Untouchable Bodies, Resistance, and Liberation: A Comparative Theology of Divine Possessions

Description

In Untouchable Bodies, Resistance, and Liberation Joshua Samuel engages in constructing an embodied comparative theology of liberation by comparing divine possessions among Hindu and Christian Dalits in South India. Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Part 1: Dalit Bodies and Divine Possessions Introduction: a Comparative Theology from a Dalit Perspective 1 Dalit Religious Experience as a Source of Comparative Theology 2 Caste 3 Untouchability 4 “Dalit” Resistance 5 A Note on Ethnography 6 Paraiyars—a Glance 7 Location of the Comparativist 8 Layout of Chapters Chapter 1 Toward a Comparative Theology of Liberation 1 Comparative Theology 1.1 Interrogating Comparative Theology 1.2 Prioritization of Texts 1.2.1 Lingering Western/Christian Supremacy 1.2.2 Disregarding Agency of Faith Communities 1.2.3 Perpetuation of Hierarchies 2 Dalit Theology 2.1 New Directions in Dalit Theology 2.1.1 Binarism 2.1.2 Identitarianism 2.1.3 Christian-Centrism 3.1.1 People Centered Theology 3.1.2 Non-Othering Theology 3.1.3 Comparative Liberation Theology 3 A Comparative Theology of Liberation from a Dalit Perspective 3.1 People Centered Theology 3.2 Non-Othering Theology 3.3 Comparative Liberation Theology Chapter 2 Dalit Body—the Untouchable Sacrament 1 The Dalit Body 1.1 Bodies That ‘Don’t’ Matter 1.2 Disciplining the Bodies 2 Theological Significance of the Dalit Body 2.1 Body in Christianity 2.2 Sacramentality of the Dalit Body 3 Choosing a Category for Comparison 3.1 Divine Possessions as Vague Comparative Category Part 2: Divine Possessions among Hindu and Christian Dalits Chapter 3 Dalits and Hinduism 1 Dalit Religion and Hinduism 1.1 The Modern Birth of Hinduism 1.2 The Unity of Traditions within Hinduism 1.3 Distinct Features of Dalit Religion 2 Hindu Dalit Goddesses 2.1 Goddess(es) of Hinduism52 2.2 Paraiyar Goddesses 3 Dalit Goddesses and Liberation 3.1 The Ambivalence of the Goddess(es) and Its Impact on Liberation Theology Chapter 4 Divine Possessions among Hindu Dalits 1 Divine Possessions: an Overview 1.1 Divine Possessions 1.2 Types of Possessions 1.2.1 Enduring Possessions 1.2.2 Temporary Possessions 2 Divine Possessions: a Closer View 2.1 Preparing for the Possessions 2.2 Experience of Being Possessed 3 Divine Possessions: Inferences and Interpretations 3.1 Not ‘Possession’ but Grace 3.2 Interweaving of Traditions 3.3 Background of the Possessed Devotees 3.4 Sexual Ambiguity 3.5 Body and Collective Memories 3.6 Liberative Elements in Possessions Chapter 5 Dalit Christianity and Theology 1 Dalit Christianity 1.1 The Beginnings 1.1.1 Rajanaiken of Tanjore (1700–1771)1 1.1.2 Maharasan Vedamanickam of Travancore (1772–1827)4 1.2 Mass Movements 1.3 Dalit Christianity Today 2 Dalit ‘God-Talk’ 2.1 The ‘Broken’ God 2.2 Problematizing Dalit God-Talk 2.3 New Trends in Dalit Theology: Re-Turning to the Body Chapter 6 Divine Possessions among Christian Dalits 1 Holy Spirit Possessions 1.1 Praise as Preparation 1.2 Receiving the Spirit 1.3 Interpreting Holy Spirit Possessions 1.4 After Holy Spirit Anointing, It Is Bible Time 2 Embodied Divine Mediation through Avi Kattu 3 Divine Embodiment through Sacraments 4 Christian Divine Possessions: Prospects and Possibilities 4.1 Centering the Body 4.2 Dalit Religious Elements 4.3 Divine-Human Agency 4.4 Possibilities of Resistance and Liberation 4.5 Reimagining Evil Part 3: Possessions as Kairos: an Embodied Constructive Theology Chapter 7 Divine Possessions as Dalit Resistance 1 Paraiyar Dalit Religion 2 Comparing Hindu and Christian Possessions 2.1 Setting 2.2 Experiences of the Devotees 2.3 Role of the Divine 3 Possession as Liberation 3.1 Bodies That Want to Be Mattered 3.2 Looking beyond Protests 3.3 Hidden Transcripts and Infrapolitics 3.4 Divine Possessions as Dalit Resistance: Reimagining Liberation 3.5 Possessions as Alternative Resistance Chapter 8 Envisioning an Embodied Comparative Theology of Liberation 1 Possessions as Kairos 1.1 Kairos 1.2 Paul Tillich’s Conceptualization of Kairos15 1.3 Possessions as Kairoi in/of the Margins 1.4 Re-Visioning Kairos Using Divine Possessions 2 Toward an Embodied Theology of Kairos 2.1 Christ and Kairoi 2.2 Spirit Christology 2.3 Spirit Christology and Religious Diversity 2.4 The Untouchable God in Untouchable Bodies: A Constructive Theological Imagination 2.4.1 Untouchable Divine Immanence 2.4.2 Transgressive Creativity 2.4.3 Empowering Be(com)ing Epilogue: Marginalized Bodies and Comparative Theology 1 Re-Visioning Comparative Theology from and at the Margins 1.1 Beyond Texts to Bodies 1.2 Beyond Borders to Living at the Boundaries 2 Some Confessions and Justifications 3 Looking Ahead Bibliography Online Sources Interviews Index