De Smet's Sankara essays

Some good news: Motilal Banarsidass have just written, expressing their willingness to publish De Smet's essays on Sankara. The editors said that "they cannot question the scholarship of De Smet". Of course now they want the complete MS, with Preface, Introduction, Index, and total number of pages.

They have suggested a change in title. I had Forward Steps in Sankara Research: Essays by Richard De Smet. Their suggestion: Understanding Sankara: Essays by Richard De Smet. A good enough suggestion, I think: I was not satisfied with my title, especially because it is also the title of one of the articles.

At their suggestion, I had divided the essays into three parts:

I. Studies
1. Language and Knowledge of the Absolute According to Sankara
2. The Fundamental Antinomy of Sri Sankaracarya's Methodology
3. Sankara's Non-Dualism (Advaita-Vada) (1964/68)
4. Theological Method and Vedanta
5. The Logical Structure of 'Tattvamasi' according to Suresvara's Naiskarmya Siddhi
6. Maya or Ajnana? A Textual Analysis
7. Questioning Vedanta
8. Chinks in the Armour of Avidya
9. Contemplation in Sankara and Ramanuja
10. Spiritual Values of Advaita Vedanta and Social Life
11. Forward Steps in Sankara Research
12. The Buddha, Meister Eckhart and Sankaracarya on 'Nothing'
13. Radhakrishnan's Interpretation of Sankara
14. Radhakrishnan's Second Presentation of Sankara's Teaching
15. The Creative Word in Sankara Vedanta
16. Sankara's Perspective on Meaning and Truth
17. The Dynamics of Contemplation according to Sankara
18. Sankara's Non-Dualism (Advaita-Vada) (1997)

II. Dialogue
19. The Correct Interpretation of the Definitions of the Absolute according to Sri Sankaracarya and Saint Thomas Aquinas
20. Sankara and Aquinas on Liberation (Mukti)
21. Sankara and Aquinas on Creation
22. Advaitavada and Christianity
23. Robert de Nobili and Vedanta
24. Origin: Creation and Emanation
25. Sankara Vedanta and Christian Theology
26. From Catholic Theology to Sankara Vedanta and Return with Fr F.X. Clooney

III. Reviews
27. Review of M. Piantelli, Śaṅkara e la rinascità del Brahmanesimo ??
28. Review of Paul Hacker, Kleine Schriften
29. Review of Wilhelm Halbfass, Indien und Europa: Perspektiven ihrer Geistigen Begegnung
30. Review of W. Halbfass, Studies in Kumārila and Śaṅkara
31. Review of Doctrine de la non-dualité (advaita-vada) et Christianisme
32. Review of Som Raj Gupta, The Word Speaks to Faustian Man, vol. 1
33. Review of Jose Thachil, The Upaniṣads: A Socio-Religious Approach
34. Review of Srinivasa Rao, Advaita: A Critical Investigation

APPENDICES
1. A Note Concerning Śaṅkara’s Doctrine of Creation
2. Upadhyay’s Interpretation of Śaṅkara
3. Some Problems of Scholastic and Vedānta Philosophy
4. Parallel Arguments for the Existence of God in Aquinas and Śaṅkara