Rethinking Hindu Ministry

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Hindu traditions are diverse and complex. Simple summaries of Hindu beliefs and practices aren't adequate to explain their captivating allure for Hindus. This collection of papers from seasoned practitioners observes Hindu traditions and Hindu ministry from new angles, introducing new perspectives on ministry in Christ’s name that are relevant far beyond the Hindu world. Broad conceptual pictures and detailed practical advice is presented. Also highlighted are some remarkable Hindus who surrendered to Christ - and wrestled with the meaning of following Him in their Hindu families.

This is the first book to turn to for pointers on sharing Christ with Hindus. [/DESCRIPTION][SUBTITLE]Papers from the Rethinking Forum[/SUBTITLE][CREDIT] by: H. L. Richard (Author) [/CREDIT] [PAGES] 162 [/PAGES] [BINDING] Paperback [/BINDING] [PUBLISHER] William Carey Library [/PUBLISHER] [PUBLISHYEAR] 2011 [/PUBLISHYEAR] [ENDORSEMENT1]

It is estimated that 86 percent of the Hindus of the world do not personally know a Christian. This illustrates the desperate need to take seriously our calling from God in His Word to do the hard–and sometimes painful–work of reexamining how we express our faith to people who are so different than us. The Rethinking Forum is focused on that very process. This book should challenge your thinking and stimulate you to action.

Greg H. ParsonsGlobal Director, US Center for World Mission [/ENDORSEMENT1] [ENDORSEMENT2]

H. L. Richard has keenly researched the response patterns of the various communities of India to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The reasons for the resistance of the upper-caste groups became his pursuit. His concern to rethink Christianity led him to develop full-length books and to interpret the significance of men such as Narayan Vaman Tilak, R. C. Das, K. Subba Rao, and the works of many Indian Christian theologians. I am glad that H. L. Richard leads the Rethinking Forum in the USA and travels to build indigenous followers of Christ outside the church in India. May God bless the writings of H. L. Richard to benefit the search for discovering new ways of kingdom growth in our religiously plural world.

Siga Arles, PhDDirector, Centre for Contemporary Christianity Bangalore, India [/ENDORSEMENT2] [TOC]

Introduction

Section One: Understanding Hinduism

1. Hinduism: A Brief Overview, Rethinking Forum

2. The Cultural Core of Hinduism, Timothy Paul

Section Two: Understanding Ministry in the Hindu Context

3. The Burden of the Past, Herbert E. Hoefer

4. Evangelical Approaches to Hindus, H. L. Richard

5. An H-scale for Hindu Contextualization, Rethinking Forum

Section Three: Historical Perspectives on the Hindu-Christian Interface

6. Christian Mission among Hindus: A Paper for Edinburgh 2010, H. L. Richard

7. The Church and the Hindu Heritage: Historical Case Studies in a Rocky Relationship, H. L. Richard

8. A Brahmin’s Pilgrimage in Christ: Lessons from N. V. Tilak, H. L. Richard

Section Four: Case Studies from the Hindu World

9. A Survey of Disciples of Christ from Non-Dalit Hindu Homes, P. and S. Kannan

10. Conversion or Regeneration: A Brief Discussion, Pradip Ayer

11. The Kingdom of God Outside the Church in India: A Review of Churchless Christianity by Herbert E. Hoefer, H. L. Richard

Section Five: Practical Pointers

12. Smoothing the Paths: A Caste Hindu Tells Her Story, B. V. Subbamma with Frank L. Roy

13. Reclaiming the Bhajan, Chris Hale

14. Twelve Tips for Friendship Evangelism among Hindus, Rethinking Forum

For Further Study

Glossary

Index

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