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Bishop Aiyadurai Jesudasen Appasamy (3 September 1891 – 1975) was an Indian Christian theologian, and bishop of the Church of South India in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. He was a member of the 'Rethinking Christianity Group', and sought to reconcile Christian with Hindu philosophies. He interpreted Christianity as 'bhaktimarga'. ==Early life and studies== Aiyadurai Jesudasen Appasamy was born in Palayamkottai Tamil Nadu (south India) on 3 September 1891, to Christian parents〔Gurukul Theological Research Group of the Tamilnad Christian Counsel. ''A Christian theological approach to Hinduism: being studies in the theology of A.J. Appasamy, V. Chakkarai and P. Chenchiah'', 1-2.〕 His father had been a Shaivite before coming to the Christian faith at the age of 24. A. J. Appasamy often wrote of the influence of his father and his family on him.〔Appasamy, A.J. "My Theological Quest – The Need for an Indian Theology", in ''The Christian Bhakti of A.J. Appasamy – A collection of his writings'', Francis, T.D, 134-136.〕 (The family belonged to the highest Hindu caste of Tamil Nadu, the Pillai caste.)〔Wagner, H. ''Erstgestalten einer einheimischen Theologie in Südindien – Ein Kapitel indischer Theologiegeschichte als kritischer Beitrag zur Definition von "einheimischer"'', 11.〕 After becoming a Christian his father studied both Christianity and Hinduism. In his 67th year he became consumed with a passion to see God, learnt meditation from a Hindu guru, began to practise yoga regularly, had mystical experiences,〔Gurukul Theological Research Group of the Tamilnad Christian Counsel. ''A Christian theological approach to Hinduism: being studies in the theology of A.J. Appasamy, V. Chakkarai and P. Chenchiah'', 1.〕 and emphasised the value of the prayer of dhyana (contemplation) as a method of attaining truth. His son, A.J. Appasamy, was aware of some danger but also of ‘the immense value’ of this view of prayer; he was convinced that this practice of yoga had made a profound, positive difference to his father's life.〔Appasamy, A.J. "My Theological Quest – The Need for an Indian Theology", in ''The Christian Bhakti of A.J. Appasamy – A collection of his writings'', Francis, T.D, 137-138, 141.〕 In 1915 A. J. Appasamy went to study philosophy and religion in the U.S.A. at Harvard University, and later in Britain at Oxford University, where he received a doctorate of Philosophy. It seemed evident to Appasamy that ‘if the Christians in India are to make any impact upon national life, they must be well-educated men who are quite familiar with the literature of the country, though they may not follow the Hindu religion.’ He came to this conclusion from a comparison with the role of Christians in ancient Rome.〔Appasamy, A.J. "My Theological Quest – The Need for an Indian Theology", in ''The Christian Bhakti of A.J. Appasamy – A collection of his writings'', Francis, T.D, 144.〕 The influence of ‘many great scholars and inspiring teachers’, such as J. N. Farquhar, B. H. Streeter, Friedrich von Hügel, William Temple, Friedrich Heiler and Rudolf Otto, led him to the conclusion ‘that we had a good deal to learn from the life and experience of the bhakti writers of India.’〔Appasamy, A.J. "My Theological Quest – The Need for an Indian Theology", in ''The Christian Bhakti of A.J. Appasamy – A collection of his writings'', Francis, T.D, 145, "The Christian Task in Independent India", 95-96.〕 Another influence which began at this time was that of the sadhu Sundar Singh, who visited Oxford in 1920. Appasamy came to know Sundar Singh well, and collaborated with B.H. Streeter in writing a book on him, ''The Sadhu'' (1921).〔Boyd, R. ''An Introduction to Indian Christian Theology'', 119; 132-133.〕 After returning to India in 1922 Appasamy became an editor of the Christian Literature Society. This enabled him to continue his studies, turning to Sanskrit texts as well as Tamil; for which he turned to Sanskrit pandits. He was particularly interested in ‘how Ramanuja had constructed into a theological system his deep personal experience of God.’〔Appasamy, A.J. "My Theological Quest – The Need for an Indian Theology", in ''The Christian Bhakti of A.J. Appasamy – A collection of his writings'', Francis, T.D, 146. Boyd, R. ''An Introduction to Indian Christian Theology'', 119.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Aiyadurai Jesudasen Appasamy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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