THE BOOK
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH IN OTHER RELIGIONS AND CULTURES
For this Sub-section, we have chosen two very different people and authors to add their “knowledge” to this discussion: Donna M. Brown, of course, and S.J. Samartha. Obviously, we could choose from literally tens of thousands of theologian-authors or similar, but it doesn’t really make much difference to the end result because, in the final analysis most will simply give their opinions and position on the subject at hand more from a strong intellectual/historical perspective than any other. Colleges and universities set up to try to solve a supposed riddle/mystery that is really not so, but not from intuition and revelation but from “research and study” –- the great catchwords of the academic world.
[What would Apostle Paul have made of all this today. As the great intellect of his day and persecutor for the Jewish Religious Authority at the time of Jesus and His Disciples; through his transformation, the once suppressed spiritual part of him powerfully-emerged to balance a now clarified intellect. This new-found ability bequeathed to future generations his amazing and extraordinary “spiritual legacy”.]
So, for our purposes in this case, just two authors, but from dissimilar backgrounds, will be sufficient to show the vast difference between what we state and what the vast spectra of religious/academia generally endorses. We therefore expect that few, if any, of the vast numbers of “religious experts” will be in agreement with us. Yet that is precisely where we are meant to stand -– outside of all religious, academic, and even new age and psychic-related, parameters. We really all do need to understand the Divine warning: “Only the few will know.”
S.J. Samartha --- Indian by race and culture and a Christian by religion --- studied Christian theology from a young age to his ordination by the Basel Evangelical Mission on 30th March 1952 and was the Seminary’s first Indian Principal. In 1949, however, the “Mission” sent Samartha to the Union Theological Seminary in New York for post-graduate studies under Paul Tillich, the Christian existentialist Philosopher. In 1950, Stanley enrolled as a doctoral candidate at the Hartford Theological Seminary, Connecticut and was awarded a PH.D in 1951. Samartha’s doctoral thesis was entitled ‘The modern Hindu View of History according to Representative Thinkers’.
On the question of the Spirit of Truth or Holy Spirit, we include an appraisal of Samartha’s “theology” from Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Professor of Systematic Theology, Fuller theological Seminary, Pasadena.
‘Stanley J. Samartha sees in the coming of Jesus Christ part of “God’s dialogue with humanity.” Our dialogue with people of other faiths is part of our participation in God’s dialogue with humanity. And since Jesus Christ came to create a new kind of community “through forgiveness, reconciliation, and a new creation,” dialogue is necessary to incorporate others into that community. Participants in the dialogue can trust the Holy Spirit to lead all into truth.’
In concert with Samartha’s “Theology”, a Professor of “Systematic Theology” [what does that actually mean?] opines the view that “... in God’s dialogue with humanity -- participants in the dialogue can trust the Holy Spirit to lead all into truth.”
God’s ‘dialogue with humanity’, as he puts it, conjures up a picture of a human “cosy closeness” to the unassailable Power of all that is and ever will be. No Separation there, as monotheism is supposed to understand. Historically and prophetically, any “dialogue” from The Creator to man has primarily been through His Called Ones and Prophets, not to all and sundry on personal whims. That is not to say, however, that an individual human being on special occasions cannot receive help after petitioning for it, but that is not because of an “anybody-can-at-any-time” doctrine. For strict criteria under the aegis of precise Creation-Law governs such processes.
Professor Karkkainen’s observation about trusting “the Holy Spirit to lead all into truth” is correct insofar as the one seeking to be led into truth can “let go” any personal perceptions or notions about “how it is supposed to be”. For the Truth of the completely misunderstood nature of the “Holy Spirit” is not up for personal interpretation. It is Truth, full stop!
As we have previously noted and no doubt will again many more times throughout this Work, if it was all that simple, the world would be following that Truth and its concomitant Wisdom right now, not a billion or more different ideas.
Donna M. Brown --- a long time student and teacher of esoteric philosophy: Her background includes a career in the arts and election to public office in the District of Columbia [USA]. She serves as a Board Member of the School for Esoteric Studies. We will quote a section from her article from “The Esoteric Quarterly”: Messianic Expectations: A Comparative Study.
A committed Christian on the one hand, and what might perhaps be described as a New Age philosopher on the other. So, between the two authors, a good “spread” of ideas for our purpose. We, of course, will analyse and comment on their views as they are aired. In the case of Donna M. Brown’s take on Messianic Expectations and the now standard terminologies used (as with Samartha) to “identify” this figure, should we accept that The Spirit of Truth is also, at the same time, a Messianic figure or deity, or are they completely separate entities? Let’s see what they say. ----- Firstly, from Stanley J. Samartha’s: