Books by Kuruvilla Pandikattu

Using the Paul Ricoeur¿s three categories of symbols, metaphor and parable, this book tries to look at human existence in terms of surplus, subversion and submission. Surplus, derived from his profound analysis of symbols, implies that there is abundance of value, meaning and significance in our reality, including our language. This leads to interpretations and even to the conflict of interpretations. At the existential level, we can also relate to evil and its terrible consequences. Subversion, as a protest to protect life, is intrinsic to parables, as understood by John Crossan and Ricoeur. There are very many elements to be demolished, destroyed and deconstructed. After having taken the path of subversion and having fought and even fallen, we need to move from the ¿hermeneutics of suspicion¿ to that of faith. Inspired by Ricoeur¿s ¿second naiveté,¿ we need to rediscover simplicity, innocence and transparency in life. Then we can creatively surrender and submit ourselves, drawn from our inner strength. This book is a humble attempt at looking at life from hermeneutical and phenomenological perspectives.

The Human Search: Issues in Philosophical Anthropology: This book on Philosophical Anthropology is a critical and creative reflection on the nature, goal and capability and destiny of human persons. Borrowing insights from traditional philosophy, Indian tradition and Christian vision, this book attempts to understand human beings as a basic openness to realities larger than themselves. In this ever-receding horizon that we are, some of the fundamental questions are: Who are we? ¿Are we really free?¿ ¿Can only human love?¿ and ¿What can we really hope for before and after death¿? The tentative and open-ended answers we arrive at are: Our basic human nature transcends itself at every moment. We have traces of freedom that make us unique and provides us with dignity. We can love, however limited our love may be and that gives meaning to life. We can hope for life after death, but we cannot understand it. This book is a modest and tentative attempt to respond to (not answer) these fundamental questions concerning human beings.