It is time Indian Christianity reflected deeply upon its place in the Indian public,
grew in its publicness, and got involved heart and soul in the processes of the public
sphere. Needless to say that Indian Christianity has been existing, in some form or other,
as part of the Indian public. However, the context is different today, and it calls for an
informed and deeply reflective awareness of its identity, role, relationality with the
state and different religious others, presence in public and civil spheres, etc. By way of
contributing to such reflection, this volume brings together some essays that explore
Indian Christianity's relationship to the Indian public from socio-theological
perspectives. The essays take the reader through a journey of getting to know some salient
features and concerns of Indian Christianity, and then lead to a public theological
rendezvous with relevance, methods, and themes of public theology. The volume would make a
good introductory reading for students of Indian Christianity, sociology of religion,
public religion, and public theology in the Indian context.
Contents
Preface
Introduction: Indian Christianity in the Public Realm / Gnana Patrick
Part 1
Context and Concerns
1. Being a Minority : Prospects and Challenges Facing Christians in India to Play their
Public Role / T. K. Oommen
2. Christianity and the Indigenous People in India / S. M. Michael
3. Christianity and Education in India / Mohan Doss
4. Uniform Civil Code : An Appraisal / L. Sahayaraj
Part 2
Public Theological Explorations
5. Indian Christianity : Public Theological Explorations / Archbishop Prakash
Mallavarapu
6. Public Theology : Concept, History and Relevance for India / P. T. Mathew
7. Christianity and Democracy in India / Moses Manohar
8. Being Authentically Plural in the Contemporary World : Challenges and Prospects /
Varghese Manimala
9. Social Teachings of the Church and their Relevance of Public Theology / X. D.
Selvaraj
10. Inter-relationality between Indian State and Church : An Analysis / Peter
Susaimanickam
11. Christianity, Civil Society and Science-Theology Dialogue in India / Binoy
Pichalakattu
Contributors
Index
Dr. Gnana Patrick heads the Department of Christian Studies, and
serves as the Chairperson of the School of Philosophy and Religious Thought at the
University of Madras. Along with Prof. Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, he edited a volume
titled, `Negotiating Borders: Theological Explorations in the Global Era', and has
authored `Wings of Faith: Towards Public Theologies in the Indian Context'. He was awarded
the Fulbright-Nehru Visiting Lecturer Fellowship and taught a course on `Public Religion'
at Harvard University, USA.
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