Kuruvilla Pandikattu

Kuruvilla Pandikattu Joseph
Kuruvilla Pandikattu (2004)
Born	28 November 1957 Areekara, Kerala, India
Website	kuru.in
Era	20th-century philosophy
Region	Western Philosophy
School	Continental philosophy Phenomenology Hermeneutics Christian theology
Main interests	Phenomenology Relationship between religion and science Philosophy of death Philosophy of Technology Personal identity Transhumanism Symbols Myths
Notable ideas	"Ever approachable, Never Attainable" "Dialog as Way of Life" "Between Before and Beyond"
Influences Azzopardi Kunnumpuram Paul Ricoeur Bede Griffiths Emerich Coreth Karl Rahner

Reverend Kuruvilla Pandikattu, born 28 November 1957, is an Indian Jesuit Priest and Professor of Philosophy, Science and Religion at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth: Institute of Philosophy and Religion, Pune, Maharashtra, India. He is also Director of JDV Centre for Science-Religion Studies (JCSR) and Association of Science, Society and Religion (ASSR), Pune.

He has authored/edited twenty-six books and written more than 160 academic articles. He has been involved as co-founder and co-publisher with two journals, Jnanadeepa: Pune Journal of Religious Studies and AUC: Asian Journal of Religious Studies. Further, he has organised more than forty academic conferences. His weekly column on "Contemporary Spirituality" appears on Tuesdays in Financial Chronicle. He has been contributing regularly to both academic and popular journals.

He is involved in science-religion dialogue and science-related activities, in which topic he has been teaching four courses. His areas of interest (and specialisation) include: Science-Religion Dialogue; Philosophical Anthropology (Emerich Coreth); Hermeneutics (Paul Ricœur, Bede Griffiths) and Inter-religious dialogue.

Philosophical Approach

The two starting points of his academic research works are in physics and religion: quest for the unification of the fourfold forces of nature in physics and the hermeneutics of dialogue in Paul Ricoeur. This led him to seek further the interpretative and symbolic (or mythic) nature of religious experience and resulted in his first doctoral thesis: “Idols to die, so that symbols might live.” He traces the idol-symbol tension in every aspect of human experience.

Dialogue as Way of Life

Then he look up the dialogical dimension of not only of religions, but also of human existence. So his second doctoral thesis on Bede Griffiths was published under the title, "Dialog as Way of Life." Further, he took up issues in science-religion dialogue, which according to him is "not an option but an obligation" for the very survival of the human species. This calls for radial commitment. Two main areas of his research are physical immortality and viable or sustainable life-style.

Humans as "Between Before and Beyond"

He has been teaching and writing on philosophical anthropology. His view on the human person could be summarised as the "between before and beyond." Following Martin Heidegger, he holds that we always carry with us our past (before) and anticipate our future (beyond) and experience the healthy tension as the "between" or the present. Further, he would say that human freedom, is the "finite search for the infinite."

God as "Ever Approachable, Never Attainable"

This infinite or God (also The Reality) is the enticing and elusive dimension of our human life. God is ever approachable, but never attainable exhaustively. Like the horizon, that invites and cajoles us and recedes from us, God is always near and far at the same time. He bases this insight on scientific details like the lowest temperature reachable (t →0) and knowing that the beginning of Big Bang (T →0) and is like the "horizon", which is never fully attainable.

Reality as Relational and Paradoxical

He says that reality is relational and at the same time paradoxical. The paradox of love is that when two people, who have accepted their own emptiness and recognises their own nothingness, affirm each other, there emerges authentic love, that is infinite. Thus, when one truly looks at reality, accepts its nothingness (even absurdity) there emerges traces of infinity. That is the paradoxical beauty of love and of our existence.

Major Activities

He has been actively involved in science-religion dialogue. He is interested in looking at both science and religion critically and creatively, so that they can enrich each other and the humanity. In this area he has delivered numerous lectures, written numerous articles and books and organised conferences.

Books

Scholarly books: Authored books (7)

• Ever Approachable, Never Attainable: Science-Religion Dialogue in India. Pune: CreatiVentures, 2014.
• Gratefully and Gracefully: Scientific and Religious Reflections on Death and After. Pune: CreatiVentures, 2014.
• Between Beneath, Before and Beyond: An Exploration of the Human Condition Based on Paul Ricoeur. Pune: CreatiVentures, 2013.
• The Bliss of Being Human: Science and Religion for Self-Realisation. Pune: Jnanam, 2004.
• Religion@scientist.com. Pune: Jnanam, 2001.
• Religious Dialogue as Hermeneutics: Bede Griffiths’ Advaitic Approach. Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change Series Iiib, South Asia Vol 3. Washington: Research in Values and Philosophy, 2001.
• Dialogue as the Way of Life: Bede Griffiths’ Attempt at Integrating Religions, Cultures and Sciences. Mumbai: Zen Publications, 2001.
• Meaning through Science and Religion. Pune: JDV, 2000.
• Idols to Die, Symbols to Live: Dynamic Interaction between Language, Reality and the Divine. New Delhi: Intercultural Pub, 1999.

Scholarly books: Edited books (13)

• An Indian Ending: Rediscovering the Grandeur of Indian Heritage for a Sustainable Future. New Delhi: Serials, 2013. Edited with Binoy Pichalakkattu.
• Lifting up the Spirit, Uplifting the Body: Interfacing Religion, Spirituality and Social Work in India. Pune: Samajdarshan Prakashan, 2013. Edited with Suresh Pathare.
• Committed to the Church and the Country: Reflections on Christian Living in India in Honour of Professor Kurien Kunnumpuram SJ. Delhi: ISPCK, 2013. Edited with James Ponniah and Thomas Kuriacose.
• The Dancing Peacock: Indian Insights into Religion and Development. New Delhi: Serials Pub, 2010. (with James Ponniah)
• The Depth of Death: Scientific Insights, Religious Openness. New Delhi: Serials Publications, 2010.
• Dancing to Diversity: Science-Religion Dialogue in India. New Delhi: Serials Publications, 2008.
• Postmodernity: An Indian Appraisal. New Delhi: Serials Publications, 2008.
• Reasons for Hope: Its Nature, Role and Future. (Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change Series IIIB, South Asia Vol 10) Washington: Research in Values and Philosophy, 2005.
• Gandhi, Ganga, Giriraj. Ahmedabad: Navajivan Pub, 2004.(associate editor with Lachman M. Khubchandani & Siddharth N. Bhatt)
• Bend Without Fear: Hopes and Possibilities for an Indian Church: Essays in Honour of Professor Kurien Kunnumpuram SJ. New Delhi: ISPCK, 2003. Edited with Rosario Rocha.
• Religion, Society and Economy. Frankfurt u.a.: P. Lang, 2003. (with A. Vonach)
• Hopefully Yours… Pune: Jnanam, 2002 (CD).
• Let Life Be. Pune: Jnanam, 2002 (CD).
• Dreams and Visions: New Horizons for an Indian Church: Essays in Honour of Professor Kurien Kunnumpuram SJ. Pune: JDV, 2002. Edited with Rosario Rocha
• Human Longing and Fulfilment: East Encounters West. Pune: JDV, 2002 (with Josef Quitterer).
• Gandhi: The Meaning of Mahatma for the Millennium. (Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change Series Iiib, South Asia Vol 5.) Washington: Research in Values and Philosophy, 2001.

Popular books (10)

• (Ed.) The What and So What of the God Particle.Pune: JDV Centre for Science-Religion Studies, 2012.
• Life: Relish It. Mumbai: Better Yourself Books, St. Paul, 2012. ISBN 9788171087785.
• Love: Be It. Mumbai: Better Yourself Books, St. Paul, 2009. ISBN 9788171087365.
• Life as Love. New Delhi: Media House, 2005 (Revised edition of Promises of Love). ISBN 9780970978233.
• Freedom to Free. New Delhi: Media House, 2004. ISBN 9788174951502.
• This too will Pass Away! The Scientific Explanation and Religious Experience of Time Based on Michael Ende’s Momo. Jnanam, Pune: 2003. ISBN 9780970978240.
• Promises of Love. Jnanam, Pune: 2003.
• TAMAS (There Are Many Alternative Stories). Mumbai: World-Web-Life, 2002.
• Promises of Life (with K. Suriano) New Delhi: Media House, 2001.

Early life and influences

Pandikattu was born in Areekara, Kerala, India. He was born to Uthuppan and Mary Joseph. He had his early education at Government LP School, Veliyannoor (1962–65) and St. Rockey's U.P. School, Areekara (1965–70). Then he pursued his basic studies at Sacred Heart School, Changanashery, Kerala (1970–73).

After School Secondary Leaving Certificate (S.S.L.C.) he left for Guhiajori, Dumka, Bihar (now Jharkhand). Other places of his studies are: St. Xavier's School, Sahibganj (1976–78); Loyola College, Chennai (1978–81); St. Joseph's College, Trichy (1981–83); Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune (1983–85), and University of Pune (1988–91).

Variants of His Name

• Kuruvilla Pandikkattu
• Kuruvila Pandikkattu
• Kuruvila Pandikattu
• Pandikattu, Kuruvilla
• Pandikattu, Kuruvila

External links

• The official site: http://www.kuru.in
• The site of which he is founder and director, Jnanam: http://www.jnanam.in
• The site of his university: http://www.jdv.edu.in
• Books by and about Pandikattu (Worldcat Identity): http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=pandikattu&fq=&dblist=638&qt=first_page
• The site where his columns appear weekly: http://www.mydigitalfc.com/2008/kuruvilla-pandikattu-sj
• Short bio about him: http://www.counterbalance.org/bio/kuru-frame.html
• Director of Association of Science, Society and Religion, Pune (ASSR): http://www.assr.in/
• Director of JDV Centre for Science-Religion Research: http://www.assr.in/
• His wikispace site: http://kurusj.wikispaces.com/
• His Location
• Google: https://plus.google.com/111053347606454325142/about