Rethinking Hindu Ministry

Hindu traditions are diverse and complex. Simple summaries of Hindu beliefs and practices aren't adequate to explain their captivating allure for Hindus. This collection of papers from seasoned practitioners observes Hindu traditions and Hindu ministry from new angles, introducing new perspectives on ministry in Christ’s name that are relevant far beyond the Hindu world. Broad conceptual pictures and detailed practical advice is presented. Also highlighted are some remarkable Hindus who surrendered to Christ - and wrestled with the meaning of following Him in their Hindu families. This is the first book to turn to for pointers on sharing Christ with Hindus.

Recent years have seen the emergence of a virulent version of Hindu nationalism and fundamentalism in India under the banner of Hindutva. This xenophobic movement has obfuscated and mystified the notion of Hindu identity and reinforced its stereotypes. Its arguments range from the patently unscientific - humankind was created in India, as was the first civilisation - to historical whitewash: Hinduism has continued in one, unchanged form for 5000 years; Hinduism has always been a tolerant faith. 'Rethinking Hindu Identity' offers a corrective based on a deep and detailed reading of Indian history. Written in a riveting style, this study provides a fresh history of Hinduism - its practices, its beliefs, its differences and inconsistencies, and its own myths about itself. Along the way, the book systematically demolishes the arguments of Hindu fundamentalism and nationalism, revealing how the real history of Hinduism is much more complex.

Visitors to the world of Hinduism seldom probe its complex system of diverse beliefs and practices. If you want to better understand the 900 million Hindus of the world, H. L. Richard's brief but insightful Hinduism is a must-read. In it, he addresses both esoteric and practical issues. In this small book, Richard takes us on a quick tour of the Hindu scriptures, the basic Hindu philosophies, and includes a comprehensive glossary of Hindu terminology.

"Hinduism is now truly a global spiritual phenomena, and no more merely the prevailing religious and philosophical worldview of India alone. Christians through the centuries have meaningfully tried to engage with Hinduism but with limited success. Hinduism continues to be the Indian Church's biggest challenge calling for an intellectually robust and comprehensive system of apologetics. To address this, the book introduces presuppositional apologetics, a Biblical and relatively untried model of apologetics in India. Scholarly and at the same time practical, the author demonstrates ho presuppositional apologetics can be effectively employed in the Indian context by engaging with the neo-Hindu philosophical thought of Swami Vivekananda."--Book jacket.

Hindu traditions are diverse and complex. Simple summaries of Hindu beliefs and practices lack appreciation for the allure which captivates Hindus themselves. This collection of papers from seasoned practitioners observes Hindu traditions and Hindu ministry from new angles, introducing new perspectives on ministry in Christ's name that are relevant far beyond the Hindu world. Broad conceptual pictures are presented along with detailed practical advice and introductions to remarkable Hindus who surrendered to Christ and wrestled with the meaning of following Him in their Hindu families. This is the first book to turn to for pointers on sharing Christ with Hindus.

Over the past two centuries the Christian faith has spread to all continents. Although more global than ever, Christians are religious minorities in most societies. Religious freedom is hardly universal. In the past fifty years, millions of people have been uprooted from their traditional homelands in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Some have emigrated to Western Europe and North America. The West has become the scene of cultural, linguistic, and religious variety on a scale unimagined in 1900. Today, the full range of faiths and religious practices from all continents are present in Europe and North America. Christians are challenged to come to terms with this changed situation. These developments have intensified religious plurality. Christians all over the world are being urged to understand and engage with this new situation. This volume highlights this new reality and specifies some sources for engagement, not least among them the Judeo-Christian scriptures--fundamental to all "Christianities"--that emerged out of religious plural contexts. On the basis of their faith in the Triune God disclosed in this text, all followers of Jesus Christ must interact with these opportunities in today's radically context-sensitive world.

A Call to Follow Jesus When He Challenges Our Traditions There are many challenges to adequately representing Jesus to the majority world, and often Western Christian traditions create unnecessary hindrances to people accepting His truth. This book grew out of many interviews with Indian Jesus-followers—both Christians and Yesu bhaktas—who identified painful stumbling blocks to receiving and sharing the gospel. While Hindus often have a high view of Jesus, they struggle with the conventions, practices, and labels around "church." Christian Barriers to Jesus uniquely challenges readers to examine nine barrier-producing Christian traditions, exploring: • The assumptions Christians may hold about the value, origin, or necessity of their customs • The concerns Hindus commonly raise about traditions that confuse, offend, or alienate them • Teachings from Jesus in Scripture that often question the same ideas or practices Pennington suggests that by not asking deep enough questions about what is essential for following Jesus and what is a non-essential human invention, the church is unnecessarily alienating millions of people from Him. As a body, it is time to honestly address these concerns, developing new patterns of discipleship that reveal Jesus’s heart for breaking down barriers instead of creating them. The analysis presented in this book will empower readers to critically examine their personally cherished traditions and the purity of the gospel they present, with insights that are relevant in all contexts.