

We recently had the great pleasure of Senior Indian scholars visit OCHS entertaining the High Commissioner of India,Mr Kamlesh Sharma,accompanied by his wife Mrs Babli Sharma and Special Assistant Mrs Kulkarna,for lunch in Oxford on our OCHS premises.On 17 February, scholars,students,staff and the Oxford Hindu Student Society gathered to meet the High Commissioner,who took the time to discuss Hindu Studies with those present.

On Friday 18th of November at the Leicester Stage Hotel the OCHS held "An Evening with Ranjit Sondhi CBE". The impetus for the dinner, prompted by the Sir Mark Tully Dinner held in London, in May, came from Mr Vijay Thakrar. A team of our Leicester friends organised, managed and executed the evening wonderfully.

On a lovely mid-summer's day last August, the London Chapter of the Indian Institute of Technology organised a trip of association members, their families and friends to OCHS. After a tour of the Centre and a satisfying lunch the group walked to Worcester College, where Dr Ranjit Sondhi CBE, a member of the governing board of the BBC and the OCHS Patrons Council gave a thought provoking and entertaining talk on issues facing Asian Britons. This was followed by a lively discussion.

The 'Friends of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies' has been launched in the United States of America.

Mr Harish IK Patel and Mr Bharat Bhundia arranged a special fundraiser for the OCHS at a showing of 'Strictly Dandia', at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London.

The performance on Saturday 7 th January was well attended and the lively and funny dance drama that went down very well with the audience. The play was written by Sudha Bhuchar and Kristine London-smith and performed by London's Tamasha Theatre company.

Is Hinduism monotheistic? Does Hinduism have something in common with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam who all hold a strong belief in one God? How can a religion that seems teeming with various gods of colourful descriptions have a belief in one Supreme?

The Centre's first two Doctoral students graduated from Oxford University this year – Ravi Gupta and Kenneth Valpey. As scholars and practitioners of Hinduism, both focused their studies on various aspects of the Hindu tradition.

By providing qualified tutors and academic supervisors to the University and by giving practitioners of Hinduism somewhere to study and live without compromising their practice, the Centre has successfully facilitated these two and many others' stays in Oxford.

Dr.Vidya Sayinath of the University of Madras acquired her degree of Doctorate in the System of Vedanta of Indian Philosophy. Her thesis refers to the epistemological aspect as elucidated by Sankara and Ramanuja. Her work highlights the significance of knowledge as expounded by the two philosophers, which served as the substratum for their Ontological structure. Presently she is engaged in the study of Ramanuja's Philosophy. This study examines the Concept of Devotion as the cementing factor of the various aspects of his System.

The Shikshapatri, a text sacred to the Swaminaryan community, is now online for scholars, community members and the general public. This site provides a wide variety of online resources which set the Shikshapatri in its historical, cultural and religious context. It is designed to help people of all backgrounds to better understand the significance of this manuscript, which receives hundreds of visitors every year.