Krsna And Christ [Hardcover]

This work compares the Krsnavatara (Krsna in his avatara doctrines of Sankara and Ramanuja and the incarnation of Christ as represented by classical Christian orthodoxy, and draws out comparative theological and soteriological implications. It does so first by examining the epistemologies, theologies and world views of Sankara and Ramanuja, and the theology and world view of classical Christian orthodoxy, so that, second, an adequate foundation and subsequent thorough representation of avatara and incarnation might be accomplished, in order that, third, accurate comparisons may be drawn between avatara and incarnation. The result of this study is a demonstration that many of the popularly held similarities between avatara and incarnation are superficial, and that therefore careful consideration of epistemologies and ontologies should be undertaken when comparing theologies and soteriologies pertinent to avatara and incarnation. --This is a learned, nuanced, and penetrating work of scholarship which succeeds in demonstrating the theological differences between the Christian concept of Incarnation and that of the Krishna avatara in classical Vedanta, but at the same time indicates the rich possibilities for dialogue between the two traditions. A landmark work in the field of Christian-Hindu theology.-- Julius Lipner, Professor of Hinduism and the Comparative Study of Religion, University of Cambridge --This volume is a penetrating exploration of crucial differences between Christianity's incarnation of Christ and certain Hindu traditions' doctrines of Krishna avatara. Dr. Tsoukalas's study lays out strong epistemological and doctrinal foundations, and well-documented conclusions for those who desire to take the discussion beyond comparative issues into the more strongly contested arena of conflicting truth claims. Christians and Hindus alike will find it an invaluable resource for helping them understand common concerns as well as what is at stake in the profound difflƒ*