Words: 1227
Christian Reflection on Hinduism Introduction: This paper brings special features on the Christians reflections on Hinduism and reflects between the Hinduism and Christianity in the past or early history of Hinduism. Hindu Christian Relationship Christianity has a long history of relating to Vided religion in South Asia, though it is only in the modern period that explicit Hindu-Christian interaction can be documented. Hinduism is an stable abbreviation for family of culturally similar tradition “a convenient catch-all for a vast variety of religious cults and sects, regional ND local deities and devotees, deferring philosophies, spiritual disciplines, religious practices, guru cults and more. [1] Christian response to Hinduism Historically Christian has interacted with Hindus from the earliest advent of Christianity in India. According to local mythology original convert of Thomas included some from the Brahmins community in Kraal.
Claiming descent from Embroider Brahmins convert has conferred high caste status upon the Thomas Christians. This respectable social status “enabled them to be in harmony with their pre-dominantly Hindu neighbors” Caste related practices , customs regarding food ND occupation, modes of dress, faith in horoscopes, ceremonial bathing, rituals and festivals developed in largely in Hindu categories. Church architecture borrows simultaneously from Jewish Synagogue and Hindu temples with elements of Hinduism Christianity and the Syrian tradition in Juxtaposition.
Christian rites of passage likewise reveal the use of ritual substances such as coconuts, oil lamps and rice (commonly use by Hindu) but with a distinctions Christian imprint. Conversion movements were an aspect of socio-economic and cultural change extending beyond the Church. Czarina devised new indigenous Christian liturgies, festival art forms borrow from Hindu and other sources. The Doornail Cathedral incorporated aspects of Hindu and Muslim architecture, a “dramatic statement of Christianity potential as the fulfillment of India faith and culture”.
Through conversion oppressed and backwards peoples sought relief from the discrimination and stigma of intractability as well as improvement their status in society. Doornail is but one example of Christian responds. The missionary approach to Hinduism often took the terms of criticism and confrontations. To William ward of the Scrapper mission, Hinduism was an enemy to be opposed and exposed. That at least appears to have been one of the objectives in his publication in history, literature and mythology of the Hindus.
Largely descriptive, the four volumes and also contain translations and extracts from philosophers and religious writings. The Round Table Conferences The Round Table conferences conducted at Sat Tall Ashram in North India by Methodist Evangelist E. Stanley Jones (1884-1974) were a forerunner of today’s Christian Reflection On Hinduism By Lecherousness keeping with the Indian ethos. At the Round Table, Hindus and Christians and other were able to share to their views in non-threatening environments. As a result Hindus and others came face to face with Christ.
John found the Indian Ashram a suitable indigenous forum for reflection and utilized Hindu philosophy and culture for presenting the Gospel. For years John decouples and successor, Charity Day Parka’s has continued to present Christ and the Christian message in the form of a modified Pedant fulfillment theology in various religious settings. Dialogue with Hinduism challenges the Church to examine the role of Christianity in a pluralistic society. Where Hindu population has settled in Europe, Hindu-Christian dialogue has proven fruitful in fostering good relationship and understanding.
In India dialogue motivates the search for an authentic Indian Christianity and contextual Indian theology, which raises questions as to how far the Indian Church can go in Hindering its theological identity. [2] Theological reflection The basic for the theological reflection in the light of minority religious right is that world religious traditions share the view that each human being has an inviolable, indeed, a divine core or soul that gives him or her primary dignity. Representations of these traditions are signatories to the United Nations Declarations on Human Rights that affirms this fact.
The Church in India being a multi-religious context, needs a theological basis reflect on the possible ways of relating herself to other religions like Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jansenism, Schism and the tribal faith of the land. Representing a minority community, the Church in India needs to look into developing a theology from the minority point of view. In theological reflection, freedom of religion is based on a theological commitment to elisions plurality and diversity and capable of recognizing deferent religions with deferent opinions on the question of faith and practices.
It is not the true freedom of religion, if people cannot choose what religion they want to follow. Thus the very understanding of freedom of religion needs to be liberated from its majorities religious constraints, addressing not Just religious tolerance but the importance of respecting and accepting those who think, act and live differently, and choose to believe differently than the group into which they were born. Everyone should should e allowed to exercise his/her religious beliefs, and group should be allowed to engage in private or collective worship. 3] A Christian Approach to Hindu People It is necessary for Christian to have some basic knowledge of Hinduism, its teaching and its beliefs. One cannot dialogue unless there is some basis to build on. Neither can one have dialogue without personal contact. The Christian approach should also involve prayerful concern for the Hindu people . Prayer and action should go to gather. Hinduism holds that all religions are the same, all road lead to the same goal. It is understandable that they hold this view because each Hindu believes in a variety of gods.
With this in mind, begin by explaining why Christian believes in one God, Son and Holy Spirit. As they themselves believe in Tritium, the Hindu Triad, Brahmas, Vishnu and Shiva, they will. In a loving and gentle way Christian should explain about the most perfect and fullest incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. Hindus already hold reached India very early. Tradition says that the Apostle Thomas himself went to India and died there. Certainly there has been a Christian church Kraal in the South India since the third century, and probably considerably earlier.
It was a Syrian church, owing allegiance to Antioch, with a liturgy in the Syrian language and with a theology classified by theologians as Monopolists or Attached. [5] Later the Insertion church of Persia also established work in India as part of that astonishing missionary outreach which is gain about the end of the fourth century. [6] The protestant missionaries in their approaches to India rightly gave first priority to the translating of the Bible and distributing went on preaching. Along with the work of translation and distribution went preaching.
The main emphasis went, of course, on the positive proclamation of the Gospel; but in the tradition they made a careful study on Hinduism, which they produced to refute with the rational logic so beloved of the late technetium. The theology of the early missionary was the theology of the British supporters- evangelical Christianity with a firm admixture of critical, hard- headed rationalism which delighted in ridiculing perhaps a little blind to the vulnerability of some of their own position. This theological outlook continued on through the 19th century, and in some places continues more or less today.