DOCSLIB.ORG

This Thesis Has Been Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Postgraduate Degree (E.G

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
This Thesis Has Been Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Postgraduate Degree (E.G This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. TOWARDS A PERMEABLE SPIRIT ECCLESIOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF NORTH INDIA SWARUP BAR PH. D. THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH 2016 SIGNED DECLARATION I, Swarup Bar, hereby declare that I have written this thesis and that the work it contains is entirely my own. I furthermore declare that this thesis has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. Signed ____________________________ Date ____________________________10/03/2017 To My Parents who taught me the value of learning And my loving wife Sonali and daughter Ayanna who endured the pain of separation during my studies away from home. ABSTRACT This research offers permeable Spirit ecclesiology as a viable way forward for the churches in the context of the challenges in North India. Broadly, the challenges of the church in North India are twofold: one, to be an Indian Christian church amidst the plural religio-cultural context; second, to be in solidarity with the struggles of the marginalised. In other words, the church arguably ought to be relational with other communities and rooted in the North Indian context; on the other, it should critically and distinctly witness for Christ as a community of liberation in the context of the struggles of the marginalised. Thus, the church in North India arguably needs a relational-distinctive dialectics to address the challenges. This calls for a church with permeable borders to uphold the above in tension. I show that such dialectics can be upheld if ecclesiology in North India is construed from a pneumatological perspective with a Christological dimension. In dialogue with both Western and Indian theologians I show that a permeable Spirit ecclesiology is a viable way forward for the churches in North India. LAY SUMMARY This research offers permeable Spirit ecclesiology (church with porous borders) as a viable way forward for the churches in the context of the challenges in North India. Broadly, the challenges of the church in North India are twofold: one, to be an Indian Christian church amidst the plural religio-cultural context; second, to be in solidarity with the struggles of the oppressed people. In other words, the church has to be relational with other communities and rooted in the North Indian context; on the other, it should critically and distinctly witness for Christ as a community of liberation in the context of the struggles of the oppressed. Thus the church in North India needs a relational-distinctive character to address the challenges. This calls for a church with permeable or porous borders to uphold the above in tension. I show that both the relational and distinctive character can be upheld if the church in North India is understood from the perspective of the Holy Spirit in relation with Christ. In dialogue with both Western and Indian theologians I show that a permeable Spirit ecclesiology is a viable way forward for the churches in North India. TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages Acknowledgements viii Abbreviations xi INTRODUCTION 13 CHAPTER ONE: THE CONTEXT OF NORTH INDIA: CHALLENGES FOR THE CHURCHES. 29 1. A Brief Overview of India. 31 1.1.Colonialism and Christianity in India. 31 1.2.General Demographics of India. 35 2. The Context of North India. 36 2.1.The Ethno-linguistic, Religio-Cultural and Socio-Political Diversity of North India. 37 2.2.The Context of Marginalisation. 42 2.2.1. Marginalisation of Dalits. 43 2.2.2. Marginalisation of Tribal and Adivasi(Indigenous) People. 52 2.2.3. Marginalisation of Women. 62 2.2.4. Marginalisation of the Earth: Eco-Crisis. 66 2.3. Hindu Fundamentalism as One of the Major Threats. for Christians and other Minorities. 72 2.4.The ‘Colonial Captivity’ of the Churches in North India. 82 3. Introducing the Case for a Permeable Ecclesiology and its Pneumatological Shape. 89 CHAPTER TWO: THE CASE FOR A PERMEABLE ECCLESIOLOGY AND ITS PNEUMATOLOGICAL SHAPE. 93 1. The Character of Permeability. 94 2. Search for Suitable Models for a Permeable Spirit Ecclesiology. 101 2.1.A Social Trinitarian Model of Ecclesiology with Jürgen Moltmann. 101 2.2. An Ecclesiocentric Model from Stanley Hauerwas. 115 2.3. A Christo-Theocentric Model with Kathryn Tanner. 126 3. The Shape of a Permeable Spirit Ecclesiology with Amos Yong. 140 4. Conclusion and Looking Further 169 CHAPTER THREE: A PERMEABLE SPIRIT ECCLESIOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF NORTH INDIA. 174 1. Pandipeddi Chenchiah as Representing one of the Pioneer Approaches in Indian Christian Theology. 179 2. K.P. Aleaz as Representing a Contemporary Indian Christian Approach. 202 3. A Comparative Evaluation of Chenchiah and Aleaz and the Insights Particular to India. 225 4. The Permeable Spirit Ecclesiology of Samuel Rayan. 232 5. Conclusion: Rayan’s Spirit Ecclesiology is comparatively Appropriate in terms of Permeability and the North Indian Context. 260 CHAPTER FOUR: IMPLICATIONS OF THE PERMEABLE SPIRIT ECCLESIOLOGY FOR SELECT ISSUES IN NORTH INDIA. 263 1. Ecumenical Relations. 263 2. Multiple Religious Belonging. 282 3. Interfaith Relations. 299 4. Conclusion. 311 CONCLUSION 320 Bibliography 329 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of a PhD dissertation involves a strenuous but exciting journey. It cannot simply be accomplished without the kind assistance and support of others. The list seems endless in my case. However, the following are those without whose help and support I would not have accomplished it. I wish to express my gratitude to my first Supervisor, the late Prof. Michael Purcell who I met only once before he passed away in October, 2013. Thereafter I was skilfully guided by Dr. Nicholas Adams, who launched me into my project. I express my heartfelt thanks to him. I am profoundly grateful to my next primary supervisor Professor David Fergusson, who patiently and painstakingly guided me to sharpen and refocus my thesis into what it is today. He not only guided me academically but provided me much moral support. I am also thankful to Dr. James Eglington, my secondary supervisor. Thanks go to Prof. K.P. Aleaz who gave suggestions regarding the portion on Indian theologies. I am also grateful to Dr. Robin H.S. Boyd who gave suggestions regarding the thesis. My sincere thanks go to Dr. Katie Bradley, who patiently looked through my entire manuscript and gave valuable suggestions. Heartfelt thanks go to Catherine Meikle for looking through my chapters and her valuable suggestions. My thanks go to Margaret Acton for doing the proofreading. My grateful thanks go to the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, through which I received scholarships for study. I am grateful and thankful for Miller and Dalziel scholarship 2013/14 and The John and Ian Baillie Scholarship 2015/16 which catered towards my Tuition fees. I wish to express my heartfelt thanks and viii gratitude to the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A for considering financial support till the completion of my studies. Here I wish to particularly mention the recommendations of Mr. Alwan Masih, the General Secretary of the Church of North India (CNI) during several stages of the process. He deserves my thanks for his recommendations for obtaining the Church of Scotland accommodation from my second year of studies. In this case I wish to record my thanks and gratitude to the Church of Scotland for allowing me accommodation. Thanks go to Sandy Sneddon and others at the World Mission Council office of the Church of Scotland who helped me in the process. My profound gratitude and thanks go to the Rt. Rev. Ashoke Biswas, Bishop of Calcutta, Diocese of Calcutta; without whose help and support I would not have contemplated studying in Edinburgh. Bishop Ashoke has been instrumental through his valuable recommendations at different levels, for arranging financial support from the Diocese, to launch me into studies and for his encouragement throughout. I wish to thank the Rev. Dr. Sunil Caleb, Principal of Bishop’s College, who encouraged and gave me advice from time to time. Thanks to him for allowing me to use the Bishop’s College library during the course of my studies. I wish to gratefully acknowledge the Most Rev. David Chillingworth, Primus of Scottish Episcopal Church, who gave me opportunity serve in his Diocese. Thanks go to the members of St. John’s, Alloa who have been so kind. I cannot thank enough, Catherine and David Meikle, who have been a great source of strength in every way including financial support during my time in Scotland. I am deeply indebted to their contributions and shall be always grateful for their support from beginning to the completion of my studies. I wish to express my ix heartfelt thanks to Val and Robert Nellist, Professor Allen Werity and Ingrid Jaeckel for their financial support throughout. Apart from the above I wish to especially thank Karoline Mclean at the Divinity Office for her hand of help always, the Library Staff and my friends and colleagues at New College and in my wider fellowships in Scotland, India and beyond who have constantly encouraged me in different ways.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Legacy of Henry Martyn to the Study of India's Muslims and Islam in the Nineteenth Century
    THE LEGACY OF HENRY MARTYN TO THE STUDY OF INDIA'S MUSLIMS AND ISLAM IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY Avril A. Powell University of Lincoln (SOAS) INTRODUCTION: A biography of Henry Martyn, published in 1892, by George Smith, a retired Bengal civil servant, carried two sub-titles: the first, 'saint and scholar', the second, the 'first modern missionary to the Mohammedans. [1]In an earlier lecture we have heard about the forming, initially in Cambridge, of a reputation for spirituality that partly explains the attribution of 'saintliness' to Martyn: my brief, on the other hand, is to explore the background to Smith's second attribution: the late Victorian perception of him as the 'first modern missionary' to Muslims. I intend to concentrate on the first hundred years since his ordination, dividing my paper between, first, Martyn's relations with Muslims in India and Persia, especially his efforts both to understand Islam and to prepare for the conversion of Muslims, and, second, the scholarship of those evangelicals who continued his efforts to turn Indian Muslims towards Christianity. Among the latter I shall be concerned especially with an important, but neglected figure, Sir William Muir, author of The Life of Mahomet, and The Caliphate:ite Rise, Decline and Fall, and of several other histories of Islam, and of evangelical tracts directed to Muslim readers. I will finish with a brief discussion of conversion from Islam to Christianity among the Muslim circles influenced by Martyn and Muir. But before beginning I would like to mention the work of those responsible for the Henry Martyn Centre at Westminster College in recently collecting together and listing some widely scattered correspondence concerning Henry Martyn.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Review: "Dalit Theology and Dalit Liberation: Problems, Paradigms and Possibilities" by Peniel Rajkumar
    Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies Volume 25 Article 13 November 2012 Book Review: "Dalit Theology and Dalit Liberation: Problems, Paradigms and Possibilities" by Peniel Rajkumar Sathianathan Clarke Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Clarke, Sathianathan (2012) "Book Review: "Dalit Theology and Dalit Liberation: Problems, Paradigms and Possibilities" by Peniel Rajkumar," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 25, Article 13. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1519 The Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies is a publication of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. The digital version is made available by Digital Commons @ Butler University. For questions about the Journal or the Society, please contact [email protected]. For more information about Digital Commons @ Butler University, please contact [email protected]. Clarke: Book Review: "Dalit Theology and Dalit Liberation: Problems, Paradigms and Possibilities" by Peniel Rajkumar BOOK REVIEWS Dalit Theology and Dalit Liberation: Problems, Paradigms and Possibilities. Peniel Rajkumar. Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2010, 224 + xi pages. DALIT theology is a context-specific the “purity and pollution theory.” (pp. 7-19). expression of people’s God-talk that has real One needs to wait for his constructive consequences for the lives of marginalized contribution to detect the similarities between communities in India. Founded in the good the Indian ritually-based social division and the news that a new world order has been fractured socio-religious context of first announced and initiated by Jesus Christ, century Palestine. The healing dimensions of ‘broken’ men and women, who were ‘crushed’ Jesus’ work in the bible stories thus readily and and ‘rent asunder’ by the caste system (These fittingly become relevant in addressing the three terms are most commonly used as English present day caste-divide in the Indian situation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Grace of God and the Travails of Contemporary Indian Catholicism Kerry P
    Journal of Global Catholicism Volume 1 Issue 1 Indian Catholicism: Interventions & Article 3 Imaginings September 2016 The Grace of God and the Travails of Contemporary Indian Catholicism Kerry P. C. San Chirico Villanova University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://crossworks.holycross.edu/jgc Part of the Asian History Commons, Asian Studies Commons, Catholic Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, Comparative Philosophy Commons, Cultural History Commons, Digital Humanities Commons, Hindu Studies Commons, History of Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, History of Religions of Eastern Origins Commons, History of Religions of Western Origin Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Intellectual History Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, Oral History Commons, Other Anthropology Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Practical Theology Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Regional Sociology Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Rural Sociology Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Social History Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Sociology of Religion Commons, and the South and Southeast Asian Languages and Societies Commons Recommended Citation San Chirico, Kerry P. C. (2016) "The Grace of God and the Travails of Contemporary Indian Catholicism," Journal of Global Catholicism: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 3. p.56-84. DOI: 10.32436/2475-6423.1001 Available at: https://crossworks.holycross.edu/jgc/vol1/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by CrossWorks.
    [Show full text]
  • Androgynous Pariahs Gender Transformations and Politics of Culture in the North Indian Folk Theater Svāṅg
    Karan Singh Government College for Women, Haryana, India Androgynous Pariahs Gender Transformations and Politics of Culture in the North Indian Folk Theater Svāṅg Theater in general and so-called “folk” theater forms in particular transpose derivative behavioral patterns onto performers by arranging them spatially within a circumscribed area. This power of theater to transform a person from his familiar, normative life to an altered “persona,” temporally and spatially, lingers on with the performer, individually as well as collectively, even when outside of the performance arena. At the same time, however, even while on the stage, a performer is never really an individual in the sense of having a dis- tinct consciousness, for he carries with him a considerable amount of baggage based on gender, caste, and other cultural determinants prominent within the Indian social sphere. While utilizing his dramatic capacity to transform his individual self into another being on stage, performance confers on the actor an opportunity to transcend social and gender boundaries. The present article seeks to understand the role played by ontological transformations and dis- guises as factors responsible for cultural condemnation of a well-known form of folk theater called svāṅg, due to the challenge it poses to the structural view of life undertaken by cultural purists as stable and fixed, particularly in the case of gender and social identities. At the same time it traces the genesis of opprobrium on folk theater as low-caste or low-class activity, resulting
    [Show full text]
  • Dalit Theology and Indian Christian History in Dialogue: Constructive and Practical Possibilities
    religions Article Dalit Theology and Indian Christian History in Dialogue: Constructive and Practical Possibilities Andrew Ronnevik Department of Religion, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA; [email protected] Abstract: In this article, I consider how an integration of Dalit theology and Indian Christian history could help Dalit theologians in their efforts to connect more deeply with the lived realities of today’s Dalit Christians. Drawing from the foundational work of such scholars as James Massey and John C. B. Webster, I argue for and begin a deeper and more comprehensive Dalit reading and theological analysis of the history of Christianity and mission in India. My explorations—touching on India’s Thomas/Syrian, Catholic, Protestant, and Pentecostal traditions—reveal the persistence and complexity of caste oppression throughout Christian history in India, and they simultaneously draw attention to over-looked, empowering, and liberative resources that are bound to Dalit Christians lives, both past and present. More broadly, I suggest that historians and theologians in a variety of contexts—not just in India—can benefit from blurring the lines between their disciplines. Keywords: Dalit theology; history of Indian Christianity; caste; liberation 1. Introduction In the early 1980s, Christian scholars in India began to articulate a new form of Citation: Ronnevik, Andrew. 2021. theology, one tethered to the lives of a particular group of Indian people. Related to libera- Dalit Theology and Indian Christian tion theology, postcolonialism, and Subaltern Studies, Dalit theology concentrates on the History in Dialogue: Constructive voices, experiences, and aspirations of India’s so-called “untouchables”, who constitute the and Practical Possibilities.
    [Show full text]
  • Sebastian Kappen: a Challenge for Indian Priests Biju Joseph SJ Papal Seminary, Pune 411014
    AUC: AJRS 66/1 Jan-Feb 2021, P-ISSN 2249-1503 30-36 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4318171 Sebastian Kappen: A Challenge for Indian Priests Biju Joseph SJ Papal Seminary, Pune 411014 Abstract: Sebastian Kappen was a Catholic (Jesuit) priest who was passionately committed to the poor and drown- trodden. This article explores the person that he was, the vision that guided him and the challenge he offers to the Indian priests. The author also outlines the main influences on his life and his impact on the intellectuals of India. His life of commitment to and identification with the poor even at the cost of risking his own life is a commendable challenge to all of us. He was a true humanist who lived and died for the poor and the marginalized. Keywords: Sebastian Kappen, Passionate humanist, Liberation Theologian, Commitment to the Poor and Marginalised. Sebastian Kappen (1924-1993) was a Catholic priest who was passionately committed to the poor and drown-trodden. This article explores the person that he was, the vision that guided him and the challenge he offers to the Indian priests. His life of commitment to and identification with the poor even at the cost of risking his own life is a commendable challenge to all Cite as: Joseph, Biju (2021). Sebastian Kappen: A Challenge for Indian Priests (Version 1.0). AUC: Asian Journal of Religious Studies, Jan-Feb 2021(66/1), 30–36. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo. 4318171 30 B. Joseph: Sebastian Kappen of us. He was a true humanist who lived and died for the poor and the marginalized.
    [Show full text]
  • Uttarpara Hitakari Sabha and Its Role for Progress of Women Education of Colonial Bengal
    Uttarpara Hitakari Sabha and Its Role for Progress of Women Education of Colonial Bengal Dr. Supriya Biswas Assistant Professor of History, Gour Mahavidyalaya, Malda, West Bengal After the establishment of British rule in India nay Bengal some Bengali intelligentsia especially in the nineteenth century introduced with Western education and thoughts. They were inspired in a collective way for the benevolent activities of their countrymen. As a result, many educational, cultural and literary-based associations emerged in the first half of the nineteenth century for social reform in Bengal such as ‘Academic Association’(1828), ‘Society for the Acquisition of General Knowledge’(12th March,1838) of Henry Vivian Derozio, ‘Tattvabodhini Sabha’(21st October,1839) of Debendra Nath Tagore, ‘Vernacular Translation Society’ (December, 1850), ‘Bethune Society’(11th December, 1851) of Dr. J.F.Mouat, the Council of Education, ‘Bidyotsahini Sabha’ (June, 1853) of Kaliprasanna Singha, ‘Bamabodhini Sabha’(1863)1 etc. But ‘Uttarpara Hitakari Sabha’ was one of them, established on 5th April (Sunday), 1863 by some local (Uttarpara) educated youths under the leadership of Harihar Chattopadhyay2. This paper is intended to explore the rise of Uttarpara Hitakari Sabha and its role in the cause of women's emancipation of colonial Bengal. Before going to the detailed discussion on ‘Uttarpara Hitakari Sabha’ it is necessary to find out what was the background behind the establishment of ‘Hitakari Sabha’. Nilmani Mukherjee in his book ‘A Bengal Zamindar, Jaykrishna Mukherjee of Uttarpara and His Times 1808-1888’ wrote that “Jaykrishna Mukherjee had no active role in the history of the Hitakari Sabha”3. But this organisation for public welfare in Uttarpara, a few miles from Calcutta, owed its origin to the illustrious Mukherjee family of Uttarpara of whom Jaykrishna Mukherjee and his brother Rajkrishna Mukherjee were well-known for their philthrophy and patronage of public causes4.
    [Show full text]
  • Conversion in the Pluralistic Religious Context of India: a Missiological Study
    Conversion in the pluralistic religious context of India: a Missiological study Rev Joel Thattupurakal Mathai BTh, BD, MTh 0000-0001-6197-8748 Thesis submitted for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in Missiology at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University in co-operation with Greenwich School of Theology Promoter: Dr TG Curtis Co-Promoter: Dr JJF Kruger April 2017 Abstract Conversion to Christianity has become a very controversial issue in the current religious and political debate in India. This is due to the foreign image of the church and to its past colonial nexus. In addition, the evangelistic effort of different church traditions based on particular view of conversion, which is the product of its different historical periods shaped by peculiar constellation of events and creeds and therefore not absolute- has become a stumbling block to the church‘s mission as one view of conversion is argued against the another view of conversion in an attempt to show what constitutes real conversion. This results in competitions, cultural obliteration and kaum (closed) mentality of the church. Therefore, the purpose of the dissertation is to show a common biblical understanding of conversion which could serve as a basis for the discourse on the nature of the Indian church and its place in society, as well as the renewal of church life in contemporary India by taking into consideration the missiological challenges (religious pluralism, contextualization, syncretism and cultural challenges) that the church in India is facing in the context of conversion. The dissertation arrives at a theological understanding of conversion in the Indian context and its discussion includes: the multiple religious belonging of Hindu Christians; the dual identity of Hindu Christians; the meaning of baptism and the issue of church membership in Indian context.
    [Show full text]
  • “Let Your Yes Be Yes”: Progressing Toward Female Ordination in the Mar Thoma Church Pushpa Samuel
    “Let Your Yes Be Yes”: Progressing Toward Female Ordination in the Mar Thoma Church Pushpa Samuel A law is only effective if it is implemented, even as a church’s Cultural and Religious Overview of Patriarchy position on theological issues does not further its mission if there The cultural landscape of India has contributed to a perception is no corresponding practice. In 1986, the Mar Thoma Church of women as subservient to men, both in the home and society. officially stated that there is no theological barrier to ordaining Understanding the depth of this history helps to situate the slow both men and women to serve the church. However, there are change in the Mar Thoma Church in the centuries of India’s currently no ordained females within the global Mar Thoma struggle for gender equality. After Muslims established their Church. Why is there such a dissonance between doctrine and presence in India in the eighth century, there was a sharp decline praxis? To study this dissonance, it is important to compare in women’s education, and segregation (purdah) was introduced and contrast the Mar Thoma Church with the Roman Catholic Church and Church of South India (CSI), two other prominent to shield women from men.2 Purdah is not only physical segregation from males, but also concealment through clothing. churches in India that also have a global presence.1 Other Indian cultural restrictions toward women include widow The formation of the Catholic Church, the CSI Church, and the Mar Thoma Church has played a key role in the spread of burning (sati), child marriage, and female infanticide.3 Although Christianity in India, and each has a distinct view of women’s roles these practices have occurred in several other Asian countries, within the church, specifically concerning female ordination.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservatives 'Do Good'
    Christians The latest INSIDE caring for arts and God’s media creation, reviewed, p10 p11 THE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2013 No: 6197 www.churchnewspaper.com PRICE £1.35 1,70j US$2.20 CHURCH OF ENGLAND THE ORIGINAL CHURCH NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHED IN 1828 NEWSPAPER Commissioners take over Bank By Amaris Cole The board of RBS announced in the sum- invest in an exciting opportunity for the RBS chief, Stephen Hester, to account last mer they would favour the bid of this con- benefit of the serving and retired clergy, year, for failing to explain the Bank’s ‘duty The Church Commissioners are part of sortium, which includes the Corsair Capital bishops, cathedrals and the wide work of to society’, in relation to lending. a consortium of investors taking over investment fund, Centerbridge Partners the Church of England throughout the The Most Rev Justin Welby’s ‘war on 314 Royal Bank of Scotland branches and the Commissioners, with a focus on country especially in areas of need and Wonga’ and desire to see the finance indus- across the UK, now holding a 10 per ‘ethical standards and servicing the needs opportunity.” try become more socially responsible was cent stake in the bank. of retail and SME customers’. One way in which the Commissioners believed by some to be the motivation RBS was ordered to sell the portfolio of Lord Davies, former Labour minister and hope to influence the ethics of the bank is behind this bid, but those close to the deal high street banks by the European compe- boss of Standard Chartered, lined up the through bonuses.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:30 19 May 2016 South Asian Religions
    Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:30 19 May 2016 South Asian Religions The religious landscape of South Asia is complex and fascinating. While existing literature tends to focus on the majority religions of Hinduism and Buddhism, much less attention is given to Jainism, Sikhism, Islam or Christianity. While not neglecting the majority traditions, this valuable resource also explores the important role which the minority traditions play in the religious life of the subcontinent, covering popular as well as elite expressions of religious faith. By examining the realities of religious life, and the ways in which the traditions are practiced on the ground, this book provides an illuminating introduction to Asian religions. Karen Pechilis is NEH Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Chair and Professor of Religion at Drew University, USA. Her books for Routledge include Interpreting Devotion: The Poetry and Legacy of a Female Bhakti Saint of India (2011). Selva J. Raj (1952–2008) was Chair and Stanley S. Kresge Professor of Religious Studies at Albion College, USA. He served as chair of the Conference on the Study of Religions of India and co-edited several books on South Asia. Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:30 19 May 2016 South Asian Religions Tradition and today Edited by Karen Pechilis and Selva J. Raj Downloaded by [University of Defence] at 21:30 19 May 2016 First published 2013 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2013 Karen Pechilis and the estate of Selva J.
    [Show full text]
  • Artifacts and Representations of North Indian Art Music [*Ecompanion At
    Oral Tradition, 20/1 (2005): 130-157 Shellac, Bakelite, Vinyl, and Paper: Artifacts and Representations of North Indian Art Music [*eCompanion at www.oraltradition.org] Lalita du Perron and Nicolas Magriel Introduction Short songs in dialects of Hindi are the basis for improvisation in all the genres of North Indian classical vocal music. These songs, bandiśes, constitute a central pillar of North Indian culture, spreading well beyond the geographic frontiers of Hindi itself. Songs are significant as being the only aspect of North Indian music that is “fixed” and handed down via oral tradition relatively intact. They are regarded as the core of Indian art music because they encapsulate the melodic structures upon which improvisation is based. In this paper we aim to look at some issues raised by the idiosyncrasies of written representations of songs as they has occurred within the Indian cultural milieu, and then at issues that have emerged in the course of our own ongoing efforts to represent khyāl songs from the perspectives of somewhat “insidish outsiders.” Khyāl, the focus of our current research, has been the prevalent genre of vocal music in North India for some 200 years. Khyāl songs are not defined by written representations, but are transmitted orally, committed to memory, and re-created through performance. A large component of our current project1 has been the transcription of 430 songs on the basis of detailed listening to commercial recordings that were produced during the period 1903-75, aspiring to a high degree of faithfulness to the details of specific performance instances. The shellac, bakelite, and vinyl records with 1 An AHRB-funded (Arts and Humanities Research Board) project, “Songs of North Indian Art Music” (SNIAM), carried out by the two authors in the Department of Music at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
    [Show full text]