This is a study in the field of comparative philosophy of religion. It initiates a dialogue
between St Augustine and Ramanuja by focusing on two central themes - time and embodiment -
that play a crucial role in their thought. The elaborations of these two themes by St Augustine
and Ramanuja have continued to exert a tremendous influence on the histories of European
thought and of Hindu movements centred around the notion of bhakti. The examination of the
symbolism through which these thinkers articulate their understanding of time and embodiment
also challenges certain stereotypes related to classical Indian thought and Latin Christendom
such as the former's lack of historical consciousness and the latter's denigration of the human
body. This study shows how the 'west' and 'east' have traditionally engaged with concepts such
as temporality progress and the metaphysical status of finite and bio-physical reality.
