REVIEW BY ABRAHAM VARIATH

Saju Chackalackal, ed., New Horizons of Indian Christian Living: A Festschrift in Honour of Prof. Dr. Vadakethala Francis Vineeth CMI, Bengaluru: Vidyavanam Publications / Coimbatore: Preshitha Communications, 2009. Pages xii + 932; ISBN: 978-81-905799-6-4; Price: Rs. 900, USD 50.

The bright streams of light of two landmark occasions in the life of a person converge to highlight in bold relief the beauty and significance of an accomplishment which is of utmost importance not only to himself personally but also to the entire Church in India. Fr. Vineeth’s Vidyavanam Ashram, nestled among the wooded hills of the Bannerughatta National Park region in the village of Bhoothanahalli, is already proving to be an oasis of spirituality in the largely bare landscape of the Indian Church, which is almost completely devoid of the refreshing streams of contemplative prayer life, although, ironically, contemplation is the very core of Indian spiritual tradition.
It is only fitting, then, that the golden jubilee of Fr. Vineeth’s priestly ministry, which coincides with the seventy-fifth year of his birth, is celebrated with, among other things, a ‘festschrift’ which is impressive in volume, content, and presentation. Congratulations to the editor and publisher for bringing it out, with the apt title New Horizons of Indian Christian Living.
The hardbound ‘tome’ of attractive appearance is divided into six sections, with the first one, expectedly, dealing with the “Person and Mission” of the eminent jubilarian. In his own article, which leads the fifty others (the significance of the number is not missed!) one quite easily notices the range and depth of a mind which is at home with the intellectual and the practical as well as the aesthetic and the mystical.
While an ashram is a great help ‘In Search of the Ineffable’, it is not an end in itself. “Hence”, Fr Vineeth writes, “establishing an ashram is not the final end of the search. It should ever remain open, [and the searcher] even ready to leave the very ashram, if God so wants.” This is not just a nice, ritualistic statement to suit the occasion, but one that comes out of conviction; for I remember that during one of our meetings, when I spent almost a year with Fr. Vineeth in the very early stages of the Vidyavanam Ashram, he had shared the same sentiments. And now, as Saju Chackalackal in his article has stated, “Fr Vineeth, a person of simplicity and openness, continues his pilgrimage of life with an incessant quest for the Divine.”
The other five sections are on the important and relevant Christian themes, namely, Bible, theology, inculturation, spirituality, and ‘Paradigms of Philosophical Synthesis’, all of which, of course, are dealt with from the perspective of the uniquely Indian experience and genius. Indeed, the ‘new horizons’ are as varied in subject matter as they are vast in opportunities and possibilities for the Indian Church. People of all walks of life and of all religious and spiritual pursuits will find in the pages of this grand compilation ample material that is interesting, insightful and informative. Spiritual direction, eco-spirituality, encountering Christ in non-Christian spiritual traditions, contemplation, social action, you name it, it’s all there.
New Horizons of Indian Christian Living is uncannily analogous with Fr. Vineeth’s Vidyavanam – an ideal concept and setting for ‘search and research’. No doubt one will find a stroll through either quite a refreshing and enriching experience.
Abraham Variath

[Note: For copies, please contact, Fr. Saju Chackalackal, Dharmaram College, Bangalore 560029; Mobile: 9480022339]