Notes
for 3/29/16
Dr.
Brian Pennington
Christianity
in India
1)
Caste
System in India
a)
Came
out of European colonization of India
b)
Reference
to social systems of India
c)
This
system does not exist in India, no single tradition corresponds
d)
Two
ways for how we think about Caste
i)
Varna:
2,000 years old
(1) Covering, color
(2) Sacrifice of Cosmic Person: Purusha
(person)
(a)
From
his mouth came the Brahmans
(i)
Have
authority to conduct rituals
(b) From his forearm came Kshatriyas
(i)
Warriors/governers
(c)
Vaishyas
from thigh
(i)
Merchants
(d) Shudras
(i)
Servants
(e)
Jati
(i)
Kind,
sort, genus
(ii) ~3000
(iii) Marriage
(iv) Occupation
(v) Commensality
(vi) Determines occupation
(f)
Born
into your caste
(g)
Can
change their rank over time
(h) Practices and occupation determine rank
(i)
Alcohol
(ii) Dirty occupation
(i)
Today
they are highly political states of being
(j)
Became
more fixed during colonial period
2)
History
of Christianity in India
a)
Especially
in two places
i)
South
ii)
Northeast
b)
Story
that unfolds in southern two states
c)
Malabar
and Coramendal Coast
d)
First
Wave
i)
Christopher
Columbus
ii)
Vasco
Degamma (Portugese)
(1) Catholic
3)
Christian
groups in India today
a)
Roman
Catholic: 17 Million
i)
Church
of South India (Protestant): 3.8 Million
ii)
St.
Thomas Christians: 1.9 million
iii)
Church
of North India (Protestant) 1.25 million
iv)
Pentecostals:
Less than 1 million but growing
(1) Pentecostal Christianity
(a)
Book
of Acts, after ascension, speaking in unknown languages
(b) Faith healing
(c)
Speaking
in tongues
(d) Very visible in India
v)
(v) St.
Thomas Tradition
(a)
Thomas
arrived in Kerala (52 CE)
(b) Converted Brahmins (Jews)
(c)
Martyred
in Mylapore, Chennai (72 CE)
(d) First historical mentions of Thomas
tradition: mid-3rd century
(e)
Cathedral
of Saint Thomas:
(i)
Basilica
and Cathedral
(ii) Tells story of martyrdom
(iii) Saint Thomas Mount
(iv) Tomb of Saint Thomas
(v) Has become a place of pilgrimage
4)
Thomas
Christians
a)
Thomas
Christians were typically higher ranked
b)
Madurai:
Temple site, important, large
5)
Francis
Xavier 1506-1552:
a)
Co
founder of Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
b)
Missionary
to Portuguese Soldiers
c)
Successful
conversion of Paravars (fishing caste)
d)
Most
responsible with Christians being considered the lowest class
6)
Robert
de Nobili 1577-1656
a)
Sent
to Madurai
b)
Accommodationist
strategy
c)
Lived
as Brahmin
d)
Fifth
Veda
e) Caste is social
f)
Saw
the difference between Europeans and the people of India, and developed the new
strategy (Accommodationist Strategy)
g)
Had
to convince Rome that caste was a social construct, not related to religion,
paved the way for caste to be incorporated into Christian communities
7)
Lowest
Caste
a)
Untouchables
b)
Harijan
c)
Dalit
d)
Scheduled
Castes
8)
Protestant
Missionary Age
a)
Society
for Propagation of Christian Knowledge (1698)
b)
Society
of Propogation of the Gospel (1701)
c)
Baptist
Missionary Society
d)
William
Carey and his Pandit
i)
Called
for conversion of “heathens”
e)
Images
of what conversion could look like
f)
Tamil
Context: Self-Respect Movement
i)
Founder:
E.V. Ramaswamy, aka Periyar
ii)
No
inequality among people
iii)
Founding
principle of all modern politics in Tamil Nadu
iv)
Dalit
and non-Dalit activism
v)
B.R.
Mebedkar: founder of contemporary dalit liberation movements
No worries. Thanks for posting.
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