“‘Jesus is the Christ.’ (Acts 9.22) Can Jesus be called Shiva?” in Theology@McAuley, E-Journal, Australian Catholic University, 2003.
Introduction
We welcome strangers to our land. Shall we exclude their gods? Is the Christian essentially dismissive, even in a kindly fashion? Does belief in Jesus involve a rejection of ‘strange gods’ or can Jesus who is called Christ also be called Shiva and be so worshipped?
This is not a new question. Some see the depiction of Prajapati in the Purusha Hymn of the Rig Veda[1] ‘also as a prophetic revelation about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.’[2] ‘They maintain that, according to this hymn, Prajapati … should …. Wear a crown of thorns …. [be] Bound to a tree …. [his] Bones should not be broken ….’[3] ‘They affirm that Prajapati is Jesus Christ’,[4] or that ‘Jesus is the real Prajapati’.[5] At the other extreme, some hold that ‘it is not possible to find divinely revealed truths regarding Jesus Christ in religious texts originating’[6] outside of the Holy Land. This paper wishes to avoid those two extremes and to propose an approach suggested by the fourth of the inter-faith dialogues, that of religious experience.
etc………
[1] The 90th hymn of the 10th Book.
[2] M.S. Vasanthakumar, ‘Expound Christ from Non-Christian Texts’ in Dharma Deepika, July – December 2000 pp.5-20. p.6. But ‘the interpretation of his death as a substitutionary sacrifice finds no echo in the Indian soul’. Op.cit. p.5.
[3] Vasanthakumar ‘Expound Christ …’ p.6.
[4] ibid.
[5] Vasanthakumar ‘Expound Christ …’ p.1.
[6] Vasanthakumar ‘Expound Christ …’ p. 13.
john dupuche 