Terrorizing the Dalit Voice: A Post-Colonial Critique (original) (raw)

Dalit theology in the twenty-first century : discordant voices, discerning pathways

2010

INTRODUCTION SECTION I: DALIT THEOLOGY: INTRODUCTION, INTERROGATION AND IMAGINATION 1. The Heroine's Song in the Marathi Theatre between 1910 and 1920: its Code and its Public (Sathianathan Clarke) 2. Expanding the Ambit: Dalit Theological Contribution to Ecumenical Social Thought (M. Deenabandhu) 3. The Diversity and Dialectics of Dalit Dissent and Implications for a Dalit Theology of Liberation (Peniel Jesudason Rufus Rajkumar) 4. In the Beginning is also an End: Expounding and Exploring Theological Resourcefulness of Myths of Dalit Origins (Philip Vinod Peacock) 5. Envisioning a Postmodern Method of Doing Dalit Theology (Y.T. Vinayraj) 6. TRANS-formative Possibilities: Tribal Formations in Conversation with Dalit Theology (Lalruatkima) SECTION II: FORAGING DALIT WORLDS, FREEING THEOLOGICAL SYMBOLS, FORGING DALIT WORD VISIONS 7. Jesus and Ambedkar: Exploring Common Loci For Dalit Theology and Dalit Movements (Esther Chitra) 8. Gonthemma Korika: Re-imagining the Divine Feminine...

A THEOLOGY FROM DALIT PERSPECTIVE

Indian society is caste stratified and the Indian church too is caste-driven. However, Indian Church is Dalit church, but are relegated as objects of charity. It is in this context Dalit theology systematically brought to the fore God's presence and continuity to the pain and pathos and resolve and resilience of the Dalits in their existence.

Can We Now Bypass That Truth?' 1 - Interrogating the Methodology of Dalit Theology 2

2008

Dalit studies are making a come back. This is also reflected in the field of Indian Christian theology where Dalit theology has emerged as a separate discipline and not simply as a branch of theology. Dominant forms of discourse have the disconcerting habit of raising questions like 'relevance' and 'viability' which forces people to enter into the 'bypass mode'. Questions raising issues like 'reality' and 'representation', often lead to internecine conflicts that help no one but the dominant discourses. Although much has been achieved, including major interventions in the field of Biblical studies and hermeneutics and the rediscovery of Dalit literature, there is much that still needs to be done in the field of Dalit theology.

‘Can We Now Bypass That Truth?’ – Interrogating the Methodology of Dalit Theology

Dalit studies are making a come back. This is also reflected in the field of Indian Christian theology where Dalit theology has emerged as a separate discipline and not simply as a branch of theology. Dominant forms of discourse have the disconcerting habit of raising questions like ‘relevance’ and ‘viability’ which forces people to enter into the ‘bypass mode’. Questions raising issues like ‘reality’ and ‘representation’, often lead to internecine conflicts that help no one but the dominant discourses. Although much has been achieved, including major interventions in the field of Biblical studies and hermeneutics and the rediscovery of Dalit literature, there is much that still needs to be done in the field of Dalit theology.

Dalits and Religion: Towards a Synergetic Proposal

Black Theology, 2019

In the Indian subcontinent religious beliefs and worldviews are grounded and embodied in the community experience. For many in India without tangible social expression religion is irrelevant and futile. Even though the dominant religious persuasions may demand exclusive adherence, Dalits and Dalit Christians in India show the human capacity to influence such views, change their course of action and live with more than one prevailing religious worldview. This article strives to move beyond theories of hybridity within the study of religion and offers a constructive proposal that is synergetic in approach, facilitating an academic trope to work with increasing realisation of multi-religious belonging among Indian communities.

SHIFTING TERRAINS OF DALITS: LOOMING "UTOPIANISM" IN DALIT THEOLOGY

In this article, the author visits the terrains of the Dalits, whose locales are filled with volatility, anger and insecurity. As against it, the author re-visits Dalit theology as its articulations portend better future and liberation from all forms of human-made barriers. In particular, Dalit theology emerged as a response to the Dalit settings candidly underpinning that Homo sapiens as the locus of God, promising quality of life, freedom and rights from societal oppression and injustices. To be precise, over four decades, Dalit theology claims that God is in control of history and is at work in the liberation of the Dalits. In reality, Dalit theology has not made any significant inroads or breakthroughs or dents towards those promises and pointers. I attribute the failure to synthesize the text and the context; pragmatically linking or connecting Dalits' or even Dalit theology's utopia to the imminent reality. As we are poised at fag end of the second decade of the 21 st Century, this paper poses the following questions: Has Dalit theology changed the terrains of the Dalits and translated their hopes and aspirations? Does Dalit theology remain as something utopian-failing to translate hopes and aspirations of the Dalits? The creative and critical tension fails to unfold the ways with which utopia is thus concretized, whereas utopia and promises hangs separately and in isolation. Therefore, this paper argues that utopia as a concept by all means ought to be realized in Dalit theology.