Religious Cosmopolitanism: South Asian Experiences, Expressions, and Perspectives

By Felix Wilfred

This posthumously published book, authored by the distinguished Indian theologian the late Prof. Felix Wilfred, proposes a fresh framework for religious cosmopolitanism to envision global coexistence amid contemporary fragmentation. It examines how diverse South Asian religious traditions have historically fostered cosmopolitan sensibilities. The volume offers a nuanced account of Bhakti's challenge to caste and gender hierarchies, analyzes Buddhism's resources for civilizational cosmopolitanism, and highlights how South Asian thinkers adopted Neo-Vedanta framework to reimagine the Christian faith as cosmopolitan. Its innovative notion of embodied cosmopolitanism articulates the universality of embodied divine experiences that open new pathways for cross-cultural and interreligious engagement. This book is the culmination of a long and fruitful career reflecting on religion and culture in a globalized world. The notion of cosmopolitanism captures Felix Wilfred's deep conviction that individuals and cultures need to move beyond their narrow conceptions of identity and power in order to realize their own full human and spiritual potential. It offers many creative insights drawn predominantly from scholars of the global South, and from South Asian religious traditions, but relevant far beyond. Catherine Cornille, Professor of Comparative Theology, Boston College, USA. This volume exemplifies the originality and mastery of Wilfred's work. They appropriate the concept of cosmopolitanism from cultural studies and provide critical insight into theological and religious studies of Christianity. This anthology is a 'must-read' for students of religions in Asia and beyond. Jose Mario Francisco, Professor of Philosophical and Systematic Theology Ateneo de Manila University, Manila, The Philippines. The notion of Cosmopolitanism has fallen out of use in many "postmodernist" circles. In this valuable book, Felix Wilfred brings it back in refreshing and insightful ways that extends the notion of religious cosmopolitanism in South Asia far beyond the conventional language of "comparative religion" into new and deeper levels of dialogue. In doing so he reveals profound possibilities of contact between Christianity and not only Buddhism, but also significant traditions such as Jainism, Bhakti and the relationship between the Divine and the human body in South Asia. This is an important summary and synthesis of the thinking and vision of one of India's most fertile and innovative theologians and religious thinkers. John Robert Clammer, Professor of Sociology and Social Anthropology Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, New Delhi, India.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9349684594
• ISBN13: 9789349684591
• Release Date: December 2025
• Publisher: Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.7" x 6.1"