Customer Reviews

The Christ of the Indian Road

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3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Christ of the Indian Road" is a first-person account of E. Stanley Jones' experiences as a Christian missionary in India almost 100 years ago. He describes the journey that he undertook from a presumptuous young missionary hoping to bring meaning into the lives of lost pagans (my wording) to a seasoned veteran proclaimer of the joy found through following Christ, ultimately trying to contextualize Christ within a rich, religious Indian culture. Jones clearly communicates his disdain for the common mistake that many Christians make to assume that our cultural framework is the "Christian" one, trying to superimpose our culture on top of the culture of those to whom we bring Christ. As an alternative approach, Jones admonishes us to learn from other cultures, to respect the truth that can be found in them, and to allow Christ to enter into that culture on His terms and on their terms, not on our terms.

There are certainly those who will critique Jones for a lack of theological rigor. And, at times, he seems to give non-Christian religions (most often Hinduism and occasionally Islam) a free pass, offering no critique and almost suggesting that their understanding of God simply needs a little dose of Jesus to be fully on track. I personally wonder whether this lack of any theological parameters does not run in opposition to some of Jesus' own statements. And Jones' almost obsessive optimism that Jesus was taking India and its religious heritage by storm is betrayed by our perspective many decades later that India has not been completely overwhelmed by a groundswell of Jesus.

With these critiques aside, I am so thankful to Jones for helping me to understand what its looks like to decontextualize Jesus from my own cultural assumptions and start to recontextualize Jesus in another culture. The love that Jones has for Jesus is described in such beautiful and inspiring words that I could not help but to be moved. His joint passion for Christ and for India provides a winsome example for any of else who want to share Jesus with others, and I was quickly drawn to this Christ of the Indian Road. Thanks to Jones, I am now especially aware that we have the opportunity to truly celebrate the unity of our diversity, serving and worshipping the Christ of every cultural road, knowing that He connects with us uniquely within the confines of our respective cultures, but also knowing that He is but one Christ, the one whose path we all are blessed to follow.

Anyone who is prepared for conviction about their walk
with Jesus the Christ or who wants to know what having a
truly committed heart for Him is, will want to read this book.
It is very obvious that E.S. Jones was Totally inspired by
the Holy Spirit to write this book. In the most gracious
manner possible, E. Stanley Jones teaches that, as followers of Christ, our Only purpose is to bring Him to others. Not imply or outright tell people they have to know Jesus like everyone else. That No Matter where we live, we are all individuals in Christ collectively comprising the entire body of Christ. Mr. Jone's realizations could Only come from a heart that is Truly aimed toward and seeking the Son of Man.

The Christ of the Indian Road by E. Stanley Jones (Hodder and Stoughton 1925) is 254 pages long and is split into 13 chapters. The author, an American arrived in India in around 1908 and spent 8 years of various forms of Christian ministry before having a break down. After furlough and back on the mission fields of India, God met him and healed him, and he was then called to the high castes of India, sharing the Good News through meetings of the `upper classes' of India and presenting Christ and not Christianity. 3.5 rating, not good enough for 4, but better than 3.

The book focuses around introducing and sharing Christ with India, hence the title of the book The Christ of the Indian Road and how denomination and tradition, but especially Western civilisation can hold back Indian's from coming to Christ, because we present them Christianity and Western civilisation side by side. There is much philosophy within the book, and many statements and responses from Hindus etc. who loved Christ and followed Him, but who did not get baptised into a church fellowship.

There are some references to Mahatma Gandhi, who whilst a Hindu, `followed' the teaching of Christ and how within the space of 9 years (the time in which the missionary, E. Stanley Jones, began witnessing to the high caste) attitudes had changed, because Indian had disassociated Christ with Christians and the Western World and began to love Christ and His teachings - especially from the Beatitudes.

The book also touches on the KKK, Syrian church of South India, the sinfulness of discrimination - the caste of India and the African-Americans of America comparing the racism of India and America, alongside American immigration and their policies against admitting Asians - well limiting the number drastically); philosophy and teaching, prayer, Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, decaying Hinduism, Sunder Singh, Ghandi, Karma, Nationalist Movement, concubines and race prejudices.

The book is very different than other missionaries book I have read and it good reading for those who desire to know more about India's religious heritage and where it was in its social and religious changes in the mid 1920s.

India's religious and Social heritage in the mid 1920s as recalled by a Missionary

This is an excellent, inspiring description of the universal appeal of Christ. It is also a stinging indictment of how "Christians" from the West have prevented the spread of that Good News. Highly Recommend this book. This particular edition has numerous typographical errors - misspelled words that can be a little confusing, until you mentally correct the errors.

Kessinger Publishers has reprinted only chapter 13 of The Christ of the Indian Road. The first 12 chapters are missing. This is nothing more than a pamphlet with most of the pages blank. The two other reviews included here are based on an earlier edition of the original book. This incomplete Kessinger edition was published December 2005.

I missed Stanley Jones' one visit to Peoria, Illinois at the United Methodist church and I shall always regret it. I met his housekeeper in a small CNI church in Serampur (not in West Bengal). His graphic descriptions of the dear people of India will never leave me, and this wonderful book is on the par with Violet Schoonmaker and Amy Carmichel books on India. Having been to India 21 times I totally recommend anyone going there to visit Varanasi and the New Life League, 12 Bungalow Road, where Dr. K.V.Abraham presides and carries on a comparable ministry to that of Jones, only he is a national, a very devoute Christian, and a true witness of the life changing power of the Gospel. Reading "Christ of the Indian Road" is a treat, a joy, and a great uplift. -B.G.Drake,Jr.

I give this book a 3.5 rating as iot is not good enough for 4, but better than 3! The Christ of the Indian Road by E. Stanley Jones (Hodder and Stoughton 1925) is 254 pages long and is split into 13 chapters. The author, an American arrived in India in around 1908 and spent 8 years of various forms of Christian ministry before having a break down. After furlough and back on the mission fields of India, God met him and healed him, and he was then called to the high castes of India, sharing the Good News through meetings of the `upper classes' of India and presenting Christ and not Christianity.

The book focuses around introducing and sharing Christ with India, hence the title of the book The Christ of the Indian Road and how denomination and tradition, but especially Western civilisation can hold back Indian's from coming to Christ, because we present them Christianity and Western civilisation side by side. There is much philosophy within the book, and many statements and responses from Hindus etc. who loved Christ and followed Him, but who did not get baptised into a church fellowship.

There are some references to Mahatma Gandhi, who whilst a Hindu, `followed' the teaching of Christ and how within the space of 9 years (the time in which the missionary, E. Stanley Jones, began witnessing to the high caste) attitudes had changed, because Indian had disassociated Christ with Christians and the Western World and began to love Christ and His teachings - especially from the Beatitudes.

The book also touches on the KKK, Syrian church of South India, the sinfulness of discrimination - the caste of India and the African-Americans of America comparing the racism of India and America, alongside American immigration and their policies against admitting Asians - well limiting the number drastically); philosophy and teaching, prayer, Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, decaying Hinduism, Sunder Singh, Ghandi, Karma, Nationalist Movement, concubines and race prejudices.

The book is very different than other missionaries book I have read and it good reading for those who desire to know more about India's religious heritage and where it was in its social and religious changes in the mid 1920s.

As someone who has recently traveled in India, this book has meant a lot to me in understanding spirituality there. It was written in the 1920's and there are some great insights about Ghandi and the spiritual impact he had on India.