Calcutta School of Indology

The Calcutta School of Indology (also known as the 'Bengal School' of Indology) consists of a group of Jesuit missionary scholars based mostly in Calcutta and including William Wallace, SJ (1863–1922), Pierre Johanns (1882–1955), Georges Dandoy, Joseph Putz, Joseph Bayart, Robert Antoine, Camille Bulcke, Michael Ledrus, Pierre Fallon and Jan Feys. They were joined in their efforts by Animananda, a disciple of Upadhyaya.

The group drew its inspiration from Brahmobandhav Upadhyaya's efforts to think out and practice an original and fresh encounter of Christianity and Hinduism. The originator of this vision was William Wallace, SJ. Thanks to his representations to the Belgian Province of the Jesuits, brilliant young Jesuits like Pierre Johanns and Georges Dandoy were sent to India to study deeply the sources of the Hindu religion. Udayan Namboodiry says: "The ‘Bengal School,’ which these came to be clubbed under, was the lasting contribution to India of Father William Wallace."

Johanns and his group tried to effect a rapprochement between Hinduism and Christianity at the doctrinal level. Their organ was a monthly publication with the title The Light of the East which began in 1922 and continued for two decades. In the very first issue, the journal declared its aim: "what we... wish... to do is... to help India... to know and understand Jesus.... We have no intention to put out the existing lights. Rather we shall try to show that the best thought of the East is a bud that fully expanded blossoms into Christian thought."

The school soon came to be known by its outstanding representative, P. Johanns, whose most important piece of writing is now available under the title To Christ through the Vedanta, but which was originally published in the form of articles regularly contributed to The Light of the East.

Given his links with several of the members, Richard De Smet might also be included in the School. He pursued his study of Sanskrit in Calcutta with G. Dandoy, P. Johanns, R. Antoine, who held a master's degree in Sanskrit from the Calcutta University; P. Fallon, who knew not only Sanskrit but also Bengali. Antoine and Fallon had started the first dialogue centre, Shanti Bhavan, in Calcutta. De Smet did his doctoral dissertation at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, under the direction of R. Arnou; he took help also from M. Ledrus, at the time Professor of Ascetical and Mystical Theology in the same university.

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