The Hindu practice of yoga has been in the news recently. Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler denounced the Hindu practice of yoga as incompatible with a Christian pathway to God. He has received many reactions--for instance, a Huffington Post opinion piece and a post on the EmergingUMC blog). Mohler has continued the dialogue, such as it is, with his response to criticisms.
According to Paul Laughlin's book Getting Oriented: What Every Christian Should Know about Eastern Religions, but Probably Doesn't, yoga--a Sanskrit word literally translated as "to yoke"--is defined as:
"(1) any one of a number (usually three, four, or countless) of spiritual disciplines recognized in Hinduism as effective in making the crucial (and inevitable) connection between one's atman and Brahman--also sometimes called a marga (path); or (2) a specifically physical practice or technique associated with hatha (i.e., bodily exertion) yoga.(290)"
"The purpose of hatha yoga is to release [energies from their concentrated centers throughout the body--centers that affect organs in their immediate vicinity--] and bring them into alignment, thereby facilitating the journey toward realizing true, mystical raja yoga [spiritual discipline aimed at mystical insight], which links atman (one's individual spiritual essence) to Brahman (the Absolute Spirit). Ideally the kundalini [a coiled spring of energy thought by some yogis to be at the base of the spine] would also be uncoiled, thus releasing its power to flow up the spine and connect the chakras [energy centers] from bottom to top. (96)"
You can learn more about yoga from two interviews on The Body's Grace and Meditation in Action from Speaking of Faith.
From what I have read about the controversy, I would characterize Mohler's statements as
- not denying the physical fitness of yogic exercises;
- not denying the spiritual value of yoga for Hindus;
- believing yoga ceases to be yoga when its exercises are divorced from its spiritual dimension; and
- denying the spiritual value of yoga for Christians.
What is your response?
- Is yoga still "yoga" when stripped of its spiritual dimension?
- What are the challenges in porting a Hindu practice into a Christian way of life? Is it still truly yoga once the adaptations are made?
- Is there value for Christians in the practice of yoga that maintains its spiritual dimension? Is there danger?
- Are there spiritual practices you feel are uniquely Christian?
