Unit 6. fuller life.

Their Christology is not centered on the titles of Jesus, or the

dogmatic definitions of his person. These are not questions of any immediate
Christology in Indian Contextual Approach concern to them. Their interpretation of Jesus is as someone who dwells among
them (Jn. 1:14), who shares their life, its struggles and sorrows. Therefore, in
One of the major tasks of theology is to interpret the person and work of Jesus
the gospel stories of Jesus‘ dealing with the poor, those at the periphery of
Christ and the challenge for theology is to re-interpret the meaning of Jesus to
society have found great echo in the hearts of the poor in India. As a result, the
the given context so that his significance will impact the communities.
socioeconomic reality of the community requires a Christology that can present
Interpreting Christ requires a committed encounter with the context because it
Jesus as the liberator.
is the context which becomes the locus of theological reflection. The hallmark
of today‘s context is the awareness of one‘s own identity and this awareness Dalit Christ
definitely shapes Christology i.e. Dalit Christology, Feminist Christology,
Tribal Christology etc. A.P. Nirmal claims God of Old Testament prophets is a servant God- a God
who serves. Service of others has always been the privilege of Dalit community
8.1 Christ the Liberator in India. In order to prove the dalitness of Jesus A.P. Nirmal brings pathos from
Jesus‘ genealogy. The genealogy highlights Tamar, the daughter-in-law of
The Latin American Liberation theology brought the issue of socioeconomic
Judah, who outwitted her father-in-law by sleeping with him; Rahab the harlot
factor as part of theological exercise. According to S. Kappen ―What we have
who helped the Israelite spies; Bathsheba, mother of Solomon, Son of David.
in India is a form of dependent capitalism characterized by the vast
These minute details of Jesus‘ ancestry suggest his dalit conditions. Jesus used
concentration of the means of production (agricultural and industrial) in a few
the title ‗son of Man‘, this title got very significance and the Son of Man is
hands. Though it has contributed to the development of the productive forces,
used to indicate his suffering and death. These saying speak of him
capitalism has created wide disparities in income and opportunity, which have
encountering rejection, mockery, and contempt, suffering and final death. He
only increased since Independence. 47 percent are doomed to live below
underwent these Dalit experience as the prototype of all dalits.
subsistence level. Here is how an economist sums up the result of capitalist
development thus far: Nine-tenths of India‘s populations are left behind in According to Maria Arul Raja, God deliberately took on vulnerable human
economic backwaters. Mass poverty is on the rise; the non-availability of the flesh to show complete solidarity with the suffering masses as well as restoring
most basic human necessities per capita such as food grains and clothing are their lost human dignity. Jesus is viewed as the Messiah in relation with his
scarce; rural indebtedness has multiplied; unemployment and suffering to provide salvation to the marginalized including the Dalits.
underemployment have reached the level of 20.8 million person-years‘. To this For James Massey, God preferred to be born as a poor person and this reflects
must be added the proliferation of slums, the marginalization of tribals and the the fact that in our context Jesus is a Dalit, the poorest of the poor. Dalit
outcastes, the destruction of traditional handicrafts and the ecological ravages theologians rightly connect the dalit experience and Jesus experience. Nirmal
wrought by profit-oriented production. Kappen here evaluate the Indian society also believes that Jesus had the Dalitness in him both to serve and suffer. He
and his mark sheet presents the real face of India. It is important to hold all this says that Jesus is like a dhobi (washerman) or bhangi (sweeper) who strives to
in mind today, when we speak of a Christology from the struggles of the eradicate the dirt from society, but still he was rejected, treated as inferior and
marginalized peoples of India. Their being marginal in society and being humiliated.
oppressed is a point which brings them together in search of freedom and a
Felix Wilfred claims that the death of Jesus ―outside the gate‖ of the city of explains the death of Christological formulates the north-east India tribal
Jerusalem is a particular moving events for Dalits. For, in traditional Indian context and more relevant to the Mizo. Vashum proposes Jesus as the Rooster.
society, since the Dalits were treated as untouchables, they were segregated Every society identifies a special or sacred animal/bird that symbolizes their
from the main village, and they had to confine themselves to habitations in a identity. For the Naga‘s, Rooster is a sacred animal/ bird for sacrificial
separate place outside the village. Here the Dalits identify their plight with the purposes in protecting humanity. Rooster sacrifice was conducted for restoring
situation of Jesus, cast out and killed outside the gates of Jerusalem. The Dalit wellness and harmony among individuals or community.
experience of rejection also finds connection with the life of Jesus. For M.E.
Prabhakar Christology is not to be understood in terms of power but what is Tribal Christology develops from the tribal ethos. Tribal exists because the
humble and frailly human… it is a call to make sacrifices on behalf of the poor. community exists, and each one lives for the community and is ready to give
He wants an Indian expression of Dalit Christology and urges to create his/her life for it. This sense of corporate identity is very strong among the
indigenous Dalit concepts or expressions. The Dalit way of expression is tribals. It is the communion of mind and heart the Good News in the Christian
actually quite contrary; they are very fuming in nature and we could find a sense. Also its characteristic is closeness to creation and attachment to the land.
protest in them; be it songs, dances, musical instruments, worship or rituals. So Land is more than a means of production. Finally, their democratic orientation,
therefore, when we use these Dalit expressions to spell Christology, we will sense of equality, sense of independence, habit of open, frank discussion,
certainly end up with an active, effective and result-oriented Christology. absence of inhibitions, creatively, simplicity, sincerity, truthfulness, happy and
jovial disposition, hardworking, hospitality, sociability, practicality, peace
Dalit Christology present Jesus as the Messiah of the Dalit community and loving, etc. all these positive qualities are a reflection of the Goodness of God
there is a visible connection between the life of Jesus and the dehumanized life and an affirmation of Gospel values and reflects Christ in their communitarian
experience of Dalit community thus he provide them hope against all atrocities context.
and injustice.
Adivasi Christ
Tribal Christ
The adivasis live on the fringes of Indian society in areas that were generally
Taking the Biblical verse from Hebrews 1 : 1 ff, ―in the past God spoke to our not integrated into the states of historic India, often dwelling in forests, jungles,
ancestors…but in these days he has spoken to us through his Son Jesus and hills. Adivasi languages and cultures differ from those of the dominant
Christ”, Renthy Keitzar speaks on making Christ present in our midst as one of Indian communities, and there is tremendous diversity among the adivasis
us, not as a foreigner, because God has spoken to our people, too, through him. across India.
Since God spoke to our ancestors, writes Keitzar, our cultural traditions are
important, but it is in Christ God has finally spoken and so all our heritages Francis Minj, is an adivasi theologian who has written on the contextualization
must be reinterpreted in terms of God‘s final revelation in Christ Jesus. Keitzar of Christology in the adivasi community, which he presents as ―the first
insists that we have to take risks to reinterpret Christ in the contexts of our Christian theology developed explicitly from an Adivasi perspective, for
socio-cultural traditions and contemporary realities. Adivasis, and written to nourish the Christian faith of the local Adivasi
church.‖ He interprets Jesus Christ as ―Paramadivasi‖ in the context of five
H. Lalpekhlua edify Christ in the context of Mizo rich traditional and cultural tribes in the state of Jharkand in central India: Munda, Oraon, Kharia, Ho, and
background as Pasaltha (pronounce as Pasalthra) meaning great warrior. He Santals. He explains that the word ―Paramadivasi‖ is his own creation, based
on the three Sanskrit roots: ―param‖ means ―supreme‖; ―ādi‖ means Paramadivasi, including the four roles of Ancestor, Liberator, Priest, and
―primordial‖; and ―vasi‖ means ―dweller.‖ ―Just as the adivasis are the original Healer, can effectively convey the gospel to the adivasi community.
dwellers, so too Jesus the word can be metaphorically construed as
Paramadivasi, the Supreme Primordial Dweller, the image of the invisible God, A.S. Hemrom argues that Jesus was displaced Adivasi. Displaced life realities
and the firstborn of all creation (Col 1:15). As firstborn of all creation, Jesus is of Adivasi. Because of developmental project in Adivasi places and
―the greatest ancestor,‖ but he also revises the received notion of ancestorship: Forest, Adivasi are displaced from one place to another. From CNI writers,
―Through his violent death Jesus challenges Adivasi cultural taboos. His Nirmal Minz argues that Jesus incarnation itself is displacement of God. God
murder would disqualify him ancestorship, but he defies the Adivasi taboo of was displaced from the cry of people especially the Adivasi. He says that in
denying ancestorship to those who die violently.‖ Jesus we meet a displaced God and gone through the experience of
displacement right from his birth.
Minj observes that traditionally, adivasi communities had no king or central
ruling authority, but today they yearn for liberation from the dominant forces in Jesus as suffering servant. From the experience of Munda Ashur Kahani (
society that enslave and demean them. Minj interprets Jesus Christ as the traditional story) tribe. Munda suffer under the money lenders, by the suffering
Liberator, ―the voice of the voiceless‖ and the bringer of freedom: ―Jesus boy who was thrown to a fire furnace but alive and liberate many Adivasi. This
Christ, the persecuted and the mutilated one, demonstrates his solidarity with suffering boy is regarded as Jesus Christ. They used their myths or community
the suffering Adivasis, instilling hope that their daily ‗death‘ by exploitation story to interpret.
will turn into liberation, if they follow his praxis.‖ In traditional Sarna Feminist Christ
mythology, the horse is a symbol of ―hostility, power, anti-life, and
disharmony‖; and Minj proposes in response that ―Jesus Christ Liberator Feminist theology tries to solve the puzzle of relevance of Jesus to the context
conquers the horse. A construal of Jesus as the highest, the noblest, and the best of women. Can a male figure like Jesus can emancipate women‘s cause? There
horse tamer, the one who forces the horse to acknowledge his Sonship, seems are various answers to this Christological issue, for some the tradition itself is
relevant.‖ The images of Jesus as High Priest (pahan) and as Healer/Exorcist affected by patriarchy thus the need is to reject idolatry of Christ but there are
(deonra) also speak powerfully to adivasi society. In the Sarna religion, the many theologians who view Jesus as promoting the cause of women liberation.
pahan offers sacrifices of animals or food to propitiate God, to establish
harmony, and to gain protection from evil. The pahan also offers sacrifices to R.L. Hnuni evaluates Jesus‘ concern for women, Jesus‘ attitude for women
spirits. Minj see Jesus ―as the highest pahan,‖ citing the Letter to the Hebrews. comes across from every source, and in every form, every parable, miracle,
An adivasi myth tells of God dying in the disguise of a leprous boy to abolish story, discourse and his actions. Luke is often presented as the gospel writer
sins; Minj proposes that Jesus transforms this myth and presents a new vision who has a particular concern to present Jesus as caring for women that are not
of salvation. While adivasis look to exorcists (deonras) to protect them from related to other gospel writers (Lk. 7:36-50, 13:10ff). Nevertheless, all the
evil spirits, these powerful figures can also do harm and thus are feared. Jesus gospel writers give us the same picture of Jesus as one who not only showed
as the divine exorcist is ―a new kind of deonra.‖ Indian society has long concern for the well-being of women but gave them their full worth and dignity
stigmatized the adivasis; Jesus‘ touching of the sick and the ―untouchables‖ in as full human beings. In spite of the indifferent orthodox Jewish‘ attitude of the
his society (Mk 1:31, 1:41, 5:38– 41, 8:22–25, 10:3; Lk 6:19) is a very moving day, it is quite remarkable that Jesus is presented as showing no reluctance in
image for adivasis. Minj concludes that the image of Jesus Christ as outwardly showing his concern to women. When Jesus is presented as the one
who has concern for women, it does in no way imply that he has a particular
liking for women, he loves them and shows sympathetic attitude towards them ear until it is recognized that it seals the internal joy of the triune Godhead
because they are one of the oppressed and down-trodden groups of the society. apart from any external relationships, or, to use Upadhyay‘s phrase, it
One can find Jesus acting on behalf of women to provide dignity and equality. celebrates ―the beatitude of triple colloquy or a meeting point.‖

In today‘s world violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human 7.2 Trinity as Karma Marga, Bhakti Marga and Gnana Marga
rights violation. It can be seen in every corner of the streets, in families and in
places of work. It is a grave social problem that threatens the safety, equality The Bhagavadgita (―Song of God‖; c. 100 CE), an extremely influential Hindu
and bodily integrity of every woman. It is one of the cruelest social text, presents three paths to salvation: the karma-marga (―path of ritual action‖
mechanisms to suppress women. Gender violence manifests itself in multiple or ―path of duties‖), the jnana-marga (―path of knowledge‖) to gain a supra-
forms – selective female foeticide and infanticide, sexual abuse, incest, intellectual insight into one‘s identity with brahman and the bhakti-marga
molestation, sexual harassment at work and on the streets, marital rape, (―path of devotion‖), love for a personal God.
domestic violence in the form of wife assault and women battering. Violence Raymond Panikkar (1918-2010) is one of the most influential Indian
against women is part of our society and in this context women liberation Christian theologians of contemporary era. In ‗The Unknown Christ of
requires rejection of all forms of violence. All these oppressive and suppressive Hinduism’ he tries to compare two religious traditions, Christianity and
experiences can be emancipated in Christ through his liberating power and his Hinduism to bring harmony. In Trinity and World Religion, he once said ‗the
concerns for women. encounter of religions belongs to the Kairos of our time.‘

UNIT 7 In his latter book called ‗The Trinity and the World Religions’ he arrives at a
similar conclusion from a different angle. His main concern is to work towards
7.1 Trinity as Sat Chit Ananda
―the universalisation of Christianity, towards the actualization . . . of its
Brahmabandhav Upadhyaya followed the footprints of K.C. Sen and explained catholicity‖ contributing ―to the development of all religions‘ unity‖. He then
the mystery of trinity in terms of Sat- Chit- Ananda. In his journal Sophia proceeds to show how in the doctrine of the Trinity the three kinds of
Weekly, he presented the Trinitarian God as Sat (Being), Chit (Consciousness) spiritualities, karma marga, bhakti marga and jnana marga, are not
and Ananda (Bliss). K. C Sen introduced the term, Saccidananda (Sat + chit + mutually exclusive but can be reconciled. Here he admits, the key problem is
ananda = truth + intelligence + bliss) for the Trinity. Boyd suggests that this the real meaning and content of the terms ‗nature‘ and ‗person‘ . His final
term is more adequate than the Nicene Formula of one substance and three solution is ‗theandrism’. Theandrism is the classical and traditional term for
persons, which is still in Greek philosophical categories. that intimate and complete unity which is realized . . . in Christ, between the
divine and the human and which is the goal towards which everything here
Upadhyay argues only God can be truly called sat, i.e., existence by itself below tends in Christ and the Spirit. Then he developed new
which is eternal, immutable and infinite. Upadhyay has established the terminology cosmotheandric. Through cosmotheandric he tries to abolish the
ontological basis for the Second Person of the Trinity in a way consistent with huge gap created by the dualism between Cosmos, God and human. Thus,
Advaitic thought. His Hymn of the Incarnation brings forth his Christological cosmotheandric dreams a cosmos with ecological, humanist and Godly
position in trinity as Cit- Consciousness or intelligence. The third and final values. This directed pointed towards the three paths karma-marga, jnana-
radical making up the doctrine of Saccidananda is the term Ananda, translated marga and bhakti-marga as trinity concept.
as bliss or joy. The term Ananda as joy or bliss sounds strange to the Western
7.3 Trinity as the Radical Community of Equals link with the visible faith expression of Jesus Christ or Church. ―Insiders‖ are
new disciples of Jesus whose main ―inside‖ attitude are relationships and
Raimon Panikkar (1918-2010) develops a trinitarian vision of the universe communities of their social and religious culture. Insider discipleship is said to
which he later applies to his encounters with world religions and cultures. He ―express itself in culturally appropriate communities of believers who will also
calls this the “cosmotheandric” (cosmic-divine-human) insight. Panikkar continue to live within as much of their culture, including the religious life of
speaks of the ―radical Trinity‖ as the mature understanding of the Christian the culture, as is biblically faithful.‖ It means that they remain attached to their
insight and of most human traditions. He specifically defends his thesis own religious or faith traditions and additionally they believe in Jesus.
according to classical Christian teaching. Here we explore the cogency of
Panikkar‘s position including his understanding of the Trinity as a fundamental LCMS missionary Herbert Hoefer published his book, Churchless
challenge to monotheism. Panikkar extends his trinitarian vision to embrace Christianity, a study of Jesus devotees in Tamil Nadu in India. The general
other traditions and cultures, including those which do not define themselves in nature of this ―Churches Christianity‖ in the city is to relate believers in Christ
religious or theistic terms. Initially, he calls this the “cosmotheandric in their private prayer and meditation. Occasionally they go to Church
principle” —the one but intrinsically threefold interrelationship of cosmic anonymously, but for the most past they are on their own to nurture their faith.
matter, human consciousness and divine freedom. On Radical Trinity, Thus, they easily fall away from a disciplined worship life and into a
Panikkar made the following provocative statement- syncretistic way of thinking. When some need or anxiety arises in their life,
they will again turn to Lord Jesus for help, strength and guidance.
The radical Trinity I am advocating will not blur the distinction between
Creator and creature—to use those names—but would as it were extend the There is also a christubhakta movement in North India. This group is found in
privilege of the divine Trinity to the whole of reality. Reality is not only Varanasi, Gorakpur, Lucknow, Agra and Faridabad. The spirituality of
“trinitarian”; it is the true and ultimate Trinity. The Trinity is not the christubhakta emerges from the grassroots, from the spirituality of their own,
privilege of the Godhead but the character of reality as a whole. influenced by Hindu Bhakti movement. The new search for identity of
christubhaktas finds a response in the teachings of Jesus and in the experience
Panikkar develops his dynamic understanding of the Trinity according to his of his person, and he becomes their Ishtadevata- personal deity. This is ―faith
reading of the Pauline trinitarian formula: ―God is above all, through all and in encountering faith‖ in the deeper subject-hood of the believers. The dialogue
all‖ (Eph. 4:6). He refers to this as ―the non-dual-One or One-non-duality‖ that the Christubhaktas enter into with the Christian experience is shaped already by
includes all beings without suffocating them in the ―embrace of the One‖ their experience of faith in Hinduism and other indigenous religious traditions.
which qualifies Oneness and a community of Equal. The encounter with the Christian experience deepens their experience nurtured
through their traditional rites, practices, etc. The case of Christubhaktas is one
UNIT 8
of faith-journey. There is no break with one‘s past religious experience to
Churchless Christianity embrace a totally new faith and message. The experience and spiritual process
the Christubhaktas undergo is a journey in which their past accompanies them
Churchless Christianity is an approach of evangelism, and it is also known as while they move ahead in their faith-quest.
―movements to Jesus‖ or ―insider Movements‖. Insider movements are defined
as ―popular movements to Christ that bypass both formal and explicit Churchless Christianity tries to protect the religious and cultural aspect of one‘s
expression of Christian religion.‖ So, it means that insider movement has no faith so that there should not be disturbance or persecution or disorder to the
cause of the gospel. At the same time there is no denial that there are many fulfilled in India only if the Indian churches actively participate and function on
elements in the visible body of Christ i.e. Church which can hinder a few but the basis of diakonia.
that does not validate one not to be part of the Church. Christian faith is having
a strong community life and individual dimension of faith is very much part of (b) Modernization and Diakonia: The dialectics of modernization and its
the social life of the person and the individual faith is being nurtured in the impact on India and the church‘s diakonia are closely related. The church
community of disciples of Jesus. should actively participate in the process of modernization in bringing changes
to the lives of the people especially empowering the marginalized and the poor,
Church as Diaconal Community humanizing the dehumanized. Diakonia focus larger human development that
will cover all kinds of people. This points to the holistic character of the
Diakonia is generally understood as the ―responsible service of the gospel by alternative paradigm of modern development as a transforming agent. An
deeds and by words performed by Christians in response to the needs of Alternative Paradigm of Modernization must shifted from economic
people‖. There is no doubt that this form of diakonia or charitable service has development to social development along with social justice, there will be
been a permanent activity throughout the history of the church, rather like more involvement of people in the development process, that will
koinonia (fellowship), kerygma (witness) and didache (teaching). In the automatically bring equal development under modernization.
modern ecumenical parlance, however, diakonia is also seen as used in a larger
sense. At the Third Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in New (c) Search for a Spiritual Reinforcement of Secularism in India: After
Delhi in 1961, the term ‗social diakonia‘ was used to distinguish it from Indian independence, secularism shifted its meaning and emphasis due to
charitable diakonia and to emphasise the church‘s action to change the religious fanaticism. It needs to be reinforced with an open secularism that will
structures of the society in the direction of justice. M. M. Thomas‘ book ‗A open gates for religious, ideological and cultural movements for justice in the
Diaconal Approach to Indian Ecclesiology’ compelled him to revisit on old society. If the churches in India continue to be static community that concerns
issues in new ways from the effects and consequences of modernization, its own self-interest, it will violate the true calling of the church to be a body to
globalization and communalism to the Indian situation. Then he wrote this fill the entire society, across boundaries of caste, class, language and race. That
book with a purpose to enquire about structuring the church of Christ in is why, the open church is emphasized with flexible structures, boundaries,
modern religiously and ideologically pluralistic India and to provide a diaconal rules and rituals, which is in dialectical and dialogical relationship with
approach to Indian ecclesiology in the midst of pluralism. religions, ideologies and cultures towards movements for justice in the society.

(a) Towards an Ecclesiology in context: M.M. Thomas sees that Indian (d) India as a Community of Diverse Peoples: Thomas describes India
churches emphasize preaching and sacrament in its order of the fellowship, but as a community of diverse people with the notion of holism, which concerns
the diakonia of the church to the society and culture is neglected very often. for building India a community of peoples with parity given to their respective
That is why he uses Diakonia. He hoped that understanding the church as cultures. The cultures are interacting culture as they are community of diverse
koinonia in Christ and committed to diakonia to the larger community could brought by cultural self-identities of peoples. It is the situation where peoples
make a very important contribution in the dialogue with people of other faiths. of different religions need to work together for common hope and motif of
Humanization is one of the aspects of modernization, and Christianity and justice in the society. An important aspect of the present situation is
Modernity cannot be separated. The church seek to humanize the modernity reinterpretation of both traditional and the modern culture. In that situation, the
through hope in the divine gift of the Kingdom in Jesus Christ and can be
Indian church‘s diaconal role has been building the church as fellowship of movements as an organized effort on the part of a section of the population,
peoples with diverse cultural traditions. involving collective mobilization based on an ideology, to bring about changes
in the social system. Church as People‘s Movement can be discussed as
(e) Faiths in Dialogue on the Spirituality of Suffering liberative, human dignity, solidarity and justice and environment movement
Servanthood: This deals with the need of interfaith dialogue on a spirituality dimensions.
which can keep the struggles within the framework of the ultimate goals of the
whole community of life on the earth. It also looks for the specific contribution 1.1. Liberative Movement: The Indian society is marked by grave injustice
of the church as koinonia in Christ to this spirituality. According to Thomas, and violence built into its structures and institutions of civil life. Economic
there are three types of spirituality in India- the primal cosmic, the mystic a exploitation and social exclusion based on caste, marginalization of large
cosmic and the historical messianic. The primal vision of spirituality is sections of people in the civil and political processes, unfair distribution of the
characterized by the spiritual unity of human, animals, nature, spirits, gods and benefits of scientific and economic progress, unequal access to educational and
high gods. This spirituality is usually represented in the practical ways of employment opportunities, forced poverty, discrimination against rural people
community living. The mystic spiritual vision realizes itself in the experience etc. are all different forms of conflicts, injustice and violence imbedded in our
of undifferentiated unity of human self with the Universal Self. Historic social fabric. The movements are having concern about these issues. They play
mesianism finds human self-fulfilment in participating in the ultimate purpose a vital role in conscientizing the civil society in areas such as human rights,
at work in human history moving to an ultimate community of freedom and social justice and ecology. They compel the civil society and the state to
love. The Church is called for an active dialogue with other faiths to build up address issues like corruption, poverty, marginalization of women and girl
syncretism of spiritualities based on the Messianism of the Suffering Servant, children, oppression and exploitation of dalits and tribals. Church surely got a
which is symbolized by the centrality of the Crucified Christ and the prophetic mandate for liberative motive and thus it should participate in the issues of
diakonia of the church. Looking Indian pluralistic situation, if the churches people and support these social movements.
present the spirit of Christ Kingship and Lordship, the writer of the book sees
no conformity for the welfare of the society. That is the reason why he 1.2. Human Dignity Movement: For the church and for people‘s movements
proposes the Suffering Servanthood of Christ in dialogue with other faiths human dignity is a primary value. Everyone has a right to live with dignity
irrespective of their gender, race, language, region, religion, caste or
Church as People’s Movement sociopolitical and economic status. The church‘s social doctrine and the social
vision of movements place the human person at the center of all economic and
Peoples Movement is important phenomenon in today world. There are many social life must be at the service of human beings, especially the disprivileged.
kinds of social movements or people movements in India like peasant Providing dignity and equality is one of the fundamental vision and goal of the
movements, fisher community movements, Dalit movement, women‘s body of Christ and leading the de-humanized into humanity is the mission of
movement, environment movements etc. According to T.K. Oommen, social church consequently church and people‘s movement can be partners in this
movements are mechanisms through which human attempts to move from the venture.
periphery of a system to its center. They are conscious efforts by the people on
the periphery ―to mitigate their deprivation and secure justice‖ and emerge 1.3. Solidarity and Justice Movement: Solidarity with the socially
―when people committed to a specified set of goals participate in protest- marginalized was a characteristic trait of the life and mission of Jesus, who
oriented, purposive collective actions.‖ M.S.A. Rao describes social sought to defend the human dignity of the despised of his society that included
tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes and victims of leprosy. The contemporary everything is understood in cosmos. Antropos is the consciousness and
church sees solidarity as a fundamental social virtue directed to the common objectifying dimension. Theos is the depth dimension. It is the absolute
good. The life of Jesus provides hope and solidarity for the discriminated principle and it interacts with cosmos and anthropos.
people because the biblical pictures of Jesus presented in the gospel traditions
present Jesus being in solidarity with the margins. Jesus movement was S.J. Samartha further asserted that conversion is not from one religion to
movement providing a voice to the voiceless in Galilee and the early Christians another, but from unbelief in God to belief in God, and that mission is not the
were from socially deprived group. Church as the herald of Jesus‘s life and church‘s work but God‘s own work. According to him ‗We need the
ministry should show sensitivity to the issue of solidarity with the struggling conversion of the bishops, priests and religious of India, a conversion from
community by supporting various social movements. Justice is the chief issue being rich to being poor, a conversion from working for the poor to working
which most people‘s movements try to address. with the poor, a conversion from being for the poor to being of the poor.‘

1.4. Environment movement: The contemporary church and many It is commonly presented that the only task of church is to convert others even
movements stand for a non-consumeristic and sustainable lifestyle that keeps though it is not conversion but to make disciples i.e. shishyas or bhaktas.
us from unduly exploiting natural resources. There are several movements that Church as an agent of reign of God should know the socio-economic-political
advocate environmentally sustainable technologies in the management of struggles of bhaktas and should partners with agencies that provide hope and
natural resources. The church agrees with such movements that the pursuit of support to bhaktas. Church as an indigenous community should use the
development must be oriented towards creating just, humane and sustainable available traditions of the land to shape its ecclesiology i.e. ashram way of
societies based on harmonious and non-exploitative relationships within and spirituality.
between human communities and between human beings and the ecosystem. According to Felix Wilfred, Conversion has been one of the ways in which the
People‘s movement based on environmental crisis provide sense of reverence dalit selfassertion has found expression. These conversions were not for
to the nature, earth, trees, rivers, mountains, animals etc. and by doing so one economic benefits but were part of the dalit search for human dignity, respect
becomes aware of the oneness of life that we are part of the nature. It provides and equality and thus a new identity. But even within the church they are
a holistic vision of life in general and of the corporate life of the human discriminated and separated from the higher castes. Even the constitutional
community. Church can easily identify itself with these concerns because these provision of reservation for them has become an extremely sensitive political
are the attempts to find the goodness in creation (Gen. 1:4,10,12,18,21,25,31). issue in the country. The solidarity of the church with the dalits and their cause
is the challenge of the hour. There are three aspects for a proper understanding
of conversion today. They are: (a) The centrality of the kingdom of God (b)
UNIT 10 The historical and concrete situation (c) The priority of the people or nation as
such over individuals.
Conversion
Therefore, the church in India today should concern not primarily with
According to Raimond Pannikar ―…people are invited to have a conversion individual conversion rather should be directed to the presentation of the gospel
towards the Cosmotheandric Reality.‖ The different religions, confronting the whole country and calling it to conversion from its present state
incommensurable as they are on the level of lived belief and doctrine, do meet of oppression.
in the depth of the Cosmotheandric Intuition- It is the house of reality and
In today context and reality of present scenario Christian life and mission in which Chandran suggests is from Christ‘s baptism. It was not a baptism of
terms of conversion has to consider very sensitive under the anti- sinners, but Jesus‘ identification with sinners. This inclusiveness of all
conversion laws which states that the law is a state-level statutes that have mankind is based on the common humanity of man as man. This is the meaning
been enacted to regulate religious conversions. Our mission endeavor has to be of baptism: incorporation into the New Humanity of Jesus Christ, commitment
scrutinize and carried out very carefully but standing firmly with the to mission in the world, and identification with the world.
commission of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In contextualisation or indigenisation the elements to be presented in Indian
Baptism Christian theology have diverse significant. Conversion and baptism are all too
commonly seen as part of a movement of ‗denationalization.‘ Though the real
It was in 1609 Robert De Nobili referred ―Christian Veda‖ in his ministry and fear is the awakening and uprising of the people, opposition is expressed in
urged the Brahmin to read Bible and to accept Christian baptism. K.C.Sen also terms of religious conversion. But once we are freed from the obsession to
introduced sacrifices, baptism and Eucharist, mystic dances and even magic in baptize, to ‗save`, and our concern becomes the much wider concern of God to
his teaching and ministries. bring about God‘s Kingdom, the obvious relativization of baptism opens the
M.M. Thomas argues that is the final allegiance in response to Christ, ―at a way to understand the Church not as an Institution of Salvation, but as a
deeper level are those who accept the divine mediation or the atonement of the movement of Jesus followers at the service of all God‘s people and God‘s
suffering Messiah. At another level there are those who accept the very person creation. So, important in India context is viable to ponder deeply, Is Baptism
of Jesus as the ultimate model of the Messiah to come. He sees all these as in the Indian Context — An Event of Separation or Human Solidarity?
valid responses to the Christ. This quantifying of the Pauline faith is rather However, Baptism is an important elements of sacrament in Christian beliefs,
radically new. But finally he also sees man‘s response to Christ involving his so instead of having the notion as an event of separation and must committed
allegiance to him as the Lord and savior and joining his church in baptism.‖ with our dogmas and doctrines. Christian must committed to work for a new
Thomas emphasizes more on the ministry of the laity in the world when he just socio-economic order, for the integrity of all creation they will necessarily
talks about the church. For him the church must have koinonia, or open cause divisions between those who accepts and rejects.
fellowship, without any barrier. For this reason he discusses baptism whether it The obvious relativization of baptism opens the way to understand the Church
should be an entrance ticket into the church or privilege of the member of the not as an Institution of Salvation, but as a movement of Jesus followers at the
church. service of all God's people and God's creation. This transformed image will
Russell Chandran who belongs to that generation of Indian Christians and enable the Church more effectively and creatively to be in communion with
stand between the colonial period and the emergence of indigenised others for the cause of the Kingdom.
Christianity, repeatedly lamented that ―Baptism is sadly misunderstood as
bringing man and woman from out of the world into the exclusive community
of the church.‖ For Chandran baptism represents ―not separation from the
world but commitment for the Lord‖. The ‗corrupt communal interpretation‘ of
baptism must be replaced by ―an interpretation emphasizing commitment for
the renewal of the world.‖ The theological basis for this inclusive interpretation