Sister Abigail Hester

Being a Hindu Christian: Walking the Sacred Path Between Two Worlds

Written by

Sister Abigail Hester, CSF-OFC

in

By Sister Abigail Hester, OFC
Franciscan Clarean Reflections on Faith Beyond Boundaries

Introduction: Two Altars, One Heart

To be a Hindu Christian is to live with your feet in two rivers and your heart rooted in the ocean of the Divine. It’s not a contradiction—it’s a calling. It’s not confusion—it’s communion. In a world that demands religious purity and neat theological boxes, the Hindu Christian shows up like sacred disruption, like incense and incense together, like Ganesh dancing to the Beatitudes.

Some people say it can’t be done. That Christ and Krishna don’t share space. That the Ganges and the Jordan can’t flow into the same soul. But for some of us, they already do.

What Is a Hindu Christian?

A Hindu Christian is someone who sees Christ and the Divine through the lens of both Hindu and Christian traditions. It’s not about cherry-picking. It’s about cultivating a full orchard. We don’t reject either path—we revere them both.

  • We may pray the Our Father in the morning and chant the Gayatri Mantra at night.
  • We might see Jesus as an avatar of divine compassion, a bodhisattva of self-emptying love.
  • We understand reincarnation not as heresy, but as soul-growth, sanctified by grace.
  • We light candles before the Virgin Mary and offer flowers to Lakshmi, without flinching.

Being a Hindu Christian doesn’t dilute our faith—it deepens it. It invites awe instead of anxiety. It births a God bigger than dogma.

But Isn’t That Heresy?

Let’s be blunt: the Church has always feared what it can’t control.

To be a Hindu Christian is to know you’ll be called names. Syncretist. Idolater. Lost. Confused. Or worse—inauthentic. But here’s the truth: if God is real, then God is not threatened by the beauty of Hinduism. And Jesus? Jesus is not a bouncer guarding heaven’s gates. He’s a door. An open one.

Besides, Christianity has always evolved in dialogue with culture. Early Christians blended Roman, Jewish, and Greek ideas. Celtic Christians braided Jesus with the sacred land. Why not Hindu and Christian wisdom now?

What Does It Look Like in Practice?

It looks like:

  • Reading the Bhagavad Gita and the Sermon on the Mount side by side.
  • Seeing karma and grace not as opposites, but as dance partners.
  • Meditating with mala beads while whispering the name of Jesus.
  • Learning from Sri Ramakrishna, Meister Eckhart, Kabir, and Julian of Norwich—all of whom found God beyond borders.

It’s a life of inner spaciousness. Of reverence. Of belonging to the whole world while anchored in a personal relationship with the Holy.

The Gifts of Being a Hindu Christian

  1. Mystical Depth – Hinduism teaches us union with the Divine Self; Christianity gives us Jesus, who shows us God with skin on. Together, we get both the transcendent and the tender.
  2. Embodied Faith – In Hinduism, the divine dances in matter—in food, art, sound, and sexuality. Christianity sometimes forgets this, but the Incarnation is the ultimate reminder that flesh is holy.
  3. Radical Compassion – Both paths invite us to serve. Whether through ahimsa (nonviolence) or agape (self-giving love), we are called to love deeply, fiercely, and practically.

The Pain of Being a Hindu Christian

Let’s not sugarcoat it. The path is hard.

  • Churches may reject you.
  • Hindu temples may not understand you.
  • Family may question your loyalty.
  • Religious leaders may call you a contradiction.

But here’s the thing: God never will.

Conclusion: The Fire and the River

To be a Hindu Christian is to sit at the feet of both Jesus and Shiva, to sing praises in Sanskrit and in Aramaic, to walk through the fire with love in your hands and a river in your soul.

It is to be a bridge. A mystery. A wildflower growing in the cracks of dogma.

And if you are one—know this: You are not alone. You are walking a sacred path walked by others before you—Saints, mystics, rebels, and lovers of God who knew that truth is never afraid of more truth.

So light your lamp. Burn your incense. Say your mantras. Follow Jesus. Touch the hem of the Infinite.

And don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.

You already are.

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