Summary
Contents
Subject index
This volume documents the ethnographies of regionally distinct Dalit and tribal Christian communities, raising new arguments pertaining to the autonomy and distinct identity of these communities in adverse social set-ups.
Stressing upon the plurality of identities, the essays reject the idea of determining these exclusively on the basis of religion. They also chart the multiple levels of marginality experienced by both Dalit and tribal Christians and analyze how these groups negotiate their former religious faith and practices with Christianity.
The book is a response to the urgent need for such studies in social science writings brought to the fore by contemporary political challenges and struggles facing these communities in various parts of India.
Christian Piety and the Emergence of Hindu Nationalism in Central India
Christian Piety and the Emergence of Hindu Nationalism in Central India
Introduction
In ‘Mohanpur’, a mixed Hindu/Christian Adivasi village located in rural Chhattisgarh, post-Vatican II inculturation measures, manifested most prominently by the infusion of Christian themes into traditional myths, rituals and festivals, have had limited effect on the piety of the local Oraon Catholic community. Aimed at redressing this situation, more stringent strategies employed by local priests as part of a contemporary ‘civilizing mission’ have sought to transform ‘backward’ Oraon Adivasis into ‘proper’ Christians. These strategies combine a sort of material ‘diabolization’, where a system of ostracism and fines is imposed against those found guilty of participating in shaitan ka kam (Satan's work) and other ‘un-Christian’ ...
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