Objection · Case 15 · Hinduism

If Hindu bhakti already has grace and a personal God, then Christianity is just one more devotional path, and the exclusive claims about Jesus look arrogant against it.

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Response

The overlap is genuine and worth rejoicing in, but the differences are not small. The God of bhakti is approached through many forms and often as one manifestation of a deeper impersonal absolute, the problem addressed is ignorance and the cycle of rebirth rather than guilt before a holy Creator, and no bhakti tradition claims that God became one particular man, died for sin, and rose. The point of contact is the shape of grace. The question that remains is historical and personal: which account of the God of grace is true, and did he actually come.

About this exhibit

This objection is to Ramanuja and the Gita.

Ramanuja developed a theology in which the soul is really distinct from a personal God and is saved by surrender to his grace. Gita 18:66 has Krishna promise deliverance to the one who takes refuge…

Under Claim 05: The devotional traditions of Hinduism teach liberation by God’s grace received through surrender, which is the closest Hindu parallel to the gospel and the best place to begin a conversation.