Oxford University Press, USA
South Asia's Christians: Between Hindu and Muslim
Key Metrics
- Chandra Mallampalli
- Oxford University Press, USA
- Paperback
- 9780190608910
- -
- -
- Religion > Christianity - History
- English
Secure TransactionBook Description
Mallampalli begins with a discussion of South India's ancient Thomas Christian tradition, which interacted with West Asia's Persian Christians and thrived for centuries alongside their Hindu and Muslim neighbours. He then underscores efforts of Roman Catholic and Protestant missionaries to understand South Asian societies for purposes of conversion. The publication of books and tracts about other religions, interreligious debates, and aggressive preaching were central to these endeavours, but rarely succeeded at yielding converts. Instead, they played an important role in producing a climate of religious competition, which ultimately marginalized Christians in Hindu-, Muslim-, and Buddhist-majority countries of post-colonial South Asia. Ironically, the greatest response to Christianity came from poor and oppressed Dalit (formerly untouchable) and tribal communities who were largely indifferent to missionary rhetoric. Their mass conversions, poetry, theology, and embrace of
Pentecostalism are essential for understanding South Asian Christianity and its place within World Christianity today.
Author Bio
Chandra Mallampalli earned his doctorate in South Asian History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to earning his Ph.D. he studied theology and worked as a journalist in South Asia. He is the author of three books and many scholarly articles, which address the intersection of religion, law and society in colonial India.
At Westmont, Professor Mallampalli teaches courses in World History, Modern South Asia, British Empire, and comparative Asian history. He is a Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University and is married to Beverly Chen, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist.
Source: Westmont
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