Vedanta and Christian Faith

Bede Griffiths was a Benedictine monk who achieved worldwide recognition for his pioneering efforts to bridge the great traditions of Christian and Hindu faith. He advocated a global spiritual friendship, rather than a global religion, cultivating respect for each other's spiritual practices. He died in 1993 at the age of 84. He was a pioneer in the Hindu-Christian interfaith dialogue. He was a lifelong friend of C.S Lewis.

“Bede Griffith’s (1906-1993) life of physical and spiritual exploration has been important in the spiritual journeys of many, many people, including myself. He was one of the first spiritually resonant models for those of us engaged in interfaith activities more than 50 years ago. His life suggested that one could be spiritually grounded and thriving in more than one tradition at the same time.” —Marcus Braybrooke, for the Interfaith Observer

“If the Church is ever to actualize her inherent universal function, then she must open herself to all the other religious traditions in their contemplative or mystical dimension. She must adapt to the needs of other cultures and assume new forms and structures. By assimilating the wisdom of other traditions in the light of her own, her universality is discovered and actualized, and her hidden relationship to the other religious traditions is made explicit and operative, valuable and effective. Her relevance to the contemporary world is then clearly seen.” —Wayne Teasdale on Bede Griffiths