The reactionary Theosophists—­after the provocative action had ceased—­what of them?  Would not the Indian jungle, which they are trying to reduce to a well-ordered garden of indigenous fruits, speedily lapse to jungle again?  We shall not attempt to answer our own questions directly, but proceed to the second part of our programme sketched on p. 122.  How far then have Christian and modern religious ideas been naturalised in New India, whether within the new religious organisations or without?  Whatever the fate of the organisations, these naturalised ideas might be expected to survive.

[Sidenote:  Modification of doctrines.]

[Sidenote:  Elements of Christianity being naturalised in India—­three.]

We recall the statements made on ample authority in an earlier chapter, that certain aspects of Christianity are attracting attention in India and proving themselves possessed of inherent force and attractiveness.  These, the dynamical elements of Christianity, were specially the idea of God the Father, the person of Jesus Christ, and the Christian conception of the Here and Hereafter.  For although Hinduism declares a social boycott against any Hindu who transports his person over the sea to Europe, within India itself the Hindu mind is in close contact with such modern religious ideas.  The wall built round the garden will not shut out the crows.  Indeed, like the ancient Athenian, the modern Hindu takes the keenest interest in new religious ideas.

To comprehend the impression that such new religious ideas are making, we must realise in some measure the background upon which they are cast, both that part of it which the new ideas are superseding and the remainder which constitutes their new setting and gives them their significance.  In brief, what is the present position of India in regard to religious belief; and in particular, what are the prevailing beliefs about God?

[Sidenote:  Indian beliefs about God—­Polytheists; Theists; Pantheists.]

A rough classification of the theological belief of the Hindus of the present day would be—­the multitude are polytheists; the new-educated are monotheists; the brahmanically educated are professed pantheists.  Rough as it is, we must keep the classification before us in trying to estimate the influence upon the Indian mind of the Christian idea of God.  From that fundamental classification let us try to understand the Hindu position more fully.

[Sidenote:  No one doctrine is distinctive of Hinduism.]

Let it be realised, in the first place, how undefined is the Hindu’s religious position.  From the rudest polytheism up to pantheism, and even to an atheistic philosophy, all is within the Hindu pale, like fantastic cloud shapes and vague mist and empty ether, all within the same sky.  To the student of Hinduism, then, the first fact that emerges is that there are no distinctive Hindu doctrines.  No one doctrine is distinctive of Hinduism.  There