Double Belonging

[steve_bakr]

There is a phenomenon called Double Belonging that has been around in the Roman Catholic Church since perhaps the 19th Century that primarily involves participation in a second religion.Early examples are Bede Griffiths and Swami Abishiktananda, but there are many others.

This most predominately involves an Eastern religion, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The Eastern Religions seem more adaptable, if that is the correct word, to Christianity.

There are Catholic priests who are also, for example, ordained Soto Zen Buddhist priests. I met a Catholic years ago at a Shin Buddhist retreat/seminar led by the now famous Tetsu Uno who claimed both religions.

The Church has given a somewhat mixed response to this phenomenon, largely tolerating but not openly endorsing it. Double Belonging is becoming more of a topic in theology and missiology.

It is said that the key for the Roman Catholic involved in Doubling Belonging is the continued involvement in the Sacraments of the Church. Bede Griffiths said Mass every day in his Ashram in India.

I know an evangelical Christian who was a Vedantist. It came time to choose a Guru, and she chose Jesus Christ. Thus began her involvement with Christianity.

World famous Vedantist Swami Vivekenanda fully endorsed Jesus Christ as Son of God who died for our sins, which made Double Belonging between Hinduism and Christianity more compatible.

Zen Priests, for example, accept Christians as their students and do not encourage them to depart from their faith, but to practice both.

Double Belonging is said to be only for those fully committed to the Roman Catholic faith. It is not for the purpose of leaving the Church and the Catholic faith. It is also not for the faint-hearted because it leads to a kind of martyr existence.

 

[Genersis]

Interesting.
Seems quite a healthy phenomenon to have as Catholicism is sizeable and interacts with many other faiths.

 

[Tallguy88]

So long as they do not deny the fundamentals of the Christian faith, I don't see a problem with being involved with Eastern philosophy. Indeed the line between religion and philosophy is quite blurred in the East.

I've read parts of the Analects and the Tao Te Ching. From a philosophical stand point, I didn't find them incompatible with Christianity. I mean, if we can use Aristotle with Catholicism, I don't see why we can't use Confucius, as well.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

The Church says something about it here. And a good article on it can be found here.

 

[mark46]

Your quotation from Scripture is off topic. No one is suggesting that these priests did anything that in anyway rejected Jesus as the Way.

To be clear, you are saying that the Catholic Church prohibits all that is not specifically mentioned. I am quite serious. There are religious folks who believe that we should not do anything that is not included in Scripture. BTW, which documents are to be used to find the only activities that are to be included?

I'm sure that the flying in airplanes is included in Church documents, as well as whether we should watch Harry Potter movies.

Yes, I am making fun. I don't think that you truly believe what you stated, although, of course, you could; many do. If this is truly your believe, I apologize for the attempt at humor.

There have been priests for centuries that have practiced various philosophies, including Greek ones, and the philosophies of the East. Do you believe that Christians should reject all philosophy? Certainly, this would include Aristotle and Plato. And yes, we have many, many example of monks and priests (in good standing within the Church) praying with Eastern monks.

Since the OP doesn't offer anything that the Church teaches about this I would assume that it's not permitted for Catholics to do this.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.'" - John 14:6​

 

[mark46]

Would we say that we cannot practice the philosophy of Aristotle or Plato, or of science in general? Should we not practice karate or meditation or yoga or acupuncture?

We must understand that a personal, monotheistic God, who is a person, is not necessarily in conflict with the philosophies of the world, many of which we call religions. Obviously, there are actions that may be objectionable to us in any of their cultures or philosophy.

For me, it is somewhat misleading to consider theological conflicts between Christianity and Buddhism, any more than between Christianity and science, or Christianity and Plato.

For those born in the East, it is difficult to understand why someone cannot be a Taoist (or Confucian or Buddhist or Hindu) and also be a Christian. And yes, for some, one must choose a guru. Many choose Jesus.

So long as they do not deny the fundamentals of the Christian faith, I don't see a problem with being involved with Eastern philosophy. Indeed the line between religion and philosophy is quite blurred in the East.

I've read parts of the Analects and the Tao Te Ching. From a philosophical stand point, I didn't find them incompatible with Christianity. I mean, if we can use Aristotle with Catholicism, I don't see why we can't use Confucius, as well.

 

[dsaly1969]

removed by author

 

[mark46]

We are so set in our Western cultures that we find it difficult to understand our spiritual walk when the "language" used is that of Asian culture/philosophy rather than the Greek and other Western frameworks that we are used to.

The concepts of "logos" and the "tao" are very, very similar. That we translate "logos" as the "Word" is quite misleading.

What do you recommend when evangelizing a Taoist? | Catholic Answers

"In the beginning was the Tao. All things issue from it; all things return to it" (v. 52). "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1–3).
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Monks and mystics have understood this for centuries.
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I see no conflict in a Taoist, Zen Buddhist or a Confucian accepting the Way of Jesus and becoming a Catholic.

 

[concretecamper]

There is a phenomenon called Double Belonging that has been around in the Roman Catholic Church since perhaps the 19th Century that primarily involves participation in a second religion.Early examples are Bede Griffiths and Swami Abishiktananda, but there are many others.

This most predominately involves an Eastern religion, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The Eastern Religions seem more adaptable, if that is the correct word, to Christianity.

There are Catholic priests who are also, for example, ordained Soto Zen Buddhist priests. I met a Catholic years ago at a Shin Buddhist retreat/seminar led by the now famous Tetsu Uno who claimed both religions.

The Church has given a somewhat mixed response to this phenomenon, largely tolerating but not openly endorsing it. Double Belonging is becoming more of a topic in theology and missiology.

It is said that the key for the Roman Catholic involved in Doubling Belonging is the continued involvement in the Sacraments of the Church. Bede Griffiths said Mass every day in his Ashram in India.

I know an evangelical Christian who was a Vedantist. It came time to choose a Guru, and she chose Jesus Christ. Thus began her involvement with Christianity.

World famous Vedantist Swami Vivekenanda fully endorsed Jesus Christ as Son of God who died for our sins, which made Double Belonging between Hinduism and Christianity more compatible.

Zen Priests, for example, accept Christians as their students and do not encourage them to depart from their faith, but to practice both.

Double Belonging is said to be only for those fully committed to the Roman Catholic faith. It is not for the purpose of leaving the Church and the Catholic faith. It is also not for the faint-hearted because it leads to a kind of martyr existence.

This is not for the serious Catholic.

 

[mark46]

Of course not. Serious Catholics pray in English or Latin and follow the ways of Plato and Aristotle.

Seriously, we need to try to better understand the cultures of the East. There are many millions Christians in the East (and in Africa) who languages, cultures and philosophies color how they understand and express the faith.

I guess we could say that a serious Catholic cannot be Platonist or a scientist.

This is not for the serious Catholic.

 

[concretecamper]

Of course not. Serious Catholics pray in English or Latin and follow the ways of Plato and Aristotle.

Seriously, we need to try to better understand the cultures of the East. There are many millions Christians in the East (and in Africa) who languages, cultures and philosophies color how they understand and express the faith.

I guess we could say that a serious Catholic cannot be Platonist or a scientist.

Understanding and belonging are 2 different things my friend