STATEMENT DH122 |
EFFECTIVE
EVANGELISM Witnessing to Hindus (Part One: Background) |
by Dean C. Halverson and Natun Bhattacharya |
Of the 760-800
million Hindus in the world, approximately one million reside in the United States.
In Part Two of this article, we will offer specific pointers on witnessing to
Hindus. But first it is important for readers to have some understanding of the
historical and philosophical background of Hinduism, and that is what this
installment will provide. The origins of
Hinduism can be traced back to the polytheistic and ritualistic religions that
began around 1500 B.C. in India’s Indus Valley. At first, the rituals were so
simple that fathers could perform them. As the centuries passed, however, they
became increasingly complex. This made it necessary to create a class of
priests specially trained to perform the intricate rituals correctly, because
the consequences for incorrectly performing a ritual were considered costly.
During this time, the Hindu scriptures known as the Vedas were written to
instruct the priests in how to conduct the rituals. Because of how
exclusive the priests became in appeasing the gods, they gained a power over
the people that became unbearable. Around 600 B.C., the people revolted, and
the form of Hinduism that emerged was more mystically oriented, focusing on the
individual rather than the priest. Between 800 and
300 B.C. the Upanishads were written. They expound on the idea that behind the
many gods stands one Reality, called Brahman — an impersonal, monistic (“all is
one”) force. The highest form of Brahman is nirguna (“without attributes
or qualities”). The Hindu
concept of God continued to develop even after the Upanishads were written.
Nirguna Brahman became saguna Brahman, which is Brahman “with
attributes,” and is called Ishvara. According to
Hindu tradition, Ishvara became known to humanity through the Trimurti
(“three manifestations”) of Brahman. Those manifestations include Brahma
(the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer).
Ishvara became personified even further through the ten mythical incarnations,
or avatars, of Vishnu in the forms of both animals and persons. Beyond
the principal deities of the Trimurti, it is estimated that there are 330
million other gods in Hinduism (Halverson, 87-89). Hinduism is
amazing in its diversity and in its ability to absorb such a diversity into one
belief system. Such diversity can cause interesting situations, such as when
that religion is transported to another country like the United States. For
example, it was reported in Hinduism Today, “In Nashville, Hindus
building a temple sent out a ballot to decide which would be the central Deity,
since there [were] worshipers of Kali, Krishna and Shiva in their area. It was
democratically voted to choose Lord Ganesha” (Melwani). One of the ways
in which Hinduism is divided is according to their varied views on how the
universe is related to ultimate reality (Brahman). The nondualists (advaita)
see Brahman alone as being real and the world as illusory (maya). The
qualified nondualists (vishishtadvaita) affirm the reality of both
Brahman and the universe in that the universe is extended from the Being of
Brahman. And the dualists (dvaita) see Brahman and the universe as being
two distinct realities. While Hinduism is certainly diverse, most
Hindus hold to the following beliefs:
Sources Cited Halverson, Dean,
ed. The Compact Guide to World Religions. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1996.
Melwani, Lavina. “Stirring Up the Melting Pot,” Hinduism Today. Kapaa, HI: Himalayan Academy, March 1998. |
This article first appeared in the Summer 1994 issue of the Christian Research Journal. |
CRI, P.O. Box 7000, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 |
Phone (949) 858-6100 and Fax (949) 858-6111 |