Photo by Morna Lincoln
Text and Context in Dialogue

Approaching Hindus with the gospel

I was recently asked what evangelism techniques I use with Hindus. The question came as a bit of a surprise. To be honest it grated on me. The focus of techniques in evangelism can make the whole process sound very mechanical. People are seen as raw materials, which must be put on a production line until they come out just the way we want them. I tried to imagine the Lord Jesus giving his disciples training in techniques. It seems so crass. My interlocutor asked me again. "We are not hot on techniques," I replied, "but we are hot on our approach." The way we approach Hindus as witnesses of the Lord Jesus greatly colours the way the gospel is heard. In this issue of Voice of Bhakti H. L. Richard contributes a very helpful article on this subject. In it he outlines five approaches to Hindus that have been taken by evangelicals in the history of such gospel interaction. The burden of this journal is pastoral as well as strategic: how can we help the bhakta of Christ live out his devotion within the Hindu community? The testimony of bhaktas who have tried is of immense value here. In "Smoothing the Paths: A caste Hindu tells her story" B.V. Subbamma shares her experience with us. Our series on the festivals continues with these practical issues in mind, focusing this time on those that carry us from Winter into spring.

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. bhakti, nom. devotion, love, loyalty