Lessons in Devotion: A Convergence of Christian and Hindu Religiosity

Abstract

While spending time in Bangalore, Varanasi, and Arunachala, India, Michelle Hubele investigated the importance of devotion in the Bhakti, Karma, and Jnana paths of Hinduism. Interviewing members of each tradition, she was able to learn first-hand how each group perceives the significance of their acts of devotion within the larger matrix of their religiosity. From there, Ms. Hubele was able to come to a greater awareness of how the outward expressions of faith in the traditions revealed each path's understanding of God. This research ultimately allowed her to analyze what important lessons Christianity and Hinduism could learn from one another with regards to their use of devotion in their respective theologies.