Avatāra and Humanity: Kṛṣṇa, Christ, and the Problem of Identification

Abstract

In Avatāra and Humanity: Kṛṣṇa, Christ, and the Problem of Identification, Steven Tsoukalas explores the theological question of how, and to what extent, divine figures such as Kṛṣṇa and Christ identify with humanity. The article undertakes a comparative analysis of three theological frameworks: Rāmānuja’s Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta, Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism as articulated by Swami Prabhupāda, and classical Christian orthodoxy.

Through a close examination of the ontological composition of divinity and humanity in each tradition, Tsoukalas investigates whether there exists a shared essence or nature between the divine and the human. The study emphasizes the different doctrinal approaches to incarnation and embodiment—particularly the metaphysical implications of avatāra in Vaiṣṇava theology versus the incarnation of Christ in Christian thought. Ultimately, the article highlights key theological divergences regarding divine immanence, transcendence, and the capacity for relational identification with human beings.