AJGita

Jesus as an Ishta-Devata

Posted on 08 January 2010

Considering the Future of Hindu-Christian Dialogue

In November of 2005 the British government released a sixty-eight pence stamp depicting a 17^th century painting of two Hindus worshiping an image of the infant Jesus. Many UK Hindu organizations were outraged and called for the repeal of the stamp. In examining this situation is this an example of a movement within Hinduism to become less pluralistic and more exclusionary? Or, was this an attempt to maintain a Hindu identity in the midst of the growth of Christianity within India and abroad. The exponential pace of globalization within in India has forced the issue:  where is to be found the balance between dialogue and the maintenance one’s religious identity.

Framing Christ as a Hindu deity on the part of some Hindus erodes the value of their tradition; it reduces Hinduism to simply another Christian denomination rather than a separate and empowered faith unto itself. Is the attempt by some Hindus to embrace Christianity by making Jesus their ishta-devata actually acting as a catalyst for a new brand of Hindu fundamentalism? Are valiant attempts at Hindu-Christian dialogue leading to a greater polarization of the parties involved? Is Christian ignorance of the substance of the Hindu world-view hindering what could be a fruitful partnership that provides insight into the core of both faiths?

Beginnings with Portuguese merchants on through the British Raja, India has had a long-standing conversation with Christianity. What took place during  the convening centuries was the formation of  a unique Hindu-Christian syncretism and the creation of a distinctly Hindu Christology on the part of some Hindus. Recently there has been a trend within Hinduism to incorporate Jesus into their pantheon and into their daily worship and personal piety. Jesus is no longer the God of the Christians a foreign people, He has become one of many personal saviors to choose from as your ishta-devata.

In Hindu theology an ishta-devata is one’s personal god. An individual chooses to focus their devotional practice (bhakti) toward a specific incarnation of a god. In Vaishnavism, a major branch of Hinduism the central deity is Vishnu; in this tradition one might choose as their ishta-devata Ramah or Krishna both of whom are believed to be incarnations of Vishnu. Choosing Jesus as an ishta-devata diverges from this paradigm. Jesus is begotten of the Father but not of either Vishnu or Siva. To truly make Jesus an ishta-devata one must first assert that He is an avatar of a Hindu God.

The word avatar in Sanskrit translates as “descent.” The avatar is the incarnation of a god that descends to earth. Avatars are defined by when they appear, during what age (yuga). There is not a consensus within Hinduism as per how many avatars of Vishnu have appeared on Earth. Some school believe that there have been twenty-five. In some Hindu traditions it is believed that the historical Buddha, prince Siddhartha Gautama was an avatar of Vishnu. He is the ninth and most recent avatar of Vishnu. Some Hindu eschatological beliefs posit that there will be one more avatar of Vishnu, Kalki. Brandishing a double-edged sword in his right hand and riding a white horse, he will usher in the close of the Kali Yuga by defeat the demon Kali and set humanity back on the path of righteousness. Kalki will be the last coming.

There is controversy both within Christian and Hindu communities whether or not it is right or even spiritually beneficial to choose Jesus as an ishta-devata. Certainly, on the surface Hinduism leaves room enough for the choosing of any god as an ishta-devata. However, it is a god outside of any branch of Hinduism and outside of any of the traditional pantheons that begot Christ. People choose an ishta-devata based upon their tradition. If Jesus is an avatar he is not an incarnation of any of the personalities of the Trimurt: Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. Jesus is “the only begotten son of the father,” which is why many Christians believe that he must be the only avatar. For a Christian to claim that Jesus is simply their ishta-devata is to tacitly affirm the existence of other avatars and or gods. Many Christians hold to the belief that there “is one way to the Father.” Might there be room within Hinduism for Christians but not the other way around?

The adopting of a Jesus as an ishta-devata reflects a historical pattern of peoples synthesizing their customs, language, imagery and pre-existent faith traditions into a new culturally based Christology. This poses the question is Jesus i Christianity? Or can he be separated out from the religion? Jesus is a prophet in Islam, why can’t he also be an avatar of Vishnu? To spread the Gospel must Christians maintain sole possession of Jesus and His status as the Christ?  To have inter-religious dialogue Christians must first address the plurality of Christologies and be willing to have intra-religious dialogue.

Hinduism is non-creedal in that it doesn’t require an individual to affirm a singular statement to be a Hindu. Attempting to reduce Christianity with it’s vicissitudes over time and across cultural boundaries by way of a creed is dangerous. However, Christianity is creedal as it exists in the form of an organized religion/s. Hinduism by contrast is better defined as a “sacred canopy” rather than a religion in Western terms. This does not mean that Hinduism is without doctrine or theology, rather there are mutual beliefs that hold together the religion. Christianity may have as much variety within its denominations but the staunch statement that “Jesus Christ is Lord” cannot be assuaged. Hinduism posits a worldview where as Christianity organizes a specific methodology of salvation. The Hindu idea of salvation is not limited to the personhood of Jesus Christ.

Hindu self-understanding is something that came about after Indians encountered the monotheistic religions of Islam and Christianity. There was never an Easter Letter of Athanasius that declared what was and what was not canonical. However, to not grant Hindu religious texts the title of “scripture” degrades their spiritual value and cultural significance. If only for the benefit of Christian attempts to form a relationship of understanding and respect we might be well served to lend texts like the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Mahabharata the Christian designation of “scripture.” We may too have to adopt Hindu terms like avatar to describe out begotten God, Christ.

There is exists amongst many Christians and Hindus an ignorance of the theological interconnectivity of the two faiths. Hindu gods are emanations of the true God; they are avenues to an encounter with the divine. This is no different than the so-called fundamentalist Christians that mistakes Jesus for God. Jesus is true God begotten of true God, but Jesus is not the only arm of God. In Hebrew Scriptures God’s power is expressed in the language and extension of His hand and the creative force of His voice. He leads Israel out of Egypt with an “outstretched arm,” the voice of God is what brings matter into being. The Word comes to the prophet and thus he is given the power to preach the message of the Lord to His people. The Holy Spirit, Christ and the Father are instruments of creation and grace given to people by a God who is in truth, “I Am.”

I have made the offhand comment that I consider Jesus to be my ishta-devata. Is a Hindu who takes Jesus as their ishta-devata engaging in inter-religious dialogue? Am I by making such an acerbic and pithy statement attempting to have inter-religious dialogue? How do we preserve our identity whilst trying to identify with other faith traditions? The trend to adopt Jesus as a Hindu ishta-devata is a striking example of how some people are trying to find a way to affirm the traditions of another people whilst holding to the veracity of their beliefs and the integrity of their cultural milieu. To divorce a religion from its cultural context is to assume that the life of a religion is its theology rather than the piety of its participants. Intra-religious dialogue is perpetually plagued by the difficulty in having a conversation between piety and theology. Need we have worship be congruent with our theology or must our theology describe our piety? These are the questions that must be asked by both Christians and Hindus in asserting and understanding their separate positions on inter-religious dialogue.

Hinduism with it’s breadth of diversity, and it’s inclusively of a myriad of belief structures is challenged by task of how to understand Christianity, in particular the religions’ name sake, Jesus Christ.  There is a degree of well meaning pride that Hinduism has about its willingness to be inclusive of the beliefs of other faiths. It is an anathema to the strident Christian and Muslim rhetoric of conversion: saved in Christ or doomed to Hell, a “people of the book” or a heathen. We must ask ourselves as proponents of inter-religious dialogue what has been the Christian position historically? Might a more sobering assessment of past Christian attitudes toward Hinduism facilitate a more equitable conversation in the future?

Is choosing Christ as an ishta-devata a kind of self-protection against the dominant and the ever-encroaching cultural imperialism of the West? Hinduism is under attack from Christian missionaries and many Hindus are choosing to bend rather than break. We might see and learn from this willingness to incorporate Jesus into their religious beliefs as the living practice ahimsa. In this, might Hinduism be teaching Christianity a lesson on the oft-forgotten teachings Jesus on love and peace?