I read years ago in one of the books written by the US novelist James Baldwin: ‘Finance and philosophy; Economics and Esoteric can go hand in hand adroitly, provided the juggler knows how to juggle seemingly opposite subjects masterfully.’ Reading Bharat Jhunjhunwala’s Common Prophets, I was immediately reminded of Baldwin’s apposite quote. It seemed as if he observed that with Bharat Jhunjhunwala on his mind.
Jhunjhunwala’s foray into religion and divinity with this book reestablishes his credentials as not just a perceptive observer but also a humane analyst who analyses overlapping similarities in different faiths with the equanimity and equipoise of a dispassionate sage. Nowhere in the book has he tried to put his foot down and adamantly spoken of the perceived superiority or inferiority of any religion and its Prophets.
He sagaciously described the innumerable common events and similarities among the Prophets and their lives. His book underscores Sri Aurobindo’s famous lines in his poetic book, ‘The Life Divine’: ‘One Universal soul resides in all/Whether you’re big or small.’ The same applies to the chequered lives of all Prophets. The stories and legends associated with their lives have an uncanny common streak and strain running through all Prophets’ lives and works.
Not just the startling similarities related to the Prophets’ lives, the author of this book has also presented the legions of similar phenomena present in all civilizations. These are really masterful observations and must have had Jhunjhunwala time and energy to produce a tome of lasting (academic) importance.
I have published a paper on this topic International Journal of Theology, Philosophy and Science
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