Indian Thought-World and Bhakti Traditions in Indian Christian Theologies- Introduction to Christian Theologies in India(ICTI)

1. Indian Thought-World and Indian Christian Theologies

Indian Thought-World can be drawn from the lives of Sadhu Sundar Singh. Sadhu lived and preached the gospel with Indian approach wearing Indian dress and using traditional Indian methods making use of parables and analogies from his own experience and from the ordinary life of the community. He adopted Indian thought into Christianity without diluting the teachings of Christ. His religious opinion are originally his own. His love of solitude and contemplation, his steady practice of meditation and reflection, his theo-centric method of prayer, his frequent visions.

Indian Expression of Christianity is one of the most important aspects of Sunder Singh’s theological thinking. He understood and perceived that Christ in India should be presented in the Indian way of understanding in the philosophy of Indian thought. He saw that Christ was not of a particular community or country and that we present him in that context. For him Christ is universal and he can be presented in such a way that He is not alien to the receivers of the Gospel. Christ should be Indian and presenting Him to the Indian He needs to be an Indian.

Also to incorporate Indian thought World and ICT the following must be emphasize

1. Festivals

2. Songs and music

3. Worldview

4. Social structure

5. Culture-marriage

6. Economy

7. Arts

8. Dance

2. Bhakti Traditions and Indian Christian Theologies

Bhakti Traditions simply means Devotion. A school of thought that regards devotion as essential for god-realization.

S Robertson, “Bhakti tradition of Vaishnava Alvars and theology of religions”, (Kolkata: Punthi Pustak, 2006).

Sri Garib Das, Oriental Series- no. 191, a glossary of tantra, mantra and yantra, (Delhi: Indian Book centre, 1995), 14.

The word Bhakti is derived from Sanskrit word bhaj with a suffix ktim which means to serve, honour, revered, love, shared, adored, etc. bhakti means attachment, devotion, worship. Supreme attachment to god, supreme love for god. It is used in a sense of loving and adoration or devotion to a personal god. Although this is used in a personal go, it can be used in the sense of Upanishads. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna propounded this supreme intimacy of god in terms of bhakti. (Stephen Neil)

Encyclopaedia of religion define bhakti as a divine human relationship as experienced fom the human side. It is the love of the devotee directed towards the deity of one’s choice. Hence the emphasis is always towards god. It is a supreme attachment for the god and detachment from the world. Alvar, who believe in the impermanence of the world. Prapati is open to all sections of people. Bhakti is only for the three group of the caste. Why is it people want to use bhakti in theology why not prapati?

The recitation of Brahmin priest/ Brahmin traditions. It is a Brahmin way of expressing spirituality. It cannot be called as Hindu way of worship. When this is used in ICT, it is not suitable and not appealing especially for the Dalits and tribal.

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