Bøger af Cheriyan Menacherry

Universal salvation only happens through the name "Jesus" (Acts 3:12). For the obvious reasons, only Christians can call on the name "Jesus" to be saved. What about people of other religions who do not know the name "Jesus"? Universal salvation is through the mediator. To save all of humanity, the divine person manifested himself in history, Jesus of Nazareth. People of other religions seeking salvation invoke the name of the mediator they know. Do they have to wait for salvation until they invoke the name "Jesus"? Panikkar analyses the question in the categories of person, name, myth, symbol and history. Without relativising the belief that the name "Jesus" stands for universal salvation, Panikkar explains the value of the other names of the one mediator to whom the various religions refer. These considerations have implications for the question of salvation not only for people of different religions but also for all ETIs throughout the universe. It may take millions of light years for the name ¿Jesus¿ to reach the ETIs.

Christology in a multi-religious context can help realise a Christology in the intergalactic consciousness of ETI civilisations. Israel-centred ¿salvation¿ turned to the world, now to the ETIs in the millions of galaxies. Pope Francis envisions baptising aliens as the door of salvation is open to them, too. If the ¿big bang¿ was the creative power of God, the apocalypse is not a galactic supermassive destructive black hole. It is a super-bright halo attracting the universe to enjoy the cosmic Sabbath with God. Panikkar's inter-religious context: the mystery CHRIST, whose symbol is the historical Jesus, will help to represent Jesus in galactic consciousness, to have a galactic Christophany that goes beyond the ecumenical Christophany that Panikkar had envisioned. In Irenaeus' Christ, the cosmotheandric principle as envisaged at creation, the protology and teleology of the universe meet. Panikkar's cosmotheandric mystery was to restore the cosmological dimension of the CHRIST. A symbol contains reality: Jesus is the epiphany, the symbol of the cosmotheandric mystery. A Christology for intergalactic consciousness will enrich a Christology in a multi-religious context.

Jesus' Place in Marketing Strategy: Engaging the Words of Jesus, contains several topics in random order. "Jesus the Marketing Superstar" is the first topic. One in three people in the world is a follower of Jesus. Some 7Ps were applied by Jesus. Product, promotion, people, place and price: Jesus offered the product, the kingdom of God, to people at a very high price. Jesus knew the place where people were in need. The poor will not be on the radar of marketing strategists. Here lies the stark contrast to Jesus' strategy. He turned the entire marketing strategy on its head. Jesus' marketing strategy starts with the poorest. Although there are 7 P's, the marketing strategists are not aware of one important P, the person of Jesus, who gave himself so that the whole world could believe in him and form a community. The old Roman marketing principle of bread and circus was only superficial. Yes, Jesus fed the hungry, but he knew the basic spiritual needs of the people that they were not aware of. Here Jesus is telling the marketing strategists to keep in mind not only the material but also the basic spiritual needs of the people and to include this principle in their marketing strategy.

The book contains different topics in random order. 'New Horizons from Disasters' is the first one. The present pandemic in the world has reached almost apocalyptic proportions in 2020. The book of Revelation, amidst the cosmic catastrophes, had a great vision of hope. So also, the present terrible disaster could lead to something new in the horizons of the world. It is a great responsibility to express theological thoughts for the lay people. Entering deep into silence for reflection is not for a monologue. In the solitude of the heart one meets his Creator "day and night." (Ps 1:2). The thoughts wander through the experience one has gained with one's fellow human beings and also with nature. Engaging the Words of Jesus is the title of the series of books I am intending to publish. 'Engaging' rather than 'contemplating' or 'meditating': Apostle Peter heard the words of his Master, to let down the nets for a catch (Lk 5:4); 'meditated' and also engaged the words of Jesus. Ultimately he did what the Word inspired him to do.

Engaging the Words of Jesus contains 12 themes in random order. The first theme, ¿Humanity as the Chosen Race and People¿, places the ¿chosennes¿ in the context of all cultures and religions, as a rethinking of the ¿Chosen People¿ is urgently needed. Some ¿chosen races¿, with the support of their racist ideology for hate crimes and the ¿holy apocalyptic war¿, try to dominate and rule others by taking and misinterpreting elements even from the Israeli and Christian religions. The search for a correct understanding of divine chosenness is not to declare it a myth, but to reject a dangerous exclusivism. Created in the image of God, with the consciousness of being chosen and especially loved by God the Father, the humanity hears a divine call not to have privileges but to take responsibility. All are chosen to work with God to create a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21). Chosen-ness is a ¿project¿ that God has entrusted to all. Humanity is on the pilgrimage to the eschatological fulfilment of the chosennes through acts of love, service and suffering.