The comparative study of religions emerged in the Western academy in the 1800s. A key figure in the development of this area of study was Max Müller, who, rather than regarding Christianity as incomparable with other religions, placed all religious phenomena into an evolutionary and evaluative framework that favored Christianity. With time, comparative study broke free from explicit theological agendas. Scholars attempted to conduct comparison from a neutral stance not colored by religious allegiance. Recently, Francis Clooney and James Fredericks brought comparative study back into the realm of theology, not in order to evaluate other religions negatively but rather to use religious differences to consider Christianity in a new light. Largen's book is an exercise in this new comparative theology.

Krishna, one of the most popular of Hindu deities, is an avatar, God appearing as human. As an infant Krishna was beloved by the village mothers and later, as an adolescent, was adored by the village women. Largen identifies a wide variety of similarities and differences between Krishna and Jesus, with a special focus on the early years of these figures. On the basis of these comparisons she invites Christians to consider Jesus in new ways. Her main ideas for Christians to consider are the following: “First, God loves all of who we are and encourages Christians to love in, with, and through the body as well; second, God is passionate, not neutral or impartial; and third, human erotic loves also reflects [sic] divine love” (193).

Largen's comparative project is situated within a particular theological agenda. She is opposed to the strong focus in much Christianity on the death of Christ as the salvific moment. Instead she focuses on the life of Christ, especially his birth, as the key to salvation. She believes that through this focus one can avoid a privatized, individualistic spirituality: “Seeing salvation through the lens of the infancy narratives reminds us that salvation is fundamentally relational. . . . We see how critically important Jesus' relationships were to his very existence, how he was nurtured and sustained by those relationships, and how those relationships exemplified and furthered his message of salvation” (207–8). Focusing on the stories of the youthful Krishna helps Largen to gain new insights into the biblical accounts of the birth and life of Christ.

A large body of Hindu-Christian comparative studies has developed over the past two centuries. The majority of these studies focus on the philosophical schools of Hinduism. Largen's book is a contribution to a slowly growing body of comparative literature that focuses instead on the deities and their stories. Her book is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students, and for those working in the areas of Christology, the theology of religions, and Hindu-Christian studies. Different readers will find different points to argue with, but the book is an important contribution.