Chapter 1

Introduction

The Indian sub-continent is a diverse nation with

many belief systems. A survey published in 2018 shows that

among these systems, Hinduism still dominates at 77%1 of

the Indian population. Due to such a demographic, Hindu

culture pervades the belief systems. Hinduism is a religion

that has many forms. Ashim Bhattacharyya explains that

Hinduism is peculiar, for it was not created by anyone in

particular and there is no record of the identity of the

many sages that have authored ancient Hindu literature.2 For

this reason a British historian commented on Hinduism

stating “Hinduism has not been made but has grown. It is a

jungle not a building.”3 Forms of Hinduism have travelled to

1Samirah Majumdar, “5 Facts about Religion in

India,” Pew Research Center, last modified (June 2018),
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/06/29/5-facts-
about-religion-in-india/(accessed March 11, 2019).
2Ashim Bhattacharyya, Hindu Dharma: Introduction to
Scriptures and Theology (Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2006),
loc. 110 of 4375, Kindle.
3Charles Eliot, Hinduism and Buddhism, vol. 1
(Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1921), loc. 2113 of 7877, Kindle.

1
 2

the west and appear to be appreciated even by the Christian

community.4

On the other hand, Seventh-day Adventism is a

movement that which consists of conservative Protestant

Christians “who observe Saturday as the Sabbath and expect

Jesus’ second coming soon.”5 The church was officially

registered in the 1860’s due to need for an organized body.

Expanding to a global movement, the organization reached

India in the late 1800’s.6 Since then, Adventism has lacks

significant growth in reference to the national population

of India. The pervasiveness of Hinduism may prove

detrimental to the Adventist society, for Adventism enjoys

only about 0.1% of the current population7.

4Richard Cimino, “Hindus in the West: American

Hinduism Expanding While European Hindu Events Give
Religion a Public Voice,” Religioscope, last modified April
24, 2011, https://english.religion.info/2011/04/24/hindus-
in-the-west-american-hinduism-expanding-while-european-
hindu-events-give-religion-a-public-voice/, accessed March
6, 2019.
5Nancy J. Vyhmeister, "Who Are Seventh-day
Adventists?" in Handbook of Seventh-Day Adventist Theology,
ed. Raoul Dederen, vol. 12, Commentary reference series
(Hagerstown, MD: Review & Herald, 2000), 1.
6 Ibid., 12:8,9.
7General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists,
Office of Archives and Statistics, Annual Statistical
Report (Silver Spring, Maryland: General Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists, 2017),
 3

As the ecumenical movement pushes on riding on

pluralism, while modernism secularizes religion8, the lines

between the two belief systems are being blurred. In the

light of the advancing westernization of Hinduism, Hinduism

is portrayed to be universal and inclusive9, for it appears

to accept all, being synchronistic. In recent times,

through the process of comparative study, claims have been

made that Hindu concepts of salvation and atonement have

been borrowed from Christianity in order to build bridges.

This is represented as naïve, for Hinduism predates

Christianity10 and in context of this paper, Adventism. In

addition to this, missionaries are alleged to have spread

http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR20
17.pdf, (accessed March 6, 2019).
8“Defending Christianity in a Secular Culture.”
https://www.rzim.org/read/just-thinking-magazine/defending-
christianity-in-a-secular-culture, (accessed February 17,
2019).
9Ashok Vohra, “The Inclusive Nature of Hinduism,”
Speakingtree, (last modified September 2014),
https://www.speakingtree.in/article/the-inclusive-nature-
of-hinduism, (accessed March 6, 2019).
10Klostermaier,Klaus K., “A Literary Hindu-
Christian Dialogue A Century Ago: Still Actual?,” Journal
of Hindu-Christian Studies 24, no. 8 (2011),
https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1485, (accessed January
20, 2019).
 4

erroneous versions of the teachings of Hinduism.11 Distorted

versions of Hinduism prevail in many ranks. This has

brought shame to the Christian community. Nevertheless. The

concept of humanity being joined to God is prevalent in

Hinduism. Hinduism understands that the way one is joined

to God is by “realizing the nature of the true Self” which

happens in the context of Moksha.12 The process is not

simplistic. It involves numerous rites, even acts of

penance and cleansing. The term translated as atonement in

the Vedas is prāyaścitta , which related to expiation.13 An

example of the use is found in a translation of the Vedas.

Yajur Veda reads “ ‘O Agni, lord of vows, I have performed

my vow’, he says; verily he releases his vow, for

atonement, to prevent burning.”14 This process features

purification and payment and is performed through

sacrifices. Kolamkuzhyyil notes that sacrifice played a

11WhatIs Hinduism? Modern Adventures into a

Profound Global Faith, First edition. (Kapaa, Hawaii:
Himalayan Academy, 2007),8.
12Bhattacharyya,Hindu Dharma: Introduction to
Scriptures and Theology, loc. 143 of 4375, Kindle.
13Ibid., loc. 2566 of 4375
14TaittiriyaSanhita, trans. Arthur B. Keith,
(Cambridge, Massachusetts: University of Oxford, 1914),
i.7.6.
 5

major role in Vedic religion especially for the purpose of

purification and divine acceptance.15 Ravi Zacharias

comments that Krishna considers “True sacrifice is God

Himself.”16 These appear to portray tones of the Adventist

concept of atonement.

The atonement of Jesus Christ has been a central

teaching of the church.17 The centrality of the doctrine to

the church is seen when Ellen White reproved the ministers

to preach the word through the lenses of the atonement. She

admonished that, “The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement

for sin is the great truth around which all other truths

cluster.”18 In Adventism, atonement is the means by which

fallen human beings are reunited to God by the sacrifice of

15ThomasMathew Kolamkuzhyyil, “The Concept of

Sacrifice in Christianity and in Hinduism A Comparative
Study” (Dissertation, University of Lucerne, Lucerne,
2016), 28.
16RaviK Zacharias, New Birth or Rebirth?: Jesus
Talks with Krishna (Colorado Springs, Colo.: Multnomah
Books, 2008) location 780 of 1220.
17GeorgeR. Knight, The Cross of Christ: God’s Work
for Us, ed. George R. Knight, Woodrow Whidden II, and
Gerald Wheeler, Library of Adventist Theology (Review and
Herald, 2008), 9.
18EllenG. White, Gospel Workers (Washington, D.C.:
Review and Herald, 1915), 315.2.
 6

Jesus in substitution.19 Although, men and angels

participate in the process of atonement the only one who “

could affect the atonement is God Himself.20 Atonement is

made through blood and sacrifice. The incarnation of God is

vital to the atonement.21 The process of atonement is

believed end with the purging of sin and sinners from the

universe.

This perspective may not go well with Hindus. Raja

Rammohun Roy is known for voicing against the Christian

idea of atonement claiming that it is inconsistent with

justice.22 Margaret Chatterjee remarks that Mahatma Gandhi,

a prominent Hindu figure, found the Christian doctrine of

atonement as a “major stumbling block”23. The generations

19NormanR. Gulley, Systematic Theology: Creation,

Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2012), 640.

M.L. Anderasen, The Sanctuary Service, 2nd ed.

20

(Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 1947), 10.

21GeorgeR. Knight, Seventh-Day Adventists Answers
Questions on Doctrine, Annotated Edition., Adventist
Classic Library (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University
Press, 2003), 282.
22JogenedraChunder Ghose, ed., The English Works of
Raja Rammohun Roy, vol. 2 (Calcutta: Srikanta Roy, 1901),
134.
23MargaretChatterjee, “Gandhi and Christianity,” in
Gandhi’s Significance for Today, ed. John Hick and Lamont
C. Hempel (London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 1989), 152–165.
 7

worth of preconceived aggregate of ideologies might have

weight and authenticity and be able to shed light on the

concept of atonement. Sacrifice is present in both

theologies. In addition, religions may easily be distorted

through misreading rendering an altered understanding of

precepts of the religion. Religions in general accentuate

belief as a prerequisite of escape from this dreadful

life.24 It may be well if a clear understanding is provided

for the society on the understanding of the way God joins

humanity to Himself. In recent years, people have perceived

that religions like Hinduism are more comprehensive and

inclusive.25 Due to the sea of Hindu ideologies and the

dearth of Adventist material the subject which is central

to Adventist theology, it is deemed necessary to explore

into the idea of atonement in the two religions.

Statement of the problem

Hinduism and Adventism alike outline the way in

which humanity is joined to the divine. This paper will

address the following questions: (1) What does atonement

mean in Hinduism and Adventism? (2) What roles do the

24RonaldH Nash, Is Jesus the Only Savior? (Grand

Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 865 of 3174, Kindle.
25Vohra, “The Inclusive Nature of Hinduism.”
 8

divine and human play in the atonement? (3) What are the

grounds in which they agree and disagree on? (4) What are

the theological implications of the two theologies? (5)

What are the missiologial implications of the research?

Purpose of the research

The purpose of this research is to aid the

Adventist Church in reaching out to the Hindu communities

through a contextualized understanding of their view of

atonement without the distortion of Hindu theology and the

compromise of the Adventist faith. This paper also seeks to

provide a reasonable perspective of the religions to an

uninformed reader.

Significance of the research

This research will give insight into the Hindu

thought and aid in the formulation of strategies to reach

out to the modern Hindu communities. This will also aid the

reader to know the boundaries one must maintain in one’s

interaction with the Hindu society.

 9

Definition of terms

The term Atonement is defined by the Handbook of

SDA Theology which stand for “harmony of relationship.”26

The term used in the Vedas for atonement is translated as

atonement is prāyaścitta (प्रायश्चित्त) which includes penance and

expiation. Salvation refers to freedom from sin.27 The term

moksha refers to liberation from the cycle of rebirths.28

Dharma refers to the “righteous way”29

Limitation of the study

This study will utilize the facilities and

materials available in the library of Mountain View College

along with personal resources obtained from the online

sources and other electronic media such as PDF’s, eBooks,

Kindle books and the like.

26Raoul
Dederen, "Christ: His Person and Work," in
Handbook of Seventh-Day Adventist Theology, ed. Raoul
Dederen, vol. 12, Commentary reference series (Hagerstown,
MD: Review & Herald, 2000), 174.
27Ibid., 12:300.
28Bhattacharyya, 146 of 4375, Kindle.
29Ibid., 133 of 4375.
 10

Delimitations of the study

The study is delimited to the understanding of

Atonement in the Adventist and Hindu literature (primarily

the Vedas and Baghavad Geetha).

Methodology

This research deals with the comparison of

theology. Chapter 1 deals with the introduction of the

topic and the importance of the research. Chapter 2

discusses and analyses the theology of role of humanity and

divinity in the process of atonement according to Hinduism.

Chapter 3 deals with the theology of the role of man and

God in the process of atonement according to Adventism.

Chapter 4 then discusses the similarities and differences

in the concepts along with theological and missiological

implications of the theologies. Chapter 5 finally presents

the conclusions with some recommendations.

 11

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Bhattacharyya, Ashim. Hindu Dharma: Introduction to
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Chatterjee, Margaret. “Gandhi and Christianity.” In
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and Lamont C. Hempel, 152–165. London: Palgrave
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 12

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