God in many forms

This unit tries to address the issue of whether Hinduism is in fact polytheistic or not. Most Hindus would argue that there is one God but in many forms. There are at least three major gods in the Hindu pantheon.

This unit presents the RE teacher with some unique challenges. For most of the students you teach, you will need them to think ‘outside their normal box’ and respond to some religious material that is probably alien to their experience.

By the end of this unit:

• most of your students will know that Hindus believe there is one supreme being who is revealed through several lesser gods
• some students will be able to explain that Hindus choose to worship gods that are traditional to their community, or have a particularly helpful contribution to make to the development of the Hindu people
• a few students will be able to demonstrate that the deities worshipped by Hindus are manifestations of characteristics of the ultimate reality, Brahman.

Prepare by reading the support material below. (You may also wish to provide this material for your more able learners.)

God in many forms

Starter

Ask students to consider the differences between water, ice and steam. Are they the same or different? Do they come from the same source? What is the chemical formula for these substances? Explain that Brahman is the unseen god of Hinduism – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are manifestations of the different characteristics of Brahman represented by human features and forms.

Activity

Use the activity sheet below as the core work for this lesson.

God in many forms activity sheet

Plenary

Using the image of Brahman on the homework sheet below, ask the students to describe what they think it suggests Brahman would be like. Use this as an opportunity to talk through what is required for this unit’s homework.

Homework activity

Use the following activity sheet as the homework for this unit.

Brahman – One God; many faces activity sheet