Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Volume 23 Article 21

January 2010

Book Review: " and the Indianness of Christianity: Essays on Understanding"

George Pati

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Recommended Citation Pati, George (2010) "Book Review: "India and the Indianness of Christianity: Essays on Understanding"," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 23, Article 21. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1473

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]. Pati: Book Review: "India and the Indianness of Christianity: Essays on Understanding" Book Reviews 71

(jnana) is often distinguished from realized Nevertheless, The Founder of the Hare knowledge (vijnana), which need to as Seen by Devotees is a well-rounded possess. Therefore Hindu gurus cannot be research on Bhaktivedanta and ISKCON. categorized neatly according to the Weberian The author admirably combines a thorough study scheme: they possess both the acquired of the Swami's and his followers' writings with an knowledge, which belongs to the teachers of. extensive participant observation conducted ethics, and the personally revealed knowledge, mainly in Finland. What i~ more, this study is which belongs to prophets. innovative in that it approaches the subject from a Another shortcoming of Ketola's book is that cognitive perspective, which had not been done there is no discussion of the historical previously in relation to the study of ISKCON. development of Gaudiya to which This approach is particularly illuminating when ISKCON belongs. Following Whitehouse's the .author's analysis in the eighth chapter reveals categorization, the author considers the mode of the intriguing psycho-mechanism of religious ISKCON's religiosity doctrinal (Ch. 2 especially). believers who are forced to reconcile the authority Historically speaking, however, the Gaudiya of a charismatic with his 'imperfections'. tradition is mostly known for its imagistic mode The book is suited for those who are interested in of religiosity. The descriptions of ecstasy such as the sociology of religion, modem religious fainting, profuse crying and bursting into laughter movements, as well as Indic religions in general. are abundant in the hagiographies of Caitanya. According to Rupa (1489-1564), one of Note the founding fathers of Gaudiya theology, these 1 http://edition.cnn.coml2()10ILIVING/worklife/ symptoms are the results of intense feeling of 05/16/m£' famo us. career.after. 50/in dex.html '?iref= separation from . In fact, all Gaudiya ritual allsearch practices such as chanting and image worship are intended for the cultivation of one's feeling () Bibliography toward God. That the religious mode. of such a Carman, John (1981[1974]). The Theology of group might be considered imagistic in : An Essay In Interreligious Whitehouse's scheme is well supported by Joseph Understanding (Bombay: Ananthacharya O'Connell's 'observation that cthe Gaudiyas Indological Research Institute) traditionally did not accomplish "ha:r;d Sharina, B. N. K. (2000 [1961]). History of the institutionalization" (2004). The promotion of the Dvaita School of and its Literature more doctrinal mode of religiosity within the (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass) . ~ Gaudiya tradition began oply' with O'Connell, Joseph T. (2004). Institutionalizing

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (1874 - 1937), the guru j Prema- of Bhaktivedanta Swami, who was responding to (www.gaudiyadiscussions.comltopic_1446.ht the colonial authority'S and the British ml) missionary's criticism against the tradition. -The Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. (1982 doctrinal mode of religiosity is prevalent in [1970]) The Nectar of Devotion. (Los ISKCON, since the Swami followed his guru's Angeles: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) approach. Had the author kept this historical development in mind, he would not have be~n Kiyokazu Ok,ita surprised to find the imagistic elements in the University of Florida daily ritual practice in the ISKCON temples (see his discussion in the third chapter).

India and the Indianness of Christianity: Essays on Un ders tan ding­ Historical, Theological, and Bibliographical- In Honor of Robert Eric Frykenberg.

Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2010 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 23 [2010], Art. 21 72 Book Reviews

Richard Fox Young, editor. Grand Rapids, Michigan: W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009, 283 pp.

THE volume India and the Indianness of vision to unify Christian churches through world Christianity is a compendium of essays in honor evangelization highlights methodological of Robert Eric Frykenberg, whose pioneering problems; additionally, the study demonstrates work on intercultural and interreligious the Western missionary societies' shallow interactions in the South Asian context has knowledge of ancient churches (pp.57-8). exerted considerable influence on Richard Young's essay studies the case of the historiography. The editor, Richard Fox Young, nineteenth century author, Ragaviah, and introduces the volume by discussing differentiates between 'orientalism', the late­ Frykenberg's vamsavali or lineage, and eighteenth and early nineteenth century study of methodology that considered Indian Christianity Indian antiquity through its language and as a social phenomenon. 'Young asserts that literatures, and 'orientalization' the construction though contributors in this volume may not of a radical "other" for hegemonic purposes. wholeheartedly agree with Frykenberg's Young argues that historiography cannot reject perspectives and participation they agree to the archives and still claim to work with them, some extent with his bottom-up historiography because in this way it would sediment voices that is illuminating and liberating. ,However, like Ragaviah· (pp. 81). Arvil Powell in his this position places Frykenberg directly at odds essay examines a learned Muslim convert, ,'Abd with post-colonial and subaltern historical al-Masih, who, together with the Scotsman writing on India. Frykenberg's empirical study Daniel Corrie, initiated a briefly flourishing serves as interlocutor between extreme heuristic Christian community in Agra. As an outcome, approaches that raise pertinent questions they forged a new convert community with a regarding the Indiannes's of Indian Christianity. unique identity. Anglican missionary activity in Despite the different perspectives on this theme Agra among the katra community asserts the they all acknowledge the valuable contribution uniqueness of the community by considering the of Frykenberg, especially the pioneering study new convert community as a social organism of Guntur district. It is the different perspectives (pp.82). of the contributors that make the volume Brian Stanley discusses the life of Henry valuable. Martin, whose spiritual discipline of self":denial The editor has organized the volume into and scrupulous self-examination expressed hi,s fourteen chapters. Daniel Jeyaraj evaluates the passion for obedience to God's wilL These work of the Lutheran missionaries in the Danish later became the central motifs in the ascetic colony of Tranquebar in (1620- spirituality of the Oxford movement of the 1845) and emphasizes the importance of a 1830s and 1840s. More importantly, Martin's "balanced Christian missionary historiography" New Testament translation was more influential as it places equal importance to the missionaries among the natives. Interestingly, his non­ and to the "missioned." Both the missionaries western admirers appreciated his learning and needed the Tamil Christians, and the Tamil humility that earned him the title 'man of God;' Christians needed the missionaries for sharing one filled with divine drunkenness (pp. 125-6). the message of the Gospel in a caste-oriented Peter Andersen analyzes the Kherwar movement society. William Shenk discusses of the late nineteenth century, which took place methodological issues with regard to the Church among the Santal society, one of the excluded Missionary Society'S (CMS) involvement with tribal groups in Bihar, just west of Bengal, and ancient eastern churches in the south Indian state argues that a process of syncretism takes place of Kerala under the leadership of Claudius with the incorporation of Hindu and Christian Buchanan (1766-1815), but doesnot discuss the elements, therefore presenting a unique identity. responses of these churches. The overarching Such an understanding emphasizes how

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol23/iss1/21 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1473 2 Pati: Book Review: "India and the Indianness of Christianity: Essays on Understanding"

Book Reviews 73

Christianity appealed to people in the margins­ an outcome, the local Tamil Lutherans accepted low-castes, outcastes, and tribals. the caste system as part of their folk character. Chandra Mallampalli's essay demonstrates Judith Brown discusses how Jawaharlal the fact that Indian Christianity often tended to Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent adapt itself to the caste system rather than trying India, understood the role of Christians in the to subvert it and critiques Frykenberg's bottom­ new India who were under pressure. Because of up approach to argue that colonial Raj de­ Nehru's concern' about a conception of indigenizes the indigenized Catholic Church nationalism that would preclude minority voices, based on court cases pertaining to identity issues including Christians, he found immensely among South Indian Roman Catholics. challenging his promotion of a need for Additionally, he candidly discusses both the tolerance in a plural society of India, especially methods, from below and above, and leaves the because those who controlled state power and option for historians to employ either approach public communications had visualized India as to tell the story of Indian Christianity, which less tolerant and less plural than Nehru (pp. would have different outcomes. On a different 234). John B. Carman's Christian interpretation note, Geoffery Oddie contends that the of Ramanuja, the eleventh century Indian missionaries' contact with Hindu pundits was a philosopher, sets a valuable paradigm for Hindu­ significant event in missionary endeavors, but he Christian dialogue highlighting the challenges cautions that there were other factors that played involved and the complexity of such theological a role in the missionary construction of Hindu engagement. Carman emphasizes three aspects religion, as well (pp. 180). Michael Bergunder's beneficial for comparative theology: a Christian essay discusses the problematic issue of student of another religion must live in the proselytism in the history of awareness that theological incorporation of some and states that people changed denominations . aspects of Hindu beliefs arid practices into when a pat!icular denomination of Christianity Christian life involves an understanding of those did not keep up to its promise of providing elements different from that of the Hindu material incentives. Additionally, change of believer; a Christian scholar must appreciate church affiliation presupposes personal agency-­ viewpoints that at times seem similar and at a reason for proselytism in the Indian Christian times different; and Christian scholars must be context (pp. 195). Gunnel Cedarlof's essay cognizant of myriad Indian Christian argues that, unlike the other Protestant churches, perspectives (pp. 239). He concludes his essay the European-based Evangelical Lutheran with a list of items representing the complexity mission had a' dual stand on the question of and challenging task of theological nationalism, partly because they had developed interpretation. The volume concludes with as church missions, built 0;0. nation!)} cjmrches essays by Rosemary Seton and Martha Lynd with a strong resonance of the north European Smalley that offer extremely useful surveys of nationalist movements (pp. 198). For this archival information for those interested in Lutheran mission the late-nineteenth and early conducting research in the history of Christianity twentieth century romantic and nationalistic idea in India. of volk became central in their work and gave the idea of an indigenous Christian nation. As George Pati / Valparaiso University Beyond Boundalies: Hindu-Christian Relationship and Basic Christian Communities. A. Maria David. Delhi: ISPCK,2009, pp. ! ' xv + 281. I

BEYOND Boundaries is an analysis of "basic diocese of Kottar, district· of Kanyakumari Christian communities" established in the (Tamil Nadu), and their potential for helping

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