Pathways Forward Bible
H

How Christianity compares

Hinduism

An ancient family of traditions from India, seeking release from the cycle of rebirth.

Hinduism has no single founder or creed. Most Hindus believe in one ultimate reality, Brahman, worshiped through many gods, and in a soul that is reborn again and again according to its karma until it finds liberation. Jesus is often honored as one holy teacher among many.

Began
No single founder; it grew from the Vedic religion of northern India, about 1500 BC, over thousands of years
Followers
About 1.2 billion (Pew, 2020); about 95% live in India
Scriptures
The Vedas and Upanishads; the great epics, the Mahabharata (which includes the Bhagavad Gita) and the Ramayana; the Puranas
Main groups
Vaishnavism (devotion to Vishnu, including Krishna and Rama), Shaivism (Shiva), Shaktism (the Goddess), and Smarta traditions

Where it began and how it spread

The story

Hinduism's oldest scriptures, the Vedas, are hymns and rituals from about 1500 BC. Later, the Upanishads explored the nature of the soul and ultimate reality, and the Bhagavad Gita taught devotion to Krishna.

In the Middle Ages, bhakti movements spread loving devotion to a personal god across India. Hinduism lived through centuries of Muslim and then British rule, and in 1893 the teacher Swami Vivekananda introduced it to many Americans at the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Yoga and meditation have since spread worldwide.

What they believe

Ultimate reality

Brahman, understood by some schools as an impersonal absolute and by others as a personal God. The many gods are often seen as forms or expressions of the one.

The soul

Each person has an eternal self (atman).

The problem

The soul is caught in samsara, the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, driven by karma, the moral consequences of one's actions.

The way

Moksha, liberation from rebirth, sought through knowledge, devotion, right action, or meditation, often over many lifetimes. Living by dharma, one's duty, is essential.

Jesus

Often respected as a great teacher or as one incarnation (avatar) among many, but not as the only way.

Practice

Worship (puja) at home shrines and temples, festivals such as Diwali and Holi, pilgrimages to holy rivers and cities, and, for many, a vegetarian diet.

Side by side

HinduismChristianity
GodUltimate reality (Brahman) worshiped through many gods; views range from one personal God to all-is-one.One God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: the eternal, holy, loving Creator.
JesusOften honored as a great teacher or one avatar among many; not the only way.God the Son, who became fully human, died for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, and is Lord and the only Savior.
The problemIgnorance of one's true self, and karma binding the soul to rebirth.Sin, our rebellion against a holy God, separates us from him and corrupts everything.
The answerLiberation (moksha) through knowledge, devotion, action, or meditation, often over many lifetimes.Grace: forgiveness and new life as a free gift, received by faith in Jesus's death and resurrection, not earned.
ScriptureThe Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and many more; no single closed canon.The Old and New Testaments (66 books), the inspired Word of God.
After deathRebirth according to karma, until liberation.Judgment, the resurrection of the body, and eternal life with God for all who are in Christ, in a new heaven and new earth.

Common ground

  • A deep spiritual hunger and seriousness about prayer and devotion
  • Belief that the unseen world is real
  • Respect for holy living and self-discipline
  • In bhakti devotion, a longing for a loving personal God

Talking with a friend

  • Ask which god or tradition your friend follows; practice varies enormously.
  • Many Hindus are glad to add Jesus to the gods they honor. Explain gently why Christians see him as unique.
  • Talk about karma and grace: what if someone else could carry your karma?
  • Share stories of Jesus from the Gospels; he is often deeply admired.

Key differences

Christianity teaches one personal Creator who is distinct from his creation (Genesis 1:1), not an ultimate reality that everything is part of.

Instead of many lives, the Bible teaches that we live once and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27), with the hope of resurrection.

Karma says we reap what we sow, life after life. The gospel says Jesus took the penalty our sins deserve and gives us what we could never earn (Romans 6:23).

Christians believe God became man once, in history, in Jesus, and that he is the only way to the Father (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), not one avatar among many.

Read in the Bible

Sources