THE PROBLEM OF CASTE WITHIN THE CHURCH
Keywords:
ChurchAbstract
Has conversion to Christianity decastified the converts? Theoretically it has to. The Christian tenets militate against persons professing Christian faith being divided or discriminated on the basis of any such classification as the caste system. But de facto, the Christian churches, be it Catholic or Protestant, are known for their discrimination against the Dalit Christians. In a memorandum submitted to the Simon Commission in 1930 the converts from the Untouchable Community have expressed their disappointment with the Christian Churches, "Though the operation of several factors, the more important of them being the strong caste retaining Hindu mentality of the converts to Christianity, and the indifference powerlessness and apathy of the Missionaries, we remain today what we were before we become Christians-Untouchables-degraded by the laws of social position obtaining in the land, rejected by caste Christians, despised by Caste Hindus and excluded by our Hindu deprrsseed Class brethren.
References
Antony Raj, The Children Of A Lesser God (Dalit Christians), Madurai: DCLM Publications, 1993.
Boff, Leonardo, Jesus Christ The Liberator, London: SPCK, 1987.
Dussel, Enrique, Ethics and Theology of Liberation, New York: Orbis, 1978.
Massey, James (ed.), Indigenous People: Dalits, Delhi: ISPCK, 1994.
Nirmal, Arvind P. (ed.), A Reader In Dalit Theology, Madras: Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, 1991.
Nirmal Arvind P. (ed.), Towards A Common Dalit Ideology, Madras: JESTTTS Publication, 1990.
Raj L. Sebasti & Xavier Raj, Caste Culture In Indian Church, Delhi: lSI, 1993.
Webster, John, The Dalit Christians ~A History, Delhi: ISPCK, 1994.
Wilfred, Felix (ed.), Leave The Temple, New York: Orbis, 1992
Rayan, Samuel, People's Theology, Jeevadhara, May, 1992.
Soares, George, "Table Fellowship Of Jesus: Its Significance For Dalit Christians In India Today", Jeevadhara, March, 1992.
Soares, George, "The Christian Response To The Indian Situation", in Human Liberation in the Indian Context, Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune, 1983.
The statements of TNBC & CBCI.
