Avatars and the Incarnation

Ryan M. Kocak

World Religions Dr. Terry Muck Kocak 2

Avatar and the incarnation – both terms are used to describe the coming of the divine in bodily form to the world in which we inhabit. With the popularity of James Cameron’s movie,

Avatar and the application of the term to describe digital representations of people, the term

“Avatar” may more frequently be spoken in the cultural vernacular of the American church member than the term “incarnation.” But what is exactly meant by the term Avatar, and how does it relate to the Christian concept of the incarnation? Within this exercise, I will attempt to define, compare, and contrast the Hindu understanding of Avatar with the Christian concept of the incarnation.

Through this exercise, I expect to find that both the terms describe the phenomenon of a divine being entering into world history in the form of a human; however, the essential differences in the two terms will be discovered when I look at the frequency of, motivation for, and meaning of the divine being taking on human form. While I expect to find points of harmony between the two terms, the function of the two terms within their specific religious context will eliminate a synonymous usage of one with the other.

The term Avatar in Hinduism is derived from ava (down) and ti (to cross); therefore, an

Avatar is generally a descent or a ‘down-coming’ of a deity, part of a deity, or some other superhuman being in a manifest form.1 In his book, Avatar and Incarnation, Geoffrey Parrinder attempts to systematize the Hindu doctrine of Avatar into twelve general characteristics: Avatars are real; if human, Avatars they take worldly birth; Avatars mingle divine and human; Avatars die; there is a historicity to some Avatars; Avatars are repeated; they are examples of how humans are to live; they have a mission; demonstrate reality in the world; guarantee divine

1 Noel Sheth, Hindu Avatara and Christian Incarnation: A Comparison. Philosophy East & West Volume 52 (2002): 98-125. Kocak 3 revelation; reveal a personal God; finally, Avatars reveal a God of grace.2 The term Avatar in

Hinduism is a word that has the potential to carry a plethora of meanings and possibilities. Take for instance the Avatars of Vishnu. In modern Hinduism, there are ten agreed upon instances of

Vishnu’s appearances. These ten Avatars of Vishnu range from the beloved human, Krishna to the tortoise, Kurma to the Dwarf, Vamana.

The incarnation in Christianity is a singular event in which the pre-existent, eternal, Word of God, Jesus Christ stepped into human history, being born of a virgin. The Orthodox

Catechism gives a precise definition, “The Son of God took to himself human flesh without sin, and was made man, without ceasing to be God.”3 Evangelical Christians believe that this was an actual historical event, where the Virgin Mary became impregnated in a supernatural and mysterious way by the Holy Spirit (Mt1:18, 20). Paul in his letter to the Philippians describes the humbling descent of Jesus Christ in the incarnation, “Although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians

2:5-8).”

The social context of the term Avatar is not found in the classical Upanishads; however, there was an older word utilized to describe a similar phenomenon, ‘manifestation’

(pradurbhava).4 As Michael Amaladoss in his book, The Asian Jesus points out, “In the Indian religious tradition, such manifestations of the divine in history can be many – that is, whenever there is need. The manifestations can take various forms, appropriate to the situation. All Avatars

2 Geoffrey Parrinder, Avatar and Incarnation – A Comparison of Indian and Christian Beliefs (New York: Oxford University Press, 1982), 120-127. 3 Russian Catechism, COC II: 471. 4Parrinder, 19-20. Kocak 4 are not of the same importance.”5 For example the Avatars of Rama and Krishna came at times of great need. Rama was a warrior king who vanquished an unjust ruler and Krishna guided good kings in their battle against the evil Kauravas. In Hinduism, the coming of an Avatar is to protect the good, destroy evil, and reestablish dharma in order to free devotees from samsara.

Unlike an Avatar, the incarnation is a singular event in history of a particular person. The incarnation started around 5 BCE in the ancient Israeli city of Bethlehem. The culture, in which the incarnation occurred, prescribed to a linear view of time, unlike the cyclical view of time prevalent in Indian religions. In the following example, Paul describes the incarnation from a

Jewish concept of time, “when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-6).” Jesus Christ did not descend and bear the

Cross in order to uphold the current religious system, but to make a way of salvation for all who believe in Him. It is out of the incarnation and Jesus Christ’s ministry that a new religion and covenant, Christianity is established to both ethnic Jews and Gentiles.

Ostensibly, Avatar and the incarnation seem to describe the same phenomenon – the divine descending to Earth in human form; however, the different indigenous worldviews and cultural expectations of the divine make them functionally incompatible. In Hinduism, “The

Avatars are not considered necessary for God to maintain the world. They come to meet the needs of the devotees. God knows the needs of men, but he does not share man’s sufferings since he is omnipotent.”6 In Hindu culture, an Avatar is a corrective measure to either help release people in the current time of the Avatar from injustice, or to show a path of enlightenment as in the case of the ninth Avatar of Vishnu, the Buddha. Since time is cyclical in Hinduism, the

Avatars are more frequent and come as are needed. One of the points of contention that Ghandi

5 Michael, Amaladoss, The Asian Jesus (Maryknoll, KY: Orbis Books, 2006), 105. 6 Hugo H. Culpepper, The Incarnation in the Dialogue of the Religions, 5. Kocak 5 had with Christianity is the view that Jesus was the only incarnate Son of God.7 The incarnation occurred in an oppressed culture that had prophecies promising that God would one day send a

Messiah to save, rule, and redeem his people from foreign oppression and sin (Matthew 2:6). The coming of Jesus, the incarnate one, while it may be similar to the entry of human Avatars, was not unanimously received by the culture. From the beginning of the incarnation, rulers attempted to kill the incarnate one (Matthew 2:16-18) and eventually succeeded by nailing Him to a cross.

Unlike the Avatars of Hinduism who experienced natural death, the incarnate one was physically resurrected three days later.

The incarnation and Avatars play similar yet contrasting roles within the total religious systems of Christianity and Hinduism. An Avatars descent in Hinduism is to reveal to their devotees a path that would save them from evil or to pass on a path of enlightenment that would free (moksha) them from the perpetual cycle of rebirth and redeath (samsara). In a very similar way, the incarnation was God becoming flesh and freeing us from the dominion of the devil, sin, and the world. Perhaps the most fascinating similarity between Hindu Avatars and the Christian incarnation is concerning the final Avatar of Vishnu to come, Kalki and the eminent, physical return of Jesus Christ. The incarnate one, Jesus Christ is described in Revelation as having a sword in his mouth, being on horseback, possessing a flame of fire in his eyes, and coming to judge the nations at the end of the age (Rev1:14-16; 19:13-16). Kalki is described by David Noss as “a messiah with a sword of flame, riding on a white horse, who shall come to save the righteous and destroy the wicket at the end of the fourth and depraved world period.”8

The first major difference of the two terms in the total religious systems is that Jesus did not come in the incarnation to merely save us from an evil army or to reveal a path of

7 Ibid. 8 David S. Noss, A History of the World’s Religions, 12th ed. (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2008), 134. Kocak 6 enlightenment. Jesus became the path to eternal life by which we are saved. Rudulph Otto helps to clarify this difference, “it is not the essential difference between Christ and Krishna and Rama that he is a “mediator” only, for they were mediators too. Neither is the doctrine of the

“incarnation” the special doctrine of Christianity. India possessed doctrines of incarnation long before Christianity. But that Christ was a “propitiator” is the profoundest meaning of his coming.”9 Otto is expressing that in the total Christian view, the incarnation is more than just

God coming in flesh to mediate between the two natures, but to absolve the sins of man and restore relationship with God. The second major difference is that in Hinduism, the Avatars even of the same deity never appear in the same form again after death. While Avatars continue to happen in different forms, the incarnation continues in Jesus Christ. The Christ who returns at the end of this age is not different from the Christ that was resurrected from the dead.

Through this study, my hypothesis was supported. While the terms Avatar and incarnation describe similar phenomenon, the differences are prevalent while looking at the function and role the beliefs play in their respected religious context. A particular surprise that arose in my research is how Avatars are born and don’t just appear out of thin air. I am still fascinated by the Avatar of Vishnu yet to come, Kalki and the physical return of Christ at the end of the age. I learned also that the singular incarnation in Christianity is a stumbling block for the

Hindu who recognizes multiple Avatars and views time as cyclical.

9 Rudulph Otto, qtd in Avatar and Incarnation – A Comparison of Indian and Christian Beliefs (New York: Oxford University Press, 1982), 118. Kocak 7

Bibliography

Amaladoss, Michael. The Asian Jesus. Maryknoll, KY: Orbis Books, 2006

Culpepper, Hugo H. The Incarnation in the Dialogue of the Religions.

Noss, David S. A History of the World’s Religions, 12th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2008.

Parrinder, Geoffrey. Avatar and Incarnation – A Comparison of Indian and Christian Beliefs. New York City: Oxford University Press, 1982.

Russian Catechism, COC II: 471.

Sheth, Noel. Hindu Avatara and Christian Incarnation: A Comparison. Philosophy East & West

Volume 52 (2002): 98-125.