Synopses & Reviews
God's Other Children by Bradley Malkovsky is a charming spiritual travelogue that tells the tale of a Catholic religious scholar who goes to India to study Hinduism and winds up falling in love with an Indian woman and marrying into her Muslim family.
Years ago, religious scholar Bradley Malkovsky traveled to India to immerse himself in the study of Hinduism. When he arrived, he was at once bewildered by the nation's unfamiliar customs and amazed by the hospitality and spiritual devotion of its people. He could see that God was very much present and at work in the lives of Indian Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims and was also keenly aware that his Christian theology did not adequately prepare him to make sense of how those religions encountered God and what that might mean for his own faith.
Malkovsky's understanding of the complexities and richness of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam deepened when he fell in love with an Indian woman, Mariam, and married into her Muslim family. God's Other Children is Malkovsky's intimate memoir of his incredibly fulfilling years in India, including colorful stories of his healing by a Hindu physician, an experience at a life-changing Buddhist meditation retreat, preparing for his secret wedding, and partaking in the "lifting of the stone" at a famous Muslim shrine. This book is Malkovsky's reflection on the compelling questions about truth, God, and faith that arose during his journey. It is also his challenge to all people, as he begins to understand how the mysterious and transformative love of God as revealed in Christ is evident in every one of God's children, to open themselves up to other religions and create invaluable interfaith dialogue.
Review
“The most interesting and inspiring book that I have read in a very long time.” Huston Smith, author of < i=""> The World's Religions <>
Review
“Gods Other Children is an important work that I hope will have wide reception among scholars and ordinary readers alike. At the present moment when there is so much misunderstanding and even malicious intent among so many people, the message of this book should be especially welcomed.” Seyyed Nasr, University Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, author of < i=""> Islam in the Modern World <>
Review
“Gods Other Children is an intimate and vulnerable self-revelation of the challenges and enrichment of staying committed to ones tradition and being open to discovery of transformative truths in other traditions. Malkovsky takes us on a journey that illumines both heart and mind.” Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion, St. Olaf College, and author of < i=""> The Advaita Worldview: God, World and Humanity. <>
Review
“Brad Malkovsky walks with us through his spiritual journey of intimate encounters with the Holy across religious traditions. Gods Other Children is a transformative experience, conveying how the power of Love transcends religious, social, and cultural barriers.” Ruben L.F. Habito, author of < i=""> Living Zen, Loving God <> , professor at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University
Review
“Gods Other Children is a remarkable book, and Malkovsky is a wonderful storyteller. Today more than ever we seek to understand this worlds many religions, and Malkovsky has written a classic for our time, a testimony matching our best efforts to keep the faith and celebrate the diversity around us.” Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Parkman Professor of Divinity and Director of the Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University
Review
“This compelling personal narrative gives rise to a new interreligious possibilitythat the truth may not lie with any one religion but rather in-between them.” Arvind Sharma, Birks Professor of Comparative Religion, McGill University, author of < i=""> Our Religions <>
Review
“Seeing the working of Gods power and love among Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims, Malkovskys sensitive, personal and gripping account raises important questions and offers thought-provoking insights to Christians in general and Catholics in particular. His positive and hopeful approach breathes fresh air into our increasingly interreligious world.” Swami Tyagananda, Hindu Chaplain, Harvard University and co-author of < i=""> Interpreting Ramakrishna: Kali's Child Revisited <>
Review
“Refreshingly free of self-serious dogmatism, the author… offers a candid memoir about his unusual spiritual journey and a plea for ecumenical tolerance,… [and] shows how it deepened his commitment to his Christian faith.” < i=""> Kirkus Reviews <>
Review
“Gods Other Children is a spiritual adventure story that illustrates the freedom and fulfillment that can be discovered in encounters with other religions and their practices.” < i=""> Spirituality and Practice <>
Synopsis
Gods Other Children by Bradley Malkovsky is a charming spiritual travelogue that tells the tale of a Catholic religious scholar who goes to India to study Hinduism and winds up falling in love with and marrying a Muslim.
In the tradition of The Faith Club, Malkvosky, who holds a degree in Catholic theology, shares how his spiritual journey grew his faith, while raising questions about it that he had never considered, and how it changed his life in ways he could neverhave imagined.
Inspiring and profound, Gods Other Children: Personal Encounters with Faith, Love, and Holiness in Sacred India offers a fascinating perspective on how people of all faiths encounter God. Author Bradley Malkovsky won the Huston Smith Publishing Prize for this manuscript from HarperOne.
About the Author
Bradley Malkovskyis associate professor of comparativetheology at the University of Notre Dame. He has degrees from the University of Tübingen, Germany, and has studied Sanskrit and Hindu thought at the University of Poona in Pune, India. He is the editor of the Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies and the winner of the Huston Smith Publishing Prize.