Incarnation - Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Rastafari

In Christianity, the union between the divine and human natures in the one Jesus Christ; the ‘Word’ of God becoming ‘flesh’ (John 1.14). The term is also appropriate to other religions (eg Hinduism) in which a life-spirit is given a material form.

While Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism are perhaps the most widely-known traditions to employ this concept within the context of their respective belief systems, they are by no means the only ones to do so.

Buddhism

In the Buddhist tradition, an incarnation is a person believed to be the next rebirth of someone deceased, in most cases a lama or other important master/teacher.

See also: Rebirth (Buddhist), Zurmang gharwang

Christianity

The doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ is central to the traditional Christian faith as held by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and most Protestants. In the Incarnation, the divine nature of the Son was perfectly united with human nature in one divine Person.

Hinduism

For discussion of the incarnation concept in Hinduism, see avatar.

Rastafari

For the Rastafari movement, Haile Selassie is God incarnate in flesh, much in the same way as seen by Christians with Jesus, and dealing with the same problem of how someone can be human and God at the same time for Rastas Selassie is a reincarnation of Jesus Christ.