Sacrifice: Hinduism and Christianity

Paper Summary:

This paper aims to draw an analogy between the spirituality of religious sacrificial practices in Hinduism and Christianity, showing how both have developed to connote the same spiritual significance today. It looks at how 'Yajetwa' in Hinduism and 'Sacrifice' in Christianity are incorporated into a believers' life in diverse manners and how the Vedic 'Sesa-Sesi' relationship connects them both with a perfect spiritual bond.

Outline
Biblical Theology
Hindu Theology
Analogy
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The 'Ramanuja' theology took precedence after a slight change in the political-religious structure of the palace and temple and with Visnu and Siva rising as personal, loving and saving deities. "Puja" and "aradhana" were replaced to connote sacrifice, with a primary purpose of pleasing the supreme deity, by placing flowers and fruits in front of the image of the Lord at the temple. This reserves primary value to the Lord alone, with sacrifice being but a step towards glorifying the deity. Visnu embodies the whole action of the sacrifice and all its' elements as a whole. Thus, a subtle transition from "'dharma is the sacrifice' to 'Visnu is the sacrifice'" occurs. "
In Christianity, Jesus's crucification is the symbol of sacrifice, whereby God became incarnate in Jesus and sacrificed himself for wiping out the sins of his entire nation, replacing the unnecessary animal sacrifice of the Old covenant. Three days later, his bodily resurrection depicted the efficacy of this process in freeing human beings from death."

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