Sacrifice and Cosmos: Yajna and the Eucharist in Dialogue

In Hinduism, yajna has been at the centre of Vedic thought and practice, epic and Puranic literature. The Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita add new dimensions to it through their spiritualization and interiorization and raising tapas and bhakti into sacrifice. The concept of sacrifice has been transformed into an ethical, spiritual and political value by Tilak and Gandhi in modern Hinduism. Christianity’s interpretation of the mission of Jesus as a true, non-ritual sacrifice resulted in the gift of salvation to the world. The volume presents a deep understanding of the concept of sacrifice which is a central thought in Hinduism and Christianity. It studies the way the two traditions have related sacrifice to the reality of the whole cosmos including the material universe. The Vedic view is seen as the best example of creation through divine sacrifice, and the Christian Cross as that of redemption through divine sacrifice. The cosmic dynamism of the Eucharistic sacrifice is revealed through a study of four theologians. In this painstaking work sacrifice is examined as a complex universal phenomenon which has many-sided and multifaceted religious connotations. Thus it discovers the complementarity and interconnection between Vedism and Christianity. The book presents a new approach to study of religions and religious concepts. It would prove useful for scholars of religious studies.