How to walk this journeyHow to read this guide
This guide was written by followers of Jesus. We believe the Bible is true, and we say so plainly. It sets the Hindu texts beside the Bible and says where we think they go wrong. We have tried to describe Hindu teaching accurately, and we invite you to check everything, including the Bible itself.
You do not have to agree with us to keep reading. If something sounds unfair, or wrong about what Hindus believe, keep asking. Honest questions are welcome all the way through.
This guide is written to help you understand your Hindu friends and share Christ with them. The questions are about whether ideas hold together, never about mocking a text or the people who love it.
- UnderstandListen until you can state their view in a way your friend would agree with.
- LocateFind the verse your friend has in mind. Look it up together; you do not need to know it by heart.
- TestWalk through the argument. Name the logical problem plainly.
- AnticipateKnow how a thoughtful Hindu would answer. If you cannot say what their best reply is, you have not yet understood their view.
- BridgeShow how the meets the longing underneath the question.
New to these words? Tap any word with a dotted underline, like , for a plain-English meaning. Tap any verse to read it. The Glossary tab lists every word.
How each step works
Most steps are built the same way, so you always know where you are:
- What the Hindu texts teach, stated as accurately as we can, with the references.
- Where it goes wrong, set side by side with what the Bible says.
- What your friend may sayWhat Hindus often say: the best reply a thoughtful Hindu would give.
- Your strongest answerHow a Christian answers: how a follower of Jesus responds to that reply.
- Christ above all: where the question points, to Jesus.
The four questions in the middle of the guide also name a logical issue, the kind of reasoning problem each one is about, in plain words. You do not need to learn the names. They are there to help you see the shape of the problem.
One more thing to know: Hindu thought is not one system. Three main schools read the same texts differently: (all is one), (God is personal, and we are part of Him) and (God and souls are always distinct). Ask which one your friend holds before you press a point.
This guide is not asking you to learn the or the . Know the Bible, and know why you believe it. Where the Hindu texts matter, this guide gives you the background you need, and the glossary and the verse cards are here to look things up.
Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope you have, with gentleness and respect. ()
Alongside this guide, read one of the four Gospels for yourself, Luke or John, and see who Jesus is in His own words. When Nathanael doubted, his friend Philip did not argue. He said, "Come and see" ().
Every conversation has one aim: to honor Christ the Lord in our hearts and to lift Him up. He is the answer, not our arguments. "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself" ().
Jesus never asked anyone to believe without looking. To Thomas, who doubted, He said, "Reach here your finger, and see my hands" (). He welcomes your questions.
Each step shows what the Hindu texts teach, where they go wrong, the best Hindu reply, and how the Bible answers. Read it with an open Bible, check what it says, and keep coming back to Jesus.
Why the next step followsIdeas only make sense inside their story. First, a map of all the Hindu texts, set against the one Bible.All the Hindu texts, and how they fit →Think of someone you could have an unhurried conversation with about these questions. What would you most like to ask them, or them you?
What question about God would you most like answered honestly? Keep it in mind as you read.