Catholic and Protestant Hindus

I’ve been asked more than a few times if one may be both a Christian and a Hindu. Some do identify that way, and it’s not my business to contradict how one chooses to distinguish oneself. I will say that I have a hard time understanding the concept.

Can a Hindu adopt certain Christian practices? Of course. One can even see Jesus as one’s Ishtadevata. That means one’s chosen manifestation of Divinity. Yes, a Hindu could say that of all avatars Jesus is the one that means the most; the one to whom prayers are addressed. However, as soon as you say that Jesus was the only  expression of Divinity in this world you are straying from some pretty nonnegotiable doctrines in the Dharma. Also, do you  believe in physical resurrection, or does rebirth  still hold interest?  And are you looking at Jesus as a sort of “Jewish Buddha,” or did he die on the cross for your sins?

     Quotation Marks Make All the Difference

I’m sure this would make great content for an intriguing conversation, but the point of this essay is to say that while being a “Christian Hindu” poses certain theological challenges, I certainly acknowledge that there can be “Protestant” Hindus and “Catholic” Hindus. You might guess from the use of quotation marks that perhaps I’m not using these terms literally. You’re correct.

As the Pracharak (Outreach Minister) of my local Hindu temple I lecture extensively at schools, churches and at the temple itself when conducting tours. When explaining Hindu Dharma to a crowd that is almost entirely Christian I find it important to explain that while the vast majority of Hindus find great value in temple worship, it doesn’t define the religion in the same way that church attendance does for most Christians.

If one has never been to a Hindu temple, what is found there on most occasions is deep, elaborate, ancient ritual. The priest will be chanting slokas (verses) from the Vedas or other shastras (scriptures) in Sanskrit (most often). Rarely will one hear any sort of lecture that might pass for a sermon or homily. And of course, the temple will normally hold multiple altars erected to honor the various deities represented there. These murthies  (sacred icons) are venerated in manners similar to what is found in certain Catholic ceremonies.

And for this reason I refer to such devotional expression as “Catholic” Hinduism. To be clear, this has nothing to do with any theological similarities, only the style of worship.

What We Might Mean by High and Low Church

However, there are plenty of Hindus who rarely, if ever, attend temple worship. For them, staying at home or meeting in a kendra (meditation hall) to study the scriptures, chant, meditate or engage in discussion is all that they need. No icons, no pujas (ceremonies) and no priests. This, one might say, is “Protestant” Hinduism. And I’m using this term advisedly. Protestant denominations differ in their liturgies. Yes, it’s possible to attend an Episcopalian, Lutheran or Presbyterian Sunday service that resembles in great detail a Catholic Mass.

So note that here I am specifically referring to what is termed “low church,” such as is practiced in Baptist, Free Methodist, Nazarene and other sects.   It is in these assemblies there is little more than Bible reading, sermons and hymn singing. Since most American communities have temples, they tend to see only that side of Hinduism. But there are always Hindus who eschew the complexity of such practices for more simple devotional and intellectual exercises.

Keeping it Simple

Then there are those who have no problem in either environment. As you might imagine, holding the position I do at my temple, I am easily found attending pujas from time to time. But I also hold a leadership position in our local Self-Realization Fellowship chapter. Here, group meditation is the cornerstone of our practice. A Sunday service includes plenty of that along with chanting and  readings from our wisdom tradition. There are no statues of deities, only pictures of our lineage of gurus.

There are dozens (perhaps hundreds) of Hindu based societies that offer something quite similar to what we do in SRF. And there are many of us who “swing both ways” as well as devotees  who feel no inspiration in the midst of grand ceremonies. Thankfully, the Hindu Dharma is large (hearted) enough to hold all of us.