Dharma, Hindu and Christian According to Roberto de Nobili: Analysis of Its Meaning and Its Use in Hinduism and Christianity

Caste in the ecclesial community is still a problem in the indian Church. An interest in this problem at the early period of Western Christianity in India led the author to study the writings of Roberto de Nobili (1577-1656). De Nobili was the first European to understand the Hindu Society from its own scriptures and traditions. One of the central concepts that sums up the life of the Hindus is that of dharma. A study of the Nobili's method of adoption of certain customs and synbols of the Hindus without a study of how far de Nobili understood some of the central concepts of Hinduism is incomplete. This work in Dharma, Hindu and Christian, according to Roberto De Nobili is the first study in this line. It centres around the concept of dharma, but it also evaluates the related socio-ethico-religious concepts of Hinduism. Such a study is broader in scope than that of the Hindu caste dharma. It tries to show that this first Christian encounter with Hinduism by de Nobili is quite profound, despite the limitations of the apologetic theology with which de Nobili worked in the presentation of Christianity.