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[[Category:Christian clergy|Griffiths, Bede]]
[[Category:Christian clergy|Griffiths, Bede]]
[[Category:Nationality British|Griffiths, Bede]]
[[Category:Nationality British|Griffiths, Bede]]
[[File:Bede Griffiths.jpg|200px|right]]


Bede Griffiths (December 17, 1906 – May 13, 1993), was born Alan Richard Griffiths and later known as Swami Dayananda ("bliss of compassion"). He was a Benedictine monk of the Camaldolese Congregation of the Order of Saint Benedict (O.S.B. Cam.), who lived in [[ashram]]s in South India and became a noted [[Yoga|yogi]]. He was a leader in the development of dialogue between [[Christianity]] and [[Hinduism]] as part of the Christian Ashram Movement.
Bede Griffiths (December 17, 1906 – May 13, 1993), was born Alan Richard Griffiths and later known as Swami Dayananda ("bliss of compassion"). He was a Benedictine monk of the Camaldolese Congregation of the Order of Saint Benedict (O.S.B. Cam.), who lived in [[ashram]]s in South India and became a noted [[Yoga|yogi]]. He was a leader in the development of dialogue between [[Christianity]] and [[Hinduism]] as part of the Christian Ashram Movement.
== Early life and education ==
Griffiths was the youngest of three children of a middle class family that fell into hard times. An excellent student, he earned a scholarship to the University of Oxford where, in 1925, he began his studies in English literature and philosophy at Magdalen College. In his third year at university he came under the tutelage of the professor and Christian apologist C. S. Lewis who became a lifelong friend. Griffiths graduated from Oxford in 1929 with a degree in journalism. After a crisis in faith and a spiritual breakthrough, he left the Church of England in which he had been raised. After a stay at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey in November 1931, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church.
== Benedictine monastic life ==
Griffiths was received by the abbey as a postulant a month after his reception into the Catholic Church. On 29 December 1932, he entered the novitiate and was given the monastic name of "Bede". He made his profession in 1937 and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1940.
After a number of years of monastic life in England and Scotland, Griffiths met a European-born monk of Indian ancestry who wanted to establish a monastery in India. Griffiths had already been introduced to Eastern thought, yoga and the Vedas and took interest in this proposed project.


== Connection with the Theosophical Society ==
== Connection with the Theosophical Society ==


Bede Griffiths delivered a lecture at the [[Theosophical Society in America]] in ???????????? 1970s or 1980s
Bede Griffiths delivered a lecture at the [[Theosophical Society in America]] in ???????????? 1970s or 1980s His belief in the brotherhood of all mankind and his attempt to bridge religious differences with interfaith dialogue make his writings appealing to Theosophists.


== Impact ==
== Impact ==

Revision as of 03:07, 25 April 2012

Bede Griffiths.jpg

Bede Griffiths (December 17, 1906 – May 13, 1993), was born Alan Richard Griffiths and later known as Swami Dayananda ("bliss of compassion"). He was a Benedictine monk of the Camaldolese Congregation of the Order of Saint Benedict (O.S.B. Cam.), who lived in ashrams in South India and became a noted yogi. He was a leader in the development of dialogue between Christianity and Hinduism as part of the Christian Ashram Movement.

Early life and education

Griffiths was the youngest of three children of a middle class family that fell into hard times. An excellent student, he earned a scholarship to the University of Oxford where, in 1925, he began his studies in English literature and philosophy at Magdalen College. In his third year at university he came under the tutelage of the professor and Christian apologist C. S. Lewis who became a lifelong friend. Griffiths graduated from Oxford in 1929 with a degree in journalism. After a crisis in faith and a spiritual breakthrough, he left the Church of England in which he had been raised. After a stay at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey in November 1931, he was received into the Roman Catholic Church.

Benedictine monastic life

Griffiths was received by the abbey as a postulant a month after his reception into the Catholic Church. On 29 December 1932, he entered the novitiate and was given the monastic name of "Bede". He made his profession in 1937 and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1940.

After a number of years of monastic life in England and Scotland, Griffiths met a European-born monk of Indian ancestry who wanted to establish a monastery in India. Griffiths had already been introduced to Eastern thought, yoga and the Vedas and took interest in this proposed project.

Connection with the Theosophical Society

Bede Griffiths delivered a lecture at the Theosophical Society in America in ???????????? 1970s or 1980s His belief in the brotherhood of all mankind and his attempt to bridge religious differences with interfaith dialogue make his writings appealing to Theosophists.

Impact

Bede Griffiths continues to have an impact through the Bede Griffiths Trust and the Camaldolese Institute for East-West Dialogue based at the American Camaldolese hermitage of New Camaldoli.[1] The archives of the Bede Griffiths Trust are located at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

Bibliography

  • The Golden String: An Autobiography, (1954), Templegate Publishers, 1980 edition: ISBN 0-87243-163-0, Medio Media, 2003: ISBN 0-9725627-3-7
  • Wayne Teasdale, Bede Griffiths: An Introduction to His Interspiritual Thought, Skylight Paths Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-893361-77-2
  • Christ in India: Essays Towards a Hindu-Christian Dialogue (1967), Templegate Publishers, 1984, ISBN 0-87243-134-7
  • Return to the Center, (1976), Templegate Publishers, 1982, ISBN 0-87243-112-6
  • Marriage of East and West: A Sequel to The Golden String, Templegate Publishers, 1982, ISBN 0-87243-105-3
  • Cosmic Revelation: The Hindu Way to God, Templegate Publishers, 1983, ISBN 0-87243-119-3
  • A New Vision of Reality: Western Science, Eastern Mysticism and Christian Faith, Templegate Publishers, 1990, ISBN 0-87243-180-0
  • River of Compassion: A Christian Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, (1987), Element Books, 1995 reprint: ISBN 0-8264-0769-2
  • Bede Griffiths, Templegate Publishers, 1993, ISBN 0-87243-199-1
  • The New Creation in Christ: Christian Meditation and Community, Templegate Publishers, 1994, ISBN 0-87243-209-2
  • Psalms for Christian Prayer, Harpercollins, 1996, ISBN 0-00-627956-2. Co-editor with Roland R. Ropers.
  • John Swindells (editor), A Human Search: Bede Griffiths Reflects on His Life: An Oral History, Triumph Books, 1997, ISBN 0-89243-935-1 (from 1992 Australian television documentary)
  • Bruno Barnhart, O.S.B. Cam. (editor), The One Light: Bede Griffiths' Principle Writings, Templegate Publishers, 2001, ISBN 0-87243-254-8
  • Thomas Matus, O.S.B. Cam. (editor), Bede Griffiths: Essential Writings, Orbis Books, 2004, ISBN 1-57075-200-1
  • "The Relation of Ultimate Truth to the Life of the World." Arunodayam (Sep. 1962) 7-9; (Nov. 1962) 5-8.
  • "God and the Life of the World: A Christian View." Religion and Society 9/3 (Sep. 1962) 50-58.
  • India and the Sacrament. Ernakulam: Lumen Institute, 1964.
  • Christian Ashram: Essays towards a Hindu-Christian Dialogue. London: DLT, 1966.

Notes

  1. Bede Griffiths' Trust website, [1]


^ Man, monk, mystic by Sister Pascaline Coff OSB, The Bede Griffiths Trust [1] ^ Profile of Bede Griffiths "This man is dangerous", An Overgrown Path website, July 30, 2008 [2] ^ Renee Weber, Dialogues With Scientists and Sages: The Search for Unity (1986), Routledge & Kegan Paul, ISBN 0-7102-0655-0, p. 163 ^ "Bede Griffiths:Meeting the Dalai Lama" by Meath Conlin on his website, Diverse Journeys, 22 June 2010 [3] ^ Bede Griffiths' Trust website, [4] [edit]External links