Aug

14

Jesus and Krishna

Filed Under General religion, Hinduism | 1 Comment

This is an image of the Hindu god, Krishna. Actually, the god is Vishnu and Krishna is one of his avatars. An avatar is a manifestation of a god; literally it is a “down-coming.”

According to Vaishnavites (worshipers of Vishnu), Vishnu has had nine avatars and one is yet to come. He has appeared as a fish, tortoise, boar, man-lion, dwarf, warrior with an axe, Rama (epic hero from the Ramayana), Krishna (as seen in the Bhagavad-Gita), and the Buddha. Finally, he will come as Kalkin, a man riding on a white horse, who will take away all evil. Krishna is by far the most popular of Vishnu’s avatars. Interestingly, some Hindus believe that Jesus Christ is actually an avatar of Krishna.

Often, people incorrectly equate the Hindu doctrine of avatars with the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation. Although these doctrines appear similar on the surface (the divine is made manifest in human form), differences abound:

1. Vishnu has manifested himself multiple times while the Son of God took on flesh once for all.
2. Vishnu appeared in animal and human-animal forms.
3. In the incarnation, the Son of God took on the frailty of humanity while avatars retain their divine power.
4. Avatars are triumphant over evil, while Christ did suffer and die because of evil.
5. Avatars pass away after their job is done while the Son of God remains as a man.
6. Avatars come to restore the balance of good and evil, while Christ is understood to have defeated evil once for all.
7. The Son of God’s incarnation is rooted in history while Vishnu’s avatars are loosely connected with history.

These are just some of the differences between the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation and the Hindu doctrine of avatars. This is another example of how religions might seem similar on the surface but when looked at closely are much different than previously thought.

Jun

1

The Namesake- A look into Hinduism

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Although I am not a film critic, I would like to recommend a film I saw tonight. The Namesake follows the story of a Hindu family in the U.S. If you are interested in India, Hinduism or in studying cross-cultural communication you will particularly enjoy this film.

*The film contains a few questionable scenes (PG-13).

May

28

Syncretism- Jesus and Hindu gods

Filed Under Communicating with those of other faiths, General religion, Hinduism | 2 Comments

                                                                         

A few years back I went to India to do some ethnographic research. A national Christian led us around as we did our research. In one of the villages we walked through he took us to the home of a woman who had started attending a small group Bible study he was leading. Upon entering her home I noticed that she had pictures of Hindu deities on her wall just like every other Hindu home I had entered. However, as you can see, her wall was a little different. Instead of just having the traditional Hindu gods and heroes like Shiva and Hanuman, she added a framed picture of a “Catholic” Jesus. Some religions, like Hinduism, are more syncretistic than others yet syncretism is common in all religious traditions.

Syncretism often takes place when animistic cultures adopt a foreign more dominant world religion. In South America, many Catholics have exchanged their traditional gods and spirits for the Virgin Mary and saints, but have essentially kept their animistic worldview. In Africa, many Muslims have added outward forms of Muslim dress and ritual, but have kept their traditional beliefs creating a form of folk Islam. Some scholars contend that up to 75% of Muslims actually practice a form of folk Islam. In Thailand, the heart of Theravada Buddhism, Buddhists are supposed to be practicing the purest form of Buddhism yet most live their lives worshipping local spirits that determine their health and wealth.

Animists in these cultures tend to see Catholicism, Islam, and Buddhism as having to do more with the afterlife, but the everyday life is still about the local spirits. In order to have a successful crop or successful business, and to avoid illness animists must gain the favor or appease the spirits that control their everyday lives.

When ministering to those of other faiths it is important to remember that most Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and so on do not live the religion that is typically described in textbooks. Although studying the “textbook” form of a religion is necessary, it is equally important to understand the animistic worldview that the practitioner might have.

For more information on syncretism, animism, and folk religions see The Myth of the Eternal Return by Mircea Eliade, The Unseen Face of Islam by Bill Musk, Understanding Folk Religions by Hiebert, Shaw and Tienou, and Communicating Christ in Animistic Cultures by Gailyn Van Rheenen 

Feb

11

Religious Images and Icons

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I am currently taking a seminar on Hinduism and one of the issues we were discussing was the use of aniconic and iconic images within Hinduism. As would be expected, not all Hindus understand these images in the same way. For some, they are mere symbols that point to the gods, while for others they are “temples” where the gods reside during religious rituals. In any case, the images are meant to help the devotees focus on the gods and receive blessings as they bring their offerings.

This brings me to my question: Do you use religous images or icons in your religious devotion? If so, how do you use them and what do they mean to you? (Post pictures if you have them)