Christology in Indian Traditional Approach
Jesus as Avatar
V. Chakkarai
(1880-1958), Jesus
the Avatar (1927)
is a great phenomenon in Indian Christian Theology. The central concept
in Chakkarai’s Christology is avatara. In Him is the real avarohana (descent)
of God. As Avatar, He is the revealer of God. God in Himself is avyakta
and Christ is the vyakta lsvara. Another significant aspect of his
Christology is his view of the dynamic nature of the incarnation. The
incarnation does not end by the crucifixion but is permanent and is still today
advancing to new depths of meaning. The incarnation is not temporary or static
but is permanent and dynamic. The classical Hindu theory of avatara is
that it comes into the world from time to time, as need arises, and then
disappears and is reabsorbed in God. But Chakkarai regards the Christ event as
singular, once and for all times. God having become human in Christ remains as
God-man (sic) forever, and is not simply absorbed back into God with the
discarding of his human nature. This dynamic conception of avatara is a real
contribution to Indian Christian theology. The avatara does not cease
with the cross or ascension, but God in Christ still continues to be man (sic),
living and working in the lives of believers. Chakkarai describes the
importance of Christ by means of a typically Indian approach.
For V. Chakkarai
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Incarnation
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Avatara (in Hindu Philosophy)
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1
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Once for all/ One time event
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Related phenomena
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2
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It is historical
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Not historical but illusions
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3
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It was human form
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Not consistent, some are semi human, animals or humans
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4
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Purpose-came to save both the righteous and non righteous
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Only for righteous from non righteous
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5
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Maintains his identity (Logos)
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Normally merged with Vishnu
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6
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Jesus incarnation is dynamic schools works through Spirit
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Not working
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He calls Jesus as incarnation in terms of Conceptually but
linguistically. Both God and humans enter into the new phase of life. God
adapted himself into a needs of the people. Christ translated the idea of new
man into the fact of this Jesus (history).
Sadhu
Sundar Singh also considers
Christ as an avatara. He says Christ is like a king going about incognito among
his people in order that he may be able to help them; humanity saw him and
still see him but could not recognize his divinity. Another illustration he
gives is a bottle of milk that contained in a red container (bottle). The
redness of the bottle people could not able to identify that was milk inside of
it, they thought of it some other liquid. Sadhu said it is impossible for any
person without faith and direct experience to accept the divinity of Christ.
“Faith in the divinity of Christ grows out of the immediate experience of the
heart. For Sadhu the purpose of Jesus’ avatara was to identify with humanity
and one can realize this truth only through personal experience that Christ is
both God and human and his presence is real in life of bhakta.
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