Mission At and From the Margins: Patterns, Protagonists and Perspectives

by Peniel Rajkumar

Overview

Mission at and from the Margins: Patterns, Protagonists and Pespectives revisits the "hi-stories" of mission from the "bottom up," paying critical attention to people, perspectives, and patterns that have often been elided in the construction of mission history. Focusing on the mission story of Christian churches in the South Indian state of Abdhra Pradesh, where Christianity is predominantly Dalit in its composition, this collection of essays ushers its readers to reshape their understanding of the landscape of mission history by drawing their attention to the silences and absences within predominant historical accounts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498209564
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	11/05/2014
Series:	Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series , #19
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Peniel Rajkumar is programme executive, Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, World Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland. He is the author of Challenges of Transition: Religion and Ethics in Changing Contexts (2007) and Dalit Theology and Dalit Liberation: Problems, Paradigms and Possibilities (2010).

Table of Contents

Foreword Decnabandhu Manchala ix

Acknowledgements xi

Preface xiii

Introduction

Mission At and From the Margins: Patterns, Protagonists and Perspectives: A Critical and Constructive Contribution to the Edinburgh 2010 Conference Joseph Prabhakar Dayam Peniel Jesudason Rufus Rajkumar 3

Harmony, Polyphony, Cacophony: Voices of Dissent and Unfamiliar Vocabulary S. John Boopalan 10

The Patterns of Mission

Malas and Madigas: Their Life and Livelihood (c.1860-1932) Geoffrey A. Oddie 23

The Nature and Pattern of Christian Church as a Reflection of Christian Missions in Andhra Pradesh (1884-1960): A Critique Pramod Rao 45

The Phenomenon of Bible Mission: Exploring the Features of a Local Church on the Margins James Ponniah 55

A Critical Study of the Bakht Singh Movement and the Challenges it Poses to an Ecumenical Understanding of Mission M. Santha Kumari 68

Caste Identity and Combating Marginality: A Village Lutheran Church in Coastal Andhra Ashok Kumar M. 82

Camoflaged Dalithood: Telangana Experience and the Churches' Mission to Strive to Sustain, Renew and Safeguard the Integrity of Creation Praveen P.S. Pcrumalla 97

The Protagonists of the Mission (Hi)Story

The Dalit Search for Christianity in the Pre-Independent Era in Andhra Pradesh: A Study of the American Baptists and American Mennonite Brethren Missions from the Dalit Perspective I.P. Asheervadam 113

Blurring the Boundaries: Telugu Bible Women, Itinerancy and Social Mobility James Elisha Taneti 127

Revisiting the Missional Engagement at Parkal: A Recovery of the Role of the Dalit Christian Community Bethel Krupa Victor 142

Stories of Women in South Andhra Lutheran Church: Feminist Theological Reflections N.G. Prasuna 160

Biblical Perspectives on Mission

Why Make it a Big Deal! Seeing the Widow Beyond Her Two Coins (Mark 12:41-44): A Dalit Feminist Perspective Surekha Nelavala 173

Dalit Interpretation of the Wisdom Literature with Special Reference to the Underprivileged Groups in the Hebrew Society: A Mission Persepctive K. Jesurathnam 179

Decoding the Politics of Lukan Discipleship: Discipleship, Discrimination and Dalit Christians in India Rebecca Sangeetha Daniel 200

Perspectives On/For Mission

Missson At and From the Margins: The Dalit Church's Response to the Ecological Crisis Motupalli Chaitanya 215

Mission as 'Opening the Roofs' in the Context of Globalisation and Marginalisation Raj Bharath Patta 226

Positive People: Seeking Strength from Stigma Devahi Selina 242

Hunting Using Hoax: Dalits, Caste and the Conversion Debate in India Pcniel Jesudason Rufus Rajkumar 248

Postscript Joseph Prabhakar Dayam 261

Bibliography 263

List of Contributors 279