Vedanta in Light of Christian Wisdom

This book falls into the category nowadays labeled "comparative religion." It is concerned with the relation between Hinduism (in the form of Vedanta, its most esoteric discipline) and Christianity. The prevailing consensus amongst intellectuals appears to be the so-called "transcendent unity of religions," enunciated by Frithjof Schuon in 1948, which affirms in effect that the great religions of the world are based ultimately upon the same Truth and lead in fine finali to one and the same Eschaton. This book argues against that position. Basing himself ultimately upon an exegesis discovered by Meister Eckhart, the author contends not only that the Vedantic and the Christian Eschaton are fundamentally different, but that the latter cannot in fact be comprehended from a Vedantic point of view. Smith argues that the Christ-given notions of Trinity and Incarnation-which he contends are nowhere to be found in the Vedic scriptures-not only render the Christian Eschaton inconceivable in Vedantic terms, but falsify the doctrine of transcendent unity.