Richard De Smet (16 April 1916 – 2 March 1997) was a Belgian
Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
, and
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
in India. As
Indologist he became a renowned
Sankara specialist.
Life
Born at
Montignies-sur-Sambre, near
Charleroi
Charleroi (, , ; ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It is the largest city in both Hainaut and Wallonia. The city is situated in the valley of the Sambre, in the south-west of Belgium, not ...
in
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, he came to
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
as a young Jesuit student of
theology
Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
in 1946. Upon completion of his theological studies, he studied
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
in
Calcutta
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
under
Georges Dandoy,
Pierre Fallon and
Robert Antoine, all members of the so-called "
Calcutta School" of Jesuit Indologists.
Provoked by a talk by Dr
S. Radhakrishnan at a meeting of the Indian Philosophical Congress at
Calcutta
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
in 1950, where Radhakrishnan claimed that
Sankara was a purely rational philosopher, De Smet decided to show that he was, instead, a ''srutivadin'', a theologian who subordinated reason to the revealed (''
apauruṣeyā'') scripture. De Smet went on to do his doctorate on ''
The Theological Method of Samkara'', completing it at the
Gregorian University,
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, in 1953. Though he never got round to publishing this thesis, it became famous among Indologists and there are hundreds of copies in circulation.
Returning to India in March 1954, De Smet began to teach at the newly opened centre for philosophical studies of the Jesuits at De Nobili College,
Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
. At first he was assigned courses traditional in
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
seminaries
A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clerg ...
(which he taught in
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, also composing Guidelines for students): Introduction to Philosophy + Minor Logic; General Metaphysics: Rational Theology (which he subtitled ''Brahma Jijnasa''), Special Questions of Metaphysics. But he also introduced a course on
Samkhya
Samkhya or Sankhya (; ) is a dualistic orthodox school of Hindu philosophy. It views reality as composed of two independent principles, '' Puruṣa'' ('consciousness' or spirit) and '' Prakṛti'' (nature or matter, including the human mind a ...
, and began inserting "large doses of Indian philosophy" into the traditional treatises. By 1968, he was able to open a special section for
Indian Studies in his institute, by now renamed
Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth (JDV). Over the years 1968–75, he composed his ''Guidelines in Indian Philosophy'', cyclostyled notes for students beginning with the Ancient Indian
Vedic period
The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, between the e ...
and going up to Sankara.
In the meantime, right from 1954 De Smet began attending various meetings of Indologists and Indian Philosophers: the Indian Philosophical Congress, the Poona Philosophy Association, the Bombay Philosophy Union, the newly formed Indian Philosophical Association. After an initially suspicious reception (a Dr Chubb roundly accused him of excessive missionary zeal at the
Kandy
Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...
session of the Indian Philosophical Congress in 1954), his competence and self-possession won the day and he soon found himself being invited to lecture or give courses at universities and colleges across the country. He was also asked to collaborate with the Marathi Encyclopedia of Philosophy (''Marathi Tattvajnana Mahakosa'') project in
Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
, and went on to become the most prolific contributor with a total of 68 articles. Besides these, he wrote some 128 entries for ''Verbo: Enciclopedia Luso-Brasileira de Cultura'', of which some 47 are still to be found in the latest edition, and 2 entries for the ''Telugu Encyclopedia''.
De Smet engaged not only in dialogue not only with academics and scholars but also with religious people. He was a frequent invitee to the
Sivananda Ashram at
Rishikesh
Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city near Dehradun in the Indian state Uttarakhand. The northern part of Rishikesh is in the Dehradun district while the southern part is in the Tehri Garhwal district. It is situated on the right bank ...
, where he would lecture on Sankara and other topics, but also, on request, about
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
and
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
. He visited the Ramakrishna missions in various parts of the country, and also the
Aurobindo Ashram at
Pondicherry
Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of the Puducherry (union territory), Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of Indi ...
. He had contacts with the
Caitanya Vaisnava movement at
Vrindavan
Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj, Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance for Hindus who believe that Krishna, one of ...
. Invited by the
Sikhs
Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...
to the four hundredth anniversary celebrations of their founder, he spoke about
Guru Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also known as ('Father Nanak'), was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is t ...
and
Jesus Christ
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
. Despite not being an expert in Islam, he found himself being invited also by Muslims of the
Jamia Millia University in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
. He spoke often to the
Jains of Pune and wrote for their ''The Voice of Ahinsa''. He participated in the pro-dialogue meetings organized by Swami
Abhishiktananda (the French
Benedictine monk Dom Henri Le Saux) under the patronage of the Swiss Ambassador, J.-A. Cuttat. He was invited for lectures on
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
to the
Kurisumala Ashram founded by
Francis Acharya (Fr Francis Mahieu) at
Vagamon,
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
. He also engaged willingly with Christians of other denominations, teaching in their universities and seminaries, participating in their conferences, meetings and seminars, and even giving retreats to staff and students, far before the word
ecumenism
Ecumenism ( ; alternatively spelled oecumenism)also called interdenominationalism, or ecumenicalismis the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships ...
became popular in the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
.
De Smet will be remembered for two major contributions to Indological scholarship. The first was his fresh interpretation of
Sankara as a non-dualist realist rather than a world-denying illusionist. This interpretation hinged on his discovery, or rather reinforcement of Olivier Lacombe's discovery, of the fact that Sankara used analogical predication in expounding the meaning of the ''
mahāvākyas'' (great sentences) of the
Upanisads such as ''
Tat-tvam-asi'' and ''Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma''. The world is neither ''atyanta Sat'' like
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' (; IAST: ''Brahman'') connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality of the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part XII In the ...
, nor is it ''atyanta Asat'' like the son of a barren woman. It is, instead, a reality that is completely and ontologically dependent on Brahman. And once the notion of creation is purified of
anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
, it is possible to speak of Brahman as creator and cause of the world, without detriment to its oneness, immutability, perfection and freedom. The second was his demonstration that, given the original meaning of 'person' which was coined by Christian theologians to speak precisely of the divine mysteries of the
Trinity
The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...
and the
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It is the Conception (biology), conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic form of a god. It is used t ...
, the supreme Brahman (
Nirguna Brahman), far from being impersonal, is indeed personal in the highest and supreme sense of the term.
Richard De Smet died in
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, Belgium on 2 March 1997.
Julius J. Lipner, professor at
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
, student and friend of De Smet, called him one of the "unsung pioneers" of the interpretation of Indian thought, and his death "the end of an era in the annals of Indological scholarship in India," the era of "the foreign missionary scholar who made India a home over many years, loved its peoples and its cultures, empathetically studied rich strands of its religious inheritance, and sought in a spirit of enlightened appreciation to enter into a dialogue at depth." Bradley J. Malkovsky calls him "one of the twentieth century's giants in Hindu-Christian dialogue" and "one of the foremost authorities in the twentieth century on the Hindu theologian Samkara."
Writings
Early in his career, De Smet made the option to meet requests arising from his dialogical activity inside India rather than produce pieces of Indological research. He also decided to give preference to the requests of Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, etc. over those of
Christians
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
. As a consequence, most of his production consisted of occasional pieces in a wide variety of relatively inaccessible Indian publications. This also resulted in his hardly being known outside India. Even in India, the scattered nature of his output has resulted in his largely being ignored in Christian theological circles.
Among his few books are the following:
* ''Philosophical Activity in Pakistan.'' Pakistan Philosophical Congress Series. Lahore, 1961.
* ''Hinduismus und Christentum'' (ed. and contributor). Vienna: Herder, 1962.
* ''Religious Hinduism'' (ed., with J. Neuner, and contributor). Allahabad: St. Paul Publications, 1964, 1968, 1997.
* ''La quête de l’Éternel; approches chrétiennes de l’hindouisme'', Museum Lessianum, Section missiologique, no. 48. Paris: Desclee de Brouwer, 1967.
* ''Brahman and Person: Essays by Richard De Smet''. Ed. Ivo Coelho. Delhi:
Motilal Banarsidass
Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House (MLBD) is an Indian academic publishing house, founded in Delhi, India in 1903. It publishes and distributes serials, monographs, and scholarly publications on Asian religions, Buddhology, Indology, East ...
, 2010.
* ''Understanding Sankara: Essays by Richard De Smet''. Ed. Ivo Coelho. Delhi:
Motilal Banarsidass
Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House (MLBD) is an Indian academic publishing house, founded in Delhi, India in 1903. It publishes and distributes serials, monographs, and scholarly publications on Asian religions, Buddhology, Indology, East ...
, 2013.
Among his articles:
* "Indiens Beitrag zur allgemeine Metaphysik".
ndian Contribution to General Metaphysics.Kairos (Salzburg) 3/4 (1961) 161–182.
* "Patterns and Theories of Causality". Philosophy Today 9/2-4 (1965) 134–146.
* "Some Governing Principles in
Indian Philosophy
Indian philosophy consists of philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent. The philosophies are often called darśana meaning, "to see" or "looking at." Ānvīkṣikī means “critical inquiry” or “investigation." Unlike darśan ...
.” Philosophy Today 9/3-4 (1965) 192–199.
* "Māyā or Ajñāna?” Indian Philosophical Annual 2 (1966) 220–225.
* "Zum indischen Menschenbild".
oncerning the Indian View of Man.Kairos (Salzburg) 8/3-4 (1966) 197–202.
* "The Indian Renaissance:
Hindu Philosophy
Hindu philosophy or Vedic philosophy is the set of philosophical systems that developed in tandem with the first Hinduism, Hindu religious traditions during the Iron Age in India, iron and Classical India, classical ages of India. In Indian ...
in English". International Philosophical Quarterly 8/1 (1968) 5–37.
* "Śaṅkara and Aquinas on Liberation (Mukti).” Indian Philosophical Annual 5 (
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public university, public State university (India), state university in Chennai (Madras), Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and most prominent universities in India, incorporated by an ...
) (1969) 239–247.
* "The Law of Karma: A Critical Examination". Indian Ecclesiastical Studies 8/3 (1969) 181–187.
* "Śaṅkara and Aquinas on Creation". Indian Philosophical Annual 6 (1970) 112–118.
* "The Indian Understanding of Man". Indian Ecclesiastical Studies 10/3 (1971) 169–178.
* "Is the Concept of 'Person' Suitable in Vedanta?” Indian Ecclesiastical Studies 12/3 (1973) 155–162.
* "Advaitavada and Christianity". Bulletin of the Secretariate for Non-Christians 23–24 (1973) 143–146.
* "Suggestions for an Indian Dialogical Theology". Bangalore Theological Forum 5/1 (1973) 74–80.
* "Towards an Indian View of the Person". Contemporary Indian Philosophy. Series II.
Muirhead Library of Philosophy. Ed. M. Chatterjee. London: Allen and Unwin, 1974. 51–75.
* "Pathways for Evangelization in India". Lumen Vitae 29/3 (1974) 403–417.
* "The Open Person and the Closed Individual". Journal of the Philosophical Association 15/47 (1974).
* "The Status of the Scriptures in the 'Holy History' of India". Research Seminar on Non-Biblical Scriptures. Ed. D.S. Amalorpavadass. Bangalore: NBCLC, 1974. 280–299.
* "A Copernican Reversal: The Gītākāra’s Reformulation of Karma". Philosophy East and West 27/1 (1977) 53–63.
* A Short History of the Person. Abstracts from Indian Philosophical Quarterly 4/1 (Oct. 1976), 4/2 (Apr. 1977) and 2/4 (July 1975). Poona:
University of Poona
Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), formerly the University of Pune, is a public state university located in the city of Pune, India. It was established in 1949, and is spread over a campus in the neighbourhood of Ganeshkhind. The uni ...
, 1977.
* "The Philosophers' Transition from
Atheism
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the Existence of God, existence of Deity, deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the ...
to
Theism
Theism is broadly defined as the belief in the existence of at least one deity. In common parlance, or when contrasted with '' deism'', the term often describes the philosophical conception of God that is found in classical theism—or the co ...
from the Fourth to the Eleventh Century A.D". Challenges of Societies in Transition. Ed. M. Barnabas, P.S. Jacob and S.K. Hulbe. New Delhi: Macmillan, 1978. 310–338.
* "Origin: Creation and Emanation". Indian Theological Studies 15/3 (1978) 266–279.
* "The Indian Ascertainment of the Godhead (from the Vedas to Udayanācārya).” Indica 16/1 (1979) 59–73.
* "The Integrative Doctrine of God in the Bhagavad-Gītā". Prayer and Contemplation. Ed. C.M. Vadakkekara. Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation, 1980. 139–158.
* "Forward Steps in Śaṅkara Research". (Pratap Seth Endowment Lecture on Śaṅkara Vedānta: Indian Philosophical Congress, 62nd session, 6–9 June 1987, University of Kashmir, Srinagar.) Darshana International (Moradabad, India) 26/3 (1987) 33–46.
* "Dynamics of Hinduism and Hindu-Christian Dialogue". Communio: International Catholic Review 15 (Winter 1988) 436–450.
* "Radhakrishnan’s Interpretation of Śaṅkara". Radhakrishnan Centenary Volume. Ed. G. Parthasarathi and D.P. Chattopadhyaya. Delhi:
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 1989. 53–70.
* "Radhakrishnan’s Second Presentation of Śaṅkara’s Teaching". Prajña: Kashi Hindu Vishvavidyalaya Patrika (Special issue for S.R.'s Centenary smṛti) 34 (1989) 83–96.
Festschrifts
* Kozhamthadam, Job, ed. Interrelations and Interpretation: Philosophical Reflections on Science, Religion and Hermeneutics in Honour of Richard De Smet, S.J. and Jean de Marneffe, S.J. New Delhi: Intercultural Publications, 1997.
* Malkovsky, Bradley J., ed. New Perspectives in Advaita Vedanta: Essays in Commemoration of Professor Richard De Smet, SJ. Leiden / Boston / Köln: Brill, 2000.
Secondary literature
* Coelho, Ivo. "Fr. Richard V. De Smet (1916–97): Reminiscences". ''Divyadaan: Journal of Philosophy and Education'' 8/1 (1997) 3–15.
* Coelho, Ivo. "Introduction". ''Brahman and Person: Essays by Richard De Smet.'' Ed. Ivo Coelho. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2010. 7–24.
* Coelho, Ivo. "De Smet, Richard."
ACPI Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. Johnson J. Puthenpurackal. Bangalore: ATC Publications, 2010. 1:382–385.
* Coelho, Ivo. "Richard V. De Smet, SJ (1916–1997): A Life. Part I: The Student and the Teacher". ''Mission Today'' 13/3 (2011) 235–260.
* Coelho, Ivo. "Richard V. De Smet, SJ (1916–1997): A Life. II: The Scholar". ''Mission Today'' 13/4 (2011) 367–378.
* Coelho, Ivo. "Richard V. De Smet, SJ (1916–1997): A Life. III: The Man of Dialogue". ''Mission Today''. Forthcoming.
* Coelho, Ivo. "Richard V. De Smet, SJ (1916–1997): A Life." ''Divyadaan: Journal of Philosophy and Education'' 23/1 (2012). Forthcoming.
* Grant, Sara. ''Śaṅkarācārya’s Concept of Relation''. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1999.
* Lipner, Julius. "Śaṁkara on Metaphor with reference to Gītā 13.12–18". ''Indian Philosophy of Religion.'' Ed. R.W. Perrett.
Kluwer Academic Publishers
Springer Science+Business Media, commonly known as Springer, is a German multinational publishing company of books, e-books and peer-reviewed journals in science, humanities, technical and medical (STM) publishing.
Originally founded in 1842 in ...
, 1989.
* Lipner, Julius. "Śaṃkara on satyaṃ jñānam anantaṃ brahma (TaiUp. 2.1.1).”
Relativism
Relativism is a family of philosophical views which deny claims to absolute objectivity within a particular domain and assert that valuations in that domain are relative to the perspective of an observer or the context in which they are assess ...
, ''Suffering and Beyond: Essays in Memory of Bimal K. Matilal. Ed. P. Bilimoria and J.N. Mohanty.'' Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1997.
* Malkovsky, Bradley J. "The Personhood of Śaṃkara’s Para Brahman".
The Journal of Religion 77 (1997) 541–562.
* Malkovsky, Bradley J. "Advaita Vedānta and Christian Faith". ''Journal of Ecumenical Studies'' 36/3-4 (1999) 397–422.
* Malkovsky, Bradley J. ''The Role of
Divine Grace in the Soteriology of Śrī Śaṃkarācārya''. Leiden / Boston / Köln: Brill, 2001.
* Satyanand, Joseph. ''Nimbārka: A Pre-Śaṁkara Vedāntin and His Philosophy.'' New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1997.
*
Vattanky, John. "Fr Richard De Smet, S.J.: Friend, Scholar, Man of Dialogue". ''Vidyajyoti: Journal of Theological Reflection'' 71/4 (April 2007) 245–261.
De Smet-de Marneffe Annual Memorial Lectures
A memorial lecture is organized annually for the staff and students of The Faculty of Philosophy,
Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune, India,
in honour of their two stalwarts, Prof Richard De Smet and Jean de Marneffe, both Jesuits from Belgium.

* 2005 Prof Winand Callewaert, University of Leuvein, on "New Age Literature and Upanisads."
* 2006 Prof Richard Sorabjee, University of Oxford, on "Self-Awareness and Morality."
* 2007 Prof Archana Barua, IIT, Gauhati, on "Philosophy: East-West Perspectives."
* 2008 Prof George F Mclean, Catholic University of America on "Contribution of Philosophy to the Growth of Civilizations: Eastern and Western Perspectives."
* 2009 Prof Francis Clooney, Center of World Religions, Harvard University on "Comparative Philosophy and the Future of Interreligious Learning."
* 2010 Lecture was given by Prof Dr. Ramachandra Pradhan,
University of Hyderabad, on 21 January 2011. He talked on "The Contributions of Western Philosophy to the World Cultures and the Future of Philosophy".
* 2011 Lecture: "With and Beyond Plurality of Standpoints: Pluralization and the Sadhana of Multi-Valued Logic and Living" by Ananta Kumar Giri, Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai.
* 2012 Lecture: 15 June: "Thomas Berry's Contribution to Earth Theology: His Indebtedness to Teilhard, Yoga, Buddhism and Jung" by Christopher Key Chapple, Loyola Marymount University, USA
* 2013 This year the Memorial lecture is transformed into an international conference on "Themes and Issues in Eastern and Western Hermetical Traditions," held on 31 Jan–Feb 1, 2014, with 16 paper presentations.
* 2014 Lecture: 23 January 2015. Prof Sebastian Velassery, Panjab University on "Transcendence and the Transcendent: A Phenomenological Re-Thinking on Otherness" and "Apophasis as Negative Theology: Upanishads and Medieval Christianity."
* 2015 Lecture: 21–22 January 2016. International Conference on "Public Philosophy" with 15 papers. Chief Guest: Dr Deepak Tilak, VC, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune 41137, India.
* 2016 Lecture: 19 August 2016. Prof James Ponniah, University of Madras. "Religious Violence in South Asia: Exploring Convergences and Divergences Across Nations." The book Nishant Alphonse Irudayadason (ed) "Musings and Meanings: Hermeneutical Ripples ..." based on 2013 also released.
* 2017 Lecture: 8–9 December 2017. Prof Francis X D'Sa is keynote speaker. Theme: "Cosmotheandric Vision of Raimundo Panikkar." Other speaks: Mohan Doss SVD, George Joseph, Jose Nandhikkara CMI, Isaac Parackal OIC, Kuruvilla Pandikattu SJ, Johnson Puthenpurackal OFM Cap, Donald R Frohlich, Carlos Miguel Gómez-Rincon, Sebastian Velassery, EP Mathew. Chief Guest: George Pattery SJ. Proceedings published.
* 2018 Lecture: 6–7 July 2018. Prof Louis Caruana, SJ, Dean, Faculty of Philosophy, Gregorian University, is the keynote speaker: Theme is "Nature and Its Intrinsic Value."
* 2019 Lecture: 17–18 Jan 2020. "Humanization of Social Life," Two-day seminar. Resource Persons: Dr Donald Frohlich, St. Thomas University, Houston; Dr Barry Rodrigue, SSLA, Pune; Dr Sebastian Vallasery, Panjab University, Chandigarh; Dr Laxmikanta Padhi, University of North Bengal; Dr Vinay Kumar, Professor (Emeritus), Goa University; Dr Victor Ferrao, Rachol Seminary, Goa; Dr Job Kozhamthadam, Indian Institute of Science and Religion, Delhi; Dr Sooraj Pittappillil, Kottayam, Kerala; Dr Ginish Cheruparambil, Christ University, Lavasa, Pune; Dr Abhayankar Vishnu, Pune; Dr Roy Pereira, St. Xaviers' College, Mumbai; Dr Kamaladevi Kunkolienkar, PES’s College of Arts and Sciences, Farmgudi; Dr Lilly Pereira, Mater Dei, Goa; Dr Subhash Anand, Udaipur; Dr Paul Thelakat, Light of Truth, Ernakulam; Dr
Shashikala Gurpur, Dean, Symbiosis Law School, Pune; Nishant Irudayadason, JDV, Pune; Kuruvilla Pandikattu, JDV, Pune.
Notes
References
* Coelho, Ivo. "Richard V. De Smet, SJ: A Bibliography". Divyadaan: Journal of Philosophy and Education 20/1 (2009) 109–157.
* Kozhamthadam, Job (ed). "Writings of Richard De Smet, S.J.: A Select Bibliography". Interrelations and Interpretation: Philosophical Reflections on Science, Religion and Hermeneutics in Honour of Richard De Smet, S.J. and Jean de Marneffe, S.J. New Delhi: Intercultural Publications, 1997. 265–284.
* Malkovsky, Bradley J (ed). "Bibliography: A bibliography of the publications of Richard V. De Smet, SJ". New Perspectives in Advaita Vedānta: Essays in Commemoration of Professor Richard De Smet, SJ. Leiden / Boston / Köln: Brill, 2000. 165–178.
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Smet, Richard
1997 deaths
1916 births
Belgian Indologists
20th-century Belgian Jesuits
People from Charleroi
20th-century Belgian Roman Catholic theologians
Belgian Roman Catholic missionaries
Roman Catholic missionaries in India
Belgian emigrants to India
Pontifical Gregorian University alumni
Advaitin philosophers
Jesuit missionaries