Sharing Jesus With Hindus: Global Witness Among Hindu Diaspora
Edited by Sam George & Ashok Kumar
Book Review By Elise Metzler
This enlightening, sixteen chapter book, written from various geographical locations by different authors, addresses who the Hindu diaspora is, provides a deeper understanding of various layers of the Hindu culture, and imparts practical applications to better walk alongside Hindu brothers and sisters in a way that magnifies the light and love of Christ. The body of work addresses the large migration of Hindus from their homeland to new environments that challenge lifelong sociocultural and spiritual beliefs. It is a divine, God-ordained work that Christ has brought the peoples of India to the western church’s door steps. In the words of Anil Yesudas, “if we want to be effective communicators of the Lord Jesus, we must incarnate in the given culture effectively and genuinely” (101). May we follow in Christ’s humble example of contextualization to cast aside our own cultural preferences for the sake of the cross being magnified authentically among every nation and culture.
Dr. Ashok Kumar, in his well-written introduction, works to address who makes up the Hindu diaspora as well as to define Hinduism. He expounds on the complexity of defining Hinduism as it is immensely diverse depending on region, and varies greatly from individual to individual. However, he does clarify that “Hinduism is generally considered to be a polytheistic religion with thousands of gods and goddesses, although it also allows for a monotheistic interpretation, with all the gods seen as different aspects of a single, universal spirit called Brahman” (viii). This is a well-written summary of the religion as a whole, while also addressing its unmistakable diversity based on the individual. It is important to mention that Dr. Kumar briefly draws out one of the main aspects of Hinduism that sets it apart from other world religions: that “a Hindu is born a Hindu; they don’t become one by professing any particular set of beliefs” (ix). This is a key clarification for many readers who only know religious identity as being defined by the specific set of spiritual beliefs that an individual ascribes to.
Chapter one, written by Dr. Atul Aghamkar, draws out a clear explanation of who the Hindu diaspora in North America is, and uses Paul’s Biblical model of partnership to illustrate how North America can best witness effectively among the Hindu diaspora by initiating global partnerships. Dr. Aghamkar descriptively unpacks how the Hindu diaspora’s culture clashes with western culture. Some ways the Hindu diaspora combats this to maintain the Hindu faith and worldview is to “invite Hindu gurus and spiritual teachers to the [Hindu] homes…establish Hindu temples…[and establish] ashrams (monasteries)…and festival gatherings…to transmit Hindu values” (7). My husband and I see this in the city we live in as more Hindu temples are being built with ever more festival gatherings occurring each year.
From my perspective, Dr. Aghamkar identifies one of the most important cultural clashes between Hindu and American society by highlighting the different values placed on identity in relation to family and community. In contrast to North America’s western value for individualism, Hindu society deeply values interdependence. “Hindus are generally more accustomed to community, interdependence, and divinity in every aspect of human life and nature…there is a great awareness of, and respect for, human interdependence and interconnectedness” (8). The greatest strength of Dr. Aghamakar’s chapter lies in his description of Paul’s model of partnership from the Bible. Aghamkar quotes from Missions’ New Frontier, describing Paul as “a trainer and coach as much as he was a church planter” (22), and says that “he depended on many coworkers who were supportive of his efforts” (9).
My favorite part of Dr. Aghamkar’s exposition of Paul’s ministry partnership strategy, which I believe to be the most applicable in the Hindu diasporic context, is the elucidation of Paul’s partnership with families. Paul “relied on the family network, [to reach an individual with the gospel] since isolating an individual from the family was almost impossible” (11). He understood the family structure of the contexts he witnessed among, and recognized elders as the family decision-makers (11). I can attest to the importance of this strategy after ministering among Hindu friends and their families for close to a decade. A single individual’s decision to follow Christ undoubtedly affects the entire family unit.
Dr. Aghamkar further draws out Paul’s partnership with families when he describes how the gospel “spread[s] from family to family. When the families were united and formed into churches, they began to exert tremendous influence on their relatives and friends. These households became centers of Christian faith and evangelism” (“Family Coherence and Evangelization of India,” 26). I have seen this type of model take place with a Christ-following Hindu friend in India who began hosting worship gatherings in the home among neighbors and extended family. Lastly, another strength of the chapter was Dr. Aghmkar’s exhortation to those witnessing to help nurture new believers by helping them form worshipping communities through home fellowships. I have seen a Hindu background believer grow immensely in the faith through consistent commitment to the house church and community of believers.
Chapter two, written by Dr. Wilson Paluri, discusses various aspects of the Hindu diaspora experience through a religious lens; the motivation for and impact of new Gurus and Hindu nationalism in diasporic contexts; a summation of descriptions of Hindu rituals and practices; and finally, the result of the Hindu diaspora’s interfaith encounters abroad. Quoting from Stephen Warner, a key point Dr. Paluri makes for any diasporic group living abroad is that “religious identities mean more to individuals who stay away from their home in their diaspora, and they undergo modification as time passes (22). When the diaspora living abroad is the minority religion as compared to the host religion, many times efforts are made to encourage diasporic nationalism. I have observed this among Hindu friends in the American diaspora context as Hindu parents encourage their children to attend Hindu temple classes for religious and cultural education to a greater degree than during my five years in India. It becomes even more important for our Hindu friends to pass on Hindu values to their kids as their children are consistently surrounded by the host culture.
Much Hindu Nationalism has gained momentum in diasporic contexts through Hindu “satsangs, pujas, yajnas, and weekly temple worship” (25). Satsangs and pujas are a Hindu style of worship to various deities involving removing shoes, sitting on the ground, singing worship songs, meditation, chanting scriptures, prayer, etc. Dr. Paluri, after discussing current categories of Hinduism in the US, does a depictive job of mapping out the nine beliefs of Hindu spirituality. In my opinion, these nine beliefs do a considerable job of summarizing a widely diverse religion, and are worth the read. Finally, Dr. Paluri concludes by describing the result of interfaith encounters among Hindu diasporas. He makes the point that interfaith encounters are a challenge, but also an opportunity for constructive dialogue. (33) May we faithfully seek to humbly create effective dialogues, and create mutual understandings among our Hindu diaspora brothers and sisters in the midst of interfaith encounters in new contexts.
Dr. Sam George is both a book editor and author of chapter three titled, “Pollution and Cleansing from Kala Pani Crossings.” It seems too much time is spent recounting the Hindu belief of the impurity migration produces for a Hindu, especially after Dr. George points out how this belief rarely pervades among the younger generation. It used to be that “those who remain in their birthplaces treat the migrants who have gone abroad as contaminated, defiled, polluted, and unworthy of salvation” (“Crossing Kala Pani”; George, Desi Diaspora). “For Hindus, India is the Punya Bhumi (sacred land)” (38). There were many negative consequences Hindus had to face when returning to their sacred land.
Dr. George next references various types of purification rituals Hindus must go through after returning from living abroad. While this historical account of the earlier pervading Hindu belief of migration is eye-opening, Dr. George does say that “the younger generation of liberalized Hindus of contemporary India is quick to abandon the outdated religious superstitions regarding the sea travel ban” (45). This is certainly true in my experience.
The greatest strength of the chapter comes at the end when Dr. George describes ritual cleansing in the Hindu context, and bridges that with Biblical cleansing. Hindus “formulate elaborate religious proscriptions against defiling elements and prescriptions to remedy pollution through rituals and penance” (46). As a result of this, Dr. George describes how “the incarnation needs to be viewed in kinetic terms, as God coming near to us…[rather than] alienated people…draw[ing] near to God” (47). Dr. George concludes his chapter mentioning the way the Biblical understanding of how adoption into the family of Christ through Christ’s perfect sacrifice washes away any person’s shameful pollution regardless of a person’s race, gender, background, etc.
Chapter four, written by Mr. Rahil Patel, is an interesting, yet far less applicable a chapter in terms of ministering among the Hindu diaspora in any context. He recounts the Prime Minister of India, Modi’s, life, faith, and leadership over the years, India in comparison to other “spiritual” nations, and India’s new internationalism. Patel describes Modi as a “Hindu revivalist” (52) whose “vision for ‘New India’ is rooted in, and inspired by, a mythic view of ‘Old India,’ with its Vedic or Hindutva socio-spiritual culture” (53). To further this point, Patel describes how “at every turn during his premiership, Modi…invoked Hindu themes and practices to win votes” (53). Patel also makes special note of Modi’s call for the people of India to tyag (sacrifice) (54). He references this concept of sacrifice in relation to both the COVID-19 lockdowns as well as the demonetization that took place in November of 2016. By using this model of reframing, Modi was able to transform this medical threat and social disaster into spiritual opportunities (55). Patel concludes his chapter by mapping out India’s relationship with Russia, Israel, Iran, and Sri Lanka. Patel’s chapter provides further understanding of the Hindu diaspora’s political as well as spiritual context.
Starting with chapter five, the next several chapters move away from academic background to pastoral and relational ministry among Hindus. Dr. Martin Alphonse writes chapter five titled, “Challenges of Pastoring Hindu Converts.” There were several aspects of this chapter I learned from and enjoyed. Part of the relatability and applicability of this section has to do with Dr. Alphonse’s long-term experience in the Hindu diaspora context in three different locations. He shares that “a genuine conversion from one religion to another is fundamentally a transformation in one’s worldview, which is the most difficult change to cope with” (69). It is a long process that takes patience and time, much like Christ ministering among His disciples for years. Dr. Alphonse echoes Dr. George’s explanation of Hinduism being strong in the belief of Karma Samsara, or the cyclical nature of life by the cycle of rebirth (69). He mentions that karma is another dominant belief that causes many Hindu converts to struggle with whether certain life events are karma catching up with them. In opposition to the prosperity gospel that many Hindus are persuaded by, Dr. Alphonse again emphasizes the patience and understanding required on the part of the minister of Christ to counsel Hindu converts in the “truth that Christian discipleship is fundamentally a matter of taking up one’s cross and following Christ daily (Luke 9:23)” (70). I have personally seen how previous worldview beliefs such as karma as well as others continue to affect Hindu Christ-followers I have walked alongside even after almost a decade of following Christ.
For the first time, Dr. Alphonse makes mention of the challenge of caste-consciousness in the diaspora context. He talks about how a number of higher-caste background converts are “still heavily conscious of their former caste identity and are very reluctant—if not completely opposed—to mingle freely with the members of the Christian community, especially those of a lower caste or class” (71). This is obviously a pervading challenge in this context as caste dynamics continue to play a massive role in Hindu society. Once again, Dr. Alphonse reiterates the enormous effort, patience, and understanding needed by the minister in this context to teach Hindu converts Christ’s heart for His bride to be unified as one body.
In addition to the challenge of caste, Dr. Alphonse importantly alludes to one of the most painful reasons why many Hindus want to become Christian without crossing Biblically unnecessary cultural or class barriers. He mentions that McGavran observes that it “is the fear of ostracization from their community. In the ‘honor and shame culture’ of Hinduism, many young people pay a huge price for their decisions to follow Christ” (72). Sadly, I have seen this to be deeply true of my Hindu friends who have been persecuted in the work place by coworkers as well as in the home by family members due to their decision to follow Christ despite following Him within the Hindu cultural context in Biblically appropriate ways. We know as believers that there are costs involved in choosing to follow Christ, and that the the calling of Christ’s disciples is ultimately to deny oneself and take up one’s cross daily to follow Him (Luke 9:23) Yet, there are also many scriptural examples in which Christ challenged His followers to go back to their community and culture to build a bridge to the gospel like the demon-possessed man from Mark 5 or like Paul discouraging circumcision for Gentile followers of Christ. (Galatians 2)
A final yet crucial challenge Dr. Alphonse identifies in regards to ministering in the Hindu diasporic context is demonic oppression. He mentions the demonic oppression many converts experience after publicly professing their faith in Christ (74). To illustrate his point, a young, Hindu Christ-follower I walked alongside made the decision to abandon her faith in Jesus after experiencing relentless nightmares from what she believed to be her family’s Hindu deity she had abandoned worshipping after faith in Christ. She hoped that discontinuing her worship of Jesus would appease the family goddess. Dr. Alphonse accurately reminds the reader that this is the spiritual warfare Paul describes in Ephesians 6:10-17. Lastly and importantly, Dr. Alphonse touches upon bhakti marg (path of devotion) disciples at the end of his chapter. These are Christ-followers who remain a part of the Hindu culture in as many ways as are Biblically appropriate to. He says that these Christ-following disciples are eager to help a pastor distinguish between Hindu culture and Hindu theological beliefs (76). I am a proponent of this bhakti marg lifestyle as I have seen Hindu background believers have the ability to avoid alienating their community even after turning their lives over to Christ by remaining in their culture where appropriate.
Chapter six, written by Dr. Danny Sathyadass, is titled “The Home Church among Hindu Households in Diaspora,” which I found to be extremely applicable. Dr. Sathyadass describes to the reader how the home church might be conductive to Hindu households. He maps out seven home-church values in an effort to aid those ministering among Hindu brothers and sisters. The house church values listed are: Holy-Spirit driven, utilize obedience-based discipleship, be empowered rather than controlled, service and love should precede leadership structures, that the church should model the “priesthood of believers,” that the churches should be economical without buildings, and lastly, that the house church should be reproducible. Dr. Sathyadass draws a sharp contrast between religiosity and personal devotion to Christ when describing what it means for a church to be Holy-Spirit driven. He says, “Hindus…admire persons who are truly devoted to Christ rather than being obligated to tradition or denominational values” (79).
In regards to obedience-based discipleship, Dr. Sathyadass emphasizes the need for not only Biblical instruction, but for “the need for an application of truth” (80). He also provides a clear illustration of what it looks like to pass on the responsibility of shepherding to a local shepherd. In his section addressing a house church being empowered rather than controlled, he says it’s better to “influence the one individual or family that God leads us to. The local family or household then becomes the persons of peace, or ‘ambassadors,’ to influence the community” (82). This is obviously a process that takes much prayer and patience. I especially love Dr. Sathyadass’s explanation of the Biblical model of leadership structures inside of the house church. He says that “the home church is essentially Christocentric fellowship, where leadership is not vested in a few” (83). In relation to this, he stresses the importance of every member of Christ’s body in the house church model playing their part within the community. This is what it means to be the “priesthood of believers.”(1 Peter 2:4-5) Lastly, Dr. Sathyadass emphasizes the legal and management responsibilities that come up when a building and finances are involved in the church model. He affirms this stance by stating how vital it is for the model to be reproducible in his next section. He believes it is these types of Christocentric groups that will be able to spontaneously multiply to bring about transformation among Hindus (86).
Chapter seven, authored by Reverend Ashwin Ramani, is titled, “Understanding Hindu Neighbors.” It is a short, insightful, and applicable chapter related to how to better walk alongside our Hindu brothers and sisters in a Christ-honoring way. Ramani wisely reminds the reader that it is ultimately an authentic love for God and people that will captivate the attention of our Hindu neighbors (88). It seems so simple, yet is so vital in a context in which Hindus often fear being pressured to convert to the Christian faith. I love how much Ramani highlights the importance of evangelism being rooted in humility in order to allow the beauty of Christlike character to shine through in the person witnessing (89). Ramani also effectively draws attention to the fact that because Hindus hold on to the view that one is born into a religion instead of it being a person’s choice, it doesn’t cross their minds to fully embrace the Christian faith (90). They often perceive Jesus as the “god” of Christians (Shultz, Disciplemaking Among Hindus, 27).
An additional key point Ramani makes is the importance of supporting Hindu friends in times of crisis through meaningful relationship. “Honest sharing happens only within trusted relationships, where they feel safe” (91). I heavily agree with this claim, as I have seen the impact of truly supporting my Hindu friends through various trials. There is much that I gleaned from Ramani’s chapter. His sections on relational bridging and practical considerations are well worth the read. A main theme Ramani repeats continually along with the other co-authors of this book, is the message of patience being key when it comes to ministering among Hindus. He states that Hindus surrender their lives to Jesus in stages, and cannot be rushed to do so (95).
Chapter eight, written by Mr. Anil Yesudas, and titled, “Contextualized Worship for Hindus” is another favorite chapter of mine. Yesudas addresses what it means to incarnate worship into a Hindu frame of reference, discusses the importance of contextualizing the gospel, and describes one approach called satsang. Much like Sathyadass and Ramani from previous chapters, Yesudas both echoes and emphasizes that those ministering in the Hindu context must approach Hindu brothers and sisters with great humility. “It will take several episodes of communication before anyone can understand and appreciate the person and work of Christ…The Word must be patiently communicated over a long period” (106-107). In describing contextualization, Yesudas writes that “it is possible to live a life that is culturally Hindu and theologically conservative, within the biblical frame of reference” (102). I couldn’t agree with Yesudas’s assertion more as I have seen various Christ-following Hindu friends with deep devotion to Jesus remain a part of their Hindu culture, families, and communities in an effort to build bridges to shine the love of Christ in culturally creative ways.
Yesudas provides a more extensive explanation of the Hindu satsang format. A Christ-follower might wonder if it is appropriate to practice this Indian style of devotion and worship. The type of worship known as satsang that Yesudas describes in this chapter is more like a specific flavor of worship offered to Christ. While this style in India has historically been used to worship various Hindu deities, many of the instruments and elements used during worship come from Biblical descriptions of worship. For instance, practices like taking shoes off, sitting on the ground, meditating on scripture, utilizing bells, lighting a diya (light), using incense, decorating around the light (diya) with flowers are all worship practices described in Exodus 25-31 in the tabernacle. In addition, while this type of worship style and flavor is entirely appropriate and permissible for a Christ-follower to use, it’s important to recognize that the flavor might not be preferred by some Hindu brothers and sisters. The worship style could feel too much like worship to Hindu deities prior to faith in Christ. In the words of Paul, “I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.” (Romans 14:14) While for some this style of worship might be a stumbling block, I have seen it be a flavor of worship that one of my Hindu Christ-following friends described to me as “feeling at home for the first time.” My hope and prayer as a western Christ-follower is that believers would be willing to worship Christ in new and maybe uncomfortable ways with the hope of seeing our Hindu brothers and sisters feel “at home” during worship to God versus forcing our flavor of worship preferences onto them.
In his chapter, Yesudas explains that typically, a satsang has to be followed in sixteen formalities, but also mentions that in a busy world, there is an option of worshipping through Sodasopchar puja with only five formalities (103). Yesudas provides detail of satsang content involving tangible symbols, Biblical portions being chanted in Sanskrit, prayer, worship songs, and finally, the most prominent part of the devotion: presentation of the Word of God (104). Lastly, I value the vision that Yesudas casts for the gospel being best practiced contextually by a community which can communicate to another community. He reminds us that in theory, this might possibly “spark Christ-ward movements” (108). May this be true.
“Dealing with Family after Conversion” is an important chapter written by Dr. P.T. Subrahmanyan. Dr. Subrahmanyan writes from his own experience of facing Hindu family opposition as a result of following Christ, which makes the chapter deeply valuable and applicable. Dr. Subrahmanyan addresses the issues of conversion, the importance of keeping contact with family, and concludes with practical ways to improve family relationships. Dr. Subrahmanyan also describes the pervasive challenge of conversion stating that “the ceremony of baptism is often the final separation from the Hindu social and religious community…although conversion as an event that happens once in life, it creates lifelong issues” (112). While this statement might seem extreme to an outsider, it is very much true. There is a long history of Christian conversion amongst the non-Christian families of India. The western definition of Christian conversion is only a small part of what is understood and experienced by new followers of Jesus from non-Christian families. For example, Subrahmanyan contrasts the Christian view of conversion occurring through the conviction and voluntary commitment of a person based on their personal encounter with Christ with the eastern understanding of conversion involving transitioning from one’s traditional milieu into another social group (113). For many Hindus who convert to Christianity, the Hindu former cultural and familial practices, things distantly not related to faith, are not welcomed into the Christian fold (113).
An additional point Dr. Subrahmanyan makes is the importance of “evangelizing people in groups/families in their natural social networks rather than as individuals, since the latter may cause family breakup, social ostracism, and isolation (114). Echoing Dr. Aghamkar from chapter one, Dr. Subrahmanyan emphasizes that an individual’s decision to follow Christ undoubtedly affects that person’s family and community in a collectivist culture. Dr. Subrahmanyan suggests the remedy of looking for ways to reconcile and maintain contact with family without sacrificing one’s faith in Christ as a Hindu comes to love Jesus. (114-115).
Of the several issues Dr. Subrahmanyan highlights, one of the most important is converts being “forced to give up what is good in their mother religion…like following a vegetarian diet, wearing ornaments, etc., which are not necessarily contrary to Scripture” (115). In instances like these, Christianity is creating unnecessary barriers to the gospel for Hindu brothers and sisters, much like the early church did in regards to the heresy of Judaizing mentioned in the books of Acts and Galatians. A final encouragement Dr. Subrahmanyan gives to those ministering among Hindus is that “rather than imposing any church’s tradition and culture, the pastors should build the individual converts in faith and Scripture, ensuring spiritual growth in Christ” (117). One of my favorite sections of the book comes at the end of the chapter when Dr. Subrahmanyan gives specific and practical suggestions for Hindu followers of Christ to improve family relationships. It is worth the read.
A less applicable, yet informational chapter of the book authored by Mr. Srinivasa Moorthy is chapter ten titled, “Ministering to Hindu Families.” A strength of the chapter lies in his section about the stages of Hindu life and family. In addition to the descriptions of life stages, Mr. Moorthy does a descriptive job of unpacking the various duties involved in the most important of the four life stages: Grihastha (123). A key point Mr. Moorthy makes in regards to these duties is that “Diaspora Hindu couples who journey outside of their country still feel connected and have an obligation to fulfill their duties back home and provide support to the family” (125). As mentioned before, the Hindu culture is collectivist, and therefore, each of the individual’s many roles must be fulfilled for the family structure to function properly. My husband and I see the dedication of our Hindu friends to support family in India, and fulfill their various roles to their relatives from over 8,000 miles away.
An important topic within Hindu culture that Mr. Moorthy points out in his section about rituals among diaspora Hindu couples is the importance of ceremonialism. “Hindu life is marked by various ceremonies and rituals which play an important role in different life stages, such as when the wife becomes pregnant, a child is born, a new house is purchased…etc.” (127). Mr. Moorthy asserts that due to the nature of the importance of these life ceremonies in Hindu culture, these events provide opportunities for Christ-followers to build deeper relationships with Hindu friends, and to understand their beliefs more comprehensively (127). I have seen that personally being present at our Hindu friends’ life events as well as inviting them to ours has only aided in building authentic relational bridges that provide further opportunities for the gospel to infiltrate lives.
Chapter eleven, authored by Dr. Kamesh Sankaran, focuses on various ways to minister to Hindu students in western universities. He writes from his own perspective of coming to Christ as a Hindu during his years of studying internationally, thus making his chapter personal and applicable. An important point Dr. Sankaran makes early on in the chapter is that “in the Hindu context, the well-educated, upper-caste youth with a promising future [are the ones who] have the most to lose socially by professing faith in Christ” (134). Dr. Sankaran next points out some of the main obstacles as one walks alongside Hindu students with the love of Christ. He touches upon the importance for followers of Christ to take responsibility to address various misrepresentations of Christian living present in cultural Christian morality “to move forward toward an accurate Christian witness” (137). I concur as this is a challenge my husband and I face as we walk alongside our Hindu friends who assume that the culture they see portrayed in western movies and media outlets as representative of Christianity.
Other challenges Dr. Sankaran wisely cites include the assumption previously mentioned in chapter six by Dr. Alphonse that in a Hindu mind, “Christianity may be an appropriate religion for a different culture, but not for one with a Hindu background” (137). He addresses challenges associated with Hinduism being vague in theology, the social pressure to remain in Hindu assigned roles to ultimately attain moksha (salvation/freedom from the cycle of rebirth) Hindus in upper echelons of society experience, and lastly, the extra burden second-generation Hindu students feel to maintain religious identity as a way of honoring parents (138). One of my favorite quotes from the chapter states “instead of directly stating the facts and arguing to correct misunderstandings, a relaxed invitation to observe our life is better for building trust. Because people have God-given radars that alert them to uncomfortable situations, we must rest in the Lord and not impatiently strive for quick results” (139). In walking alongside Hindu friends, I have witnessed my Hindu friends’ quick perception of inauthentic motivations for friendship. As stated time and time again throughout the book, it is ultimately through humble, patient, authentic friendship between Hindus and followers of Jesus that Christ will be most magnified.
Another important topic Dr. Sankaran addresses is the cost involved in learning to obey every command of Christ for both the disciple from a Hindu background as well as the mentor (141). The belief systems that must be transformed as a result of a new Christian worldview include moving from a culture-based religion to canon-based religion, learning to distinguish the difference between the physical reality of the incarnation of Christ in comparison to the Hindu concept of avatar, as well as the new identity of being a citizen in the kingdom of God without needing to change cultural affiliation (142). I can attest that my Hindu friends who have trusted in Christ have had to walk through these hurdles along with many others.
“Ministry Among the Indian Diaspora in the Philippines” is an interesting chapter written by Reverend Mark Sudhir. He begins his chapter by outlining the history and religion of the Indian diaspora in the Philippines. I especially enjoyed his section discussing ministry opportunities and challenges. Sudhir points out a key challenge of walking alongside Hindus, which is that “they do not see or feel it a problem to add Jesus as a God among many gods. When we bring the gospel to them and challenge them to draw a line to confess Jesus as the only God and Savior, they find it very difficult unless the Holy Spirit works in them” (150). This is an often repeated occurrence for those walking alongside Hindu friends. It is one thing for them to gladly pray to another god, and quite another to accept Him as the only path to salvation.
Another relevant challenge Sudhir expounds upon is the momentousness of indigenous ministers. He emphasizes the magnitude of Indians seeing “a fellow Indian from their own culture, language, and background following Jesus” (151). Lastly, I enjoyed Sudhir’s applicable ministry strategies listed at the end of the chapter. He points out the impact of using the Word of God to counsel Hindu friends (which can lead to them desiring to read scripture on their own); how much the hospitality of opening up homes means to Hindu immigrant friends (and provides additional opportunities for gospel sharing); the meaningfulness of Seva (service) like providing timely help to families in times of need; the impact of using music and cultural activities as avenues for Christ (like playing cricket or learning to play Indian musical instruments); and lastly, the effect of initiating spiritual breakthroughs such as healings through prayer (152-153).
An unexpectedly encouraging chapter for me in the book is chapter thirteen written by Mrs. Anita Lazarus about Malaysia’s Tamil women. The beginning sections of her chapter address who the sample of Tamil women are that Lazarus’s material is written about, and ways Tamil women have been marginalized historically. She describes the challenges Tamil women have experienced as a result of indentured servitude duty plantation life prior to Malaysian independence, their exclusion from socioeconomic initiatives after independence, as well as the domestic violence commonly faced in the home accompanied by a lack of education and skills (157). Separately, she walks through a history of Tamil women who have been changemakers.
A high point of the chapter is when she shares the testimony of a woman named Selvi meeting Christ, which enabled her to become a change-maker herself. I would argue that Selvi’s three needs during her journey of transformation after following Christ are the same three needs that my female Hindu Christ-following friends have needed as well: the need for truth, the need to be loved, and the need for loving community support while making the change-over (161). Selvi’s quote on page 161 is one to remember: “She said: ‘I love you’ is something no other god says!’” A female Hindu Christ-follower friend has made similar remarks to me. She now desires to see Christ magnified as the true God because He has revealed Himself as sinless to her, and has shown her that He alone loves perfectly.
The next chapter, titled, “Virtually Possible,” and written by Mrs. Chandra and Mr. Naveen does a wonderful job of mapping out various ways the internet can be yet another medium in which Christ can be exalted, and the gospel message communicated to Hindu friends’ hearts. Chandra and Naveen make the insightful point that it is through ministering online that “it is not only possible but logistically and financially painless to bring Jesus to your home country without a passport, vaccinations, or flight bookings” (168). In addition to this, they mention the ways that anonymity as mentors provides opportunities to talk about private matters of the heart in deeper ways, and also share about many individuals they have ministered to (169).
A crucial topic Naveen and Chandra mention is that “while today there is greater variety and sophistication in the gospel webpages, there is still too much Christian jargon, advanced theology, and Western-based cultural assumptions that do not relate to or attract curious Indians or needy souls searching for answers” (170). Naveen and Chandra next walk the reader through the online ministry process of ads, content development, online mentoring, and connection to local church. They share further testimony of isolated Hindus after being directly connected to other believers as a result of this online medium who continue growing in their faith. They conclude the chapter with helpful digital tools and applications that serve Indian people in various Indian languages.
Chapter fifteen is authored by Dr. Krishna Ramsundar, and is titled, “Ministry among Hindus in the Caribbean.” He begins his chapter by walking through the history of Hindus immigrating to the Caribbean originally as slaves. Dr. Ramsundar then shares his beautiful testimony of how he became a Christ-follower. I enjoyed his section on building relationships with Hindus. A sentiment I concur with is when he discusses the negative consequences of arguing over religious truth. “The responsibility of a Christian witness is to give a response for his/her faith (apologetics) instead of arguing with others about what the Bible says” (181). In my experience, arguing with Hindu brothers and sisters has only resulted in pushing individuals further away from the gospel of Christ. Like many of the previous authors, Dr. Ramsundar likewise emphasizes the vital need for ongoing relationships, meeting needs of Hindu brothers and sisters, and the impact of Hindu friends having personal experiences with Christ as Savior (181). I also found Dr. Ramsundar’s 4/14 window section insightful. He explains that the 4-14 age window for kids is a key time when children are likely to embrace Christ, and form emotional connections with the church that can last throughout their lifetime (183). Like previous authors have mentioned, Dr. Ramsundar also emphasizes the importance of reaching the entire family because of how family-oriented the Hindu culture is. Dr. Ramsundar’s final story of his mother’s testimony is impactful, and demonstrates the momentousness of a Hindu’s personal experience with the Almighty God.
Chapter sixteen written by Reverend Louie Naidoo briefly addresses challenges those ministering to the Hindu diaspora in South Africa have faced. Many of the same lessons from previous chapters are echoed here. After describing the history of the Indian Diaspora in South Africa, he reiterates that a minister of Christ’s only responsibility is to “demonstrate who Jesus Christ is and what faith in Christ means to us—to be the ‘salt and light’” rather than criticizing what others believe (193). I value Reverend Naidoo’s exhortation to Christian witnesses to be “open and teachable” about our own faith as well as about other religions in our spheres of engagement (195). My Hindu friends so deeply value that I ask them personal questions about their own stories of deities and belief systems. These conversational and intentional questions have only opened up their desire to ask me questions about my own belief system over the years. Lastly and unsurprisingly, Reverend Naidoo re-emphasizes the dire need for authentic friendship and relational evangelism with Hindu brothers and sisters.
Chapter seventeen is Dr. Sam George’s conclusion to the previous sixteen chapters. He rightly emphasizes that there is no one perfect approach that works to minister to Hindus everywhere. He reminds the reader of the expansive and diverse beliefs and practices among the Hindu diaspora. He gives Biblical account of witnessing throughout scripture, then exhorts the reader that each of us has the responsibility to give an account of our faith in Christ to the outside world. His ten practical suggestions in his section about witnessing in pluralistic contexts is worth the read.
`Reflecting personally as one who has been walking alongside Hindu brothers and sisters over the last almost decade, I walked away from this book being reminded that humility, patience, reliance on the Spirit through prayer, teachability, and authentic relationship with Hindus must be present for those of us who wish to see our Hindu friends ultimately see Christ exalted as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I’m warmly reminded of how many beautiful aspects there are in the Hindu culture, and how Christ longs to be exalted through it. May we prayerfully ask Christ to fulfill His promise from Psalm 22:27 for “all the ends of the earth [to] remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations [to] bow down before him!”
