Duns Scotus

Call me stupid but I hadn't realised that John Scotus Eriugena is one and the same as Duns Scotus, for whom I have long had a secret admiration. I hadn't realized he was dodgy mind. The old man has one more class this afternoon then one day tomorrow and that's our lot. He is finishing with a comparison between some Western thinkers such as Scotus and Nicholas of Cusa and Vedantic Philosophy of the Sanatana Dharma. It's not easy even for the bright. If the boys and gels get annoyed with my questions and comments screw them I am having fun. In some ways really complex ideas, leave the mind a bit numb. Every now and then I think I understand comment or question. But I am pretty sure when I do understand I don't. It's mysticism. I sort of took Duns four stages in the process of God from Natura Creans sed non creatur via Natura Creans et creatur (the world of forms) I'll go for it, these two share dynamism, it's sort of qabalistic but a way of understanding emanations in a creaturely dependent manner, technically non pantheistic, and theoretically because God works in and through the world more empowering. But in the West with the God in Heaven issuing commands we get liberal secular democracy and in India with this beautiful empowering theology we get the caste system. He didn't appreciate my pointing that out, perhaps I was a little too strong in suggesting India needed the West to save it from its backward thinking caste based reactionary theology but I wasn't judging. And the last two from Scotus, Natura non creans et non creatur the manifest world, and God at rest share Stability. Yep it does dismiss the problem of evil, it isn't suited to social justice, and liberation theology will not grow in this ground. But as he suggests it is a beautiful place to theologize about Religion aside from Faith. In the pure and abstract it is more liberating, combined with Buddhist concepts of not-being of no-thingness. The potential is like a painting just begun. It can go anywhere. With dogma we are stuck with solution. Here we find multiple meanings. I buy into it. But most of the lads and lasses just want to get their MA and a new job. As one put it it has no relevance in the mission field. Maybe, but they are also intellectually lazy or dishonest. It's hard work thinking theologically. If you have no eros, no desire for it then there is no point attempting it. Anyway found a book on Scotus, that wasn't hard, but it will be hard to get something written by him. For a Catholic Library of 1 lakh books well mustn't complain. Now must check that reference for Cusa.

The rest will sort itself out. I'll check out Yahoo next week build up my tapa for now. See what the priest says if there is no change. He is offering to enrol me on an MA course so I can get a five year visa (two years extendable) but I can study as much or as little as I please. For this I was offering 1400 pounds a year, which is twice the rate, but half was for scholarships etc. I don't think it's a bad deal. I am up to date on payments thus far. He has booked me a return flight to Colombo to get my visa for another six months (M A courses start in June). I have train tickets to Kazipet which is near Nellikuduru to visit my people. I tried mentioning to the old man that Brahmanic Vedanta Theology is not the only kind of Indian Theology but given that the Dalit and Tribal theology I have read so far does seem like it's written by an angry 12 year old and not a prodigy I left it comparing them to the Jews and Moses God chose the illiterate wanderers over the Theology Technology and Science of Egypt. But he just replied that God chose Humanity all of us. He has a point and I have nothing interesting to say about Dalit or Tribal theology yet though there probably is some relation to the non-Pantheistic it only seems that way religion given it is earth mother based what used to be called animist.

Anyway plan after first MA is to go to Kottayam and pick up an MA in Syriac. Then I could return and do another MA here, or Chennai or Pune. That's a six year plan which is rather more planning than I have ever needed to do. Telugu test tomorrow which I shall fail. But no harm in more revision beforehand. And then next week I hope the dancing singing Kerala nurses will return possibly with some books on Malayalam. Odd many seek me out to improve their English Accent but whereas I can understand everyone's English here some find it impossible to understand me no matter how slowly I speak. Oh and if the Syriac text book and my own copy of Gitanjali turn up then my joy shall be complete. Off to pin down that Cusa.