Despite this role, some Indologists such as André Bareau and Lily De Silva believed early Buddhism did not assign the same value to faith as in some other religions, such as Christianity.
Disamping peran tersebut, beberapa pakar Indologi seperti André Bareau dan Lily De Silva meyakini bahwa Buddhisme awal tak memegang nilai yang sama dengan kepercayaan seperti dalam beberapa agama lain, seperti Kristen.