Creedal Christianity through Hindu Eyes
Timothy C. Tennent, PhD
Professor and Chair of Methodist Divinity, Missions and World Christianity, Beeson Divinity School
Why this paper submission fits into the ETS 2025 Theme of Creedal Christianity
In The Story of Creeds and Confessions Donald Fairbairn and Ryan Reeves have made a convincing case that there is no more influential or widely recognize document of the entire patristic period than the Apostles’ Creed. The Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds represent the most widely recognized summaries of the Christian faith ever developed. Yet, our understanding of how the key phrases of these creeds are heard and received within the context of other major religions is not widely understood or appreciated. Yet, the majority of the remaining 7,189 unreached people groups are made up of Hindu people-groups. Having a better understanding of how our most formative creedal statements are understood within the Hindu context will enhance our ability to reach these people-groups with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thesis of the Paper
The purpose of this paper is to explore how key words and phrases in the two most influential creeds of the church are easily misconstrued and misunderstood in the context of Hindus who first hear these creeds. These creeds are designed to summarize and clarify the kerygmatic essentials of Christian identity, yet they need significant commentary and clarification to be properly understood in the Hindu context.
Key Arguments Explored in the Paper
Hindu Theologizing
Apophatic theologizing in Hindu assumptions
Dupex Veritax in Hindu thinking
Propositional Truth Statements in Hindu concepts of truth
Arundhati Hermeneutic in Hindu thought
Key Phrases Explored in phrases shared by Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds
1. “We believe” (Apostles’ and Nicene)
Hindu conceptions of “believing”
2. “in one God, the Father” Almighty (Apostles’)
“in God the Father Almighty” (Nicene)
Nirguna / saguna Brahaman in Hindu conceptions of “God”
3. “ Creator of heaven and earth” (Apostles’)
“Maker of heaven and earth” (Nicene)
Vedic creation myths
Hindu views of creation and matter
4. “Conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary” (Apostles’)
“by the power of the Holy Spirit, He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and was
made Man.”
Avatar in Hindu cosmology and soteriology
Key Differences between incarnation and avatar
5. “ He suffered under Pontius Pilate” (Apostles’)
“he was crucified under Pontius Pilate (Nicene)
Hindu views of historicity
5. Crucifixion, Resurrection, Descent and Ascension
In Jesus Christ
Hindu understanding of work of Jesus Christ
6. “the forgiveness of sins” (Apostles’)
“We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins” (Nicene)
Hindu understandings of “one” and “sins”
Qualifications to Give Paper
1. My PhD is in the area of Hinduism
2. I was a full professor at Gordon-Conwell for eleven years, heading up the missions program.
3. I am currently a full professor at Beeson, giving leadership to their misisons program.
4. I have given many papers to ETS over the years, including two full plenary addresses in 2011 and, more recently, in 2020.
5. I served as President of Asbury Seminary for the last fifteen years, so I was not free to attend ETS as frequently as my early years, but I am now back in the classroom and looking forward to attending ETS annually.