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THE AGENCY OF CHILDREN IN LIBERATION THEOLOGIES IN INDIA AND CHILDREN-RELATED THEOLOGIES: A CONTRAPUNTAL LIBERATIVE ANALYSIS A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2015 ROHAN P. GIDEON School of Arts, Languages and Cultures Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................... 9 Declaration ....................................................................................................... 10 Copyright Statement ...................................................................................... 11 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................ 12 PART I MAPPING CONTRAPUNTAL AGENCY ……………… 14 Chapter 1. Introduction .......................................................................... 15 1.1. Introducing the Research Question ................................................... 15 1.1.1. Conceptual Background to the Research Question ...................... 17 1.1.2. Contextual Background to the Research Question ....................... 23 1.2. Aims of the Research ....................................................................... 25 1.3. Research Methodology ..................................................................... 27 1.3.1. Contrapuntality as my Research Methodology ............................ 27 1.3.2. Theoetical Developments towards Qualitative Agency as Contrapuntality …………………………………………………..30 1.3.3. Methodological Challenges and Clarifications ............................ 34 1.4. Research Method .............................................................................. 39 1.5. Scope and Limits of the Research ..................................................... 41 1.6. Definitions and Notes ....................................................................... 42 2 Chapter 2. Postcolonialism, Contrapuntality and Agency .................... 49 2.1. Introduction ...................................................................................... 49 2.2. Mapping Postcolonial Agency .......................................................... 51 2.2.1. Postcolonial Agency and Contrapuntality .................................... 53 2.3. Contrapuntality and Postcolonial Qualitative Agency in Bignall ....... 64 2.3.1. Overcoming Conceptual Difficulties towards a New Sociability . 65 2.3.2. A Qualitative Transformative Possibility ..................................... 67 2.3.3. Identifying the Creative Potentials of the Differences .................. 69 2.3.4. A Positive Connotation of Power ................................................ 71 2.4. An Evaluation of the Themes in Bignall’s Contrapuntality ............... 75 PART II A CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGENCY OF THE COLONISED IN LIBERATION AND POSTCOLONIAL THEOLOGIES IN INDIA ………………………………………………….80 Chapter 3. A Critical Understanding of the Agency of the Colonised In Liberation Theologies in India ............................... 81 3.1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 81 3.2. Problematizing the Understanding of ‘Postcolonial in Liberation Theologies in India ........................................................................ 82 3.3. A Critical Survey of Methodological Categories in Liberation Theologies in India ........................................................................... 85 3.3.1. Methodological Exclusivity in Liberation Theologies in India ..... 85 3.3.1.1 Methodological Exclusivity in Dalit Theology .......... 86 3.3.1.2 Methodological Exclusivity in Feminist Theologies .. 90 3 3.3.2. Methodological Inclusivity in Liberation Theologies in India ...... 91 3.3.2.1 Inclusivity through Interdisciplinarity ....................... 92 3.3.2.2 Inclusivity and Peoples’ Movements ......................... 94 3.3.2.3 Inclusivity and Interfaith Matters .............................. 97 3.3.3. Praxis and Liberation Theologies in India ................................... 99 3.3.4. A Critical Review of the Agency of the Colonised in Liberation Theologies in India .................................................. 108 Chapter 4. A Critical Understanding of the Agency of the Colonised In Postcolonial Theologies in India .................................... 113 4.1. Introduction .................................................................................... 113 4.2. Contrapuntality and Postcolonial Theology in India........................ 114 4.3. The Critical Intervention of Postcolonial Theology in Liberation Theologies in India ........................................................ 117 4.3.1. Probing Conventional Hierarchical System ............................... 120 4.3.2. Interrogating Homogenising Tendencies ................................... 122 4.4. Creative Mediation of Postcolonial Theological Thought in Liberation Theologies in India ........................................................ 126 4.4.1. Contrapuntality and Feminist Agency ....................................... 126 4.4.2. Tactic Subversion, Compliance and Agency ............................. 129 4.4.3. Organic Womanism and Agency ............................................... 134 4.4.4. Engaging Subjectivity and Agency ............................................ 136 4.4.5. Dalithos and Agency ................................................................. 138 4.5. Agency, Advocacy and Mystery in Liberation and Postcolonial Theologies in India ......................................................................... 142 4 PART III A CRITIAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGENCY OF CHILDREN IN CHILDREN-RELATED THEOLOGIES ..................... 148 Chapter 5. A Critical Understanding of the Agency of Children in Child Theologies in the West .............................................. 149 5.1. Introduction .................................................................................... 149 5.2. The Enduring Models of the Agency of Children ............................ 151 5.3. The Agency of Children and Child Theologies in the West ............. 157 5.3.1. The Child-in-the-Midst as a Method of Child Theologies in the West ................................................................................ 159 5.3.1.1 The Child-in-the-Midst as Symbolic: Keith White and Haddon Willmer ............................................... 160 5.3.1.2 The Child-in-the-Midst as Contextual: Jan Grobbelaar ........................................................ 163 5.3.1.3 Agency of Children: Child Theologies in the West as Liberation Theologies ......................................... 165 5.4. The Agency of Children: Child Theologies as Liberation Theology 168 5.5. The Agency of Children: Interactions between Child Theologies and Theologies of Childhood .......................................................... 170 5.5.1. The Child Theologies’ critique of the Theologies of Childhood 171 5.5.2. The Agency of Children in Theologies of Childhood ................ 172 5.6. Theologies of Childhood and Liberation Theologies ....................... 174 5.7. The Concept of Mystery to advance the Agency of Children .......... 177 5.7.1. Jesus and Mystery ..................................................................... 177 5.7.2. Children and Mystery: John Wall and Martin Marty.................. 178 5 5.8. An Evaluation of the Understanding of the Agency of Children in the Children-related Theologies in the West ................................... 182 Chapter 6. The Agency of Children in Children-related Theologies in Asia ................................................................................. 191 6.1. Introduction .................................................................................... 191 6.2. Theological and Methodological Development of Children-related Theologies in Asia: Colonial and Postcolonial Traits ...................... 193 6.2.1. Holistic Child Development ...................................................... 198 6.2.1.1 Incarnation of Jesus and Child-in-the-Midst ............ 201 6.2.1.2 Child Theologies and Holistic Child Development in India.................................................................... 203 6.2.2. Child Theologies in Asia outside India ...................................... 207 6.2.2.1 Child-in-the-Midst in Child Theology in Asia ......... 209 6.2.2.2 Child-in-the-Midst as Children’s Lenses ................. 210 6.2.2.3 Child-in-the-Midst and the Entitled Adults .............. 212 6.3. Critical Methodological Issues in Children-related Theologies in Asia ............................................................................................ 217 6.3.1. Children-related Theologies in Asia and Liberation Theologies. 218 6.3.2. Children-related Theologies in Asia as Counter Theologies ...... 220 6.3.3. On Context and being Contextual .............................................. 221 6.3.4. An Evaluation of the Agency of Children in the Children-related Theologies in Asia .......................................... 224 6 PART IV ANALYSIS OF THE THEMES EMERGING FROM PREVIOUS CHAPTERS AND CONCLUDING REMARKS ………… 228 Chapter 7. Agency, Advocacy and Mystery: A Contrapuntal Analysis ............................................................................... 229 7.1. Introduction .................................................................................... 229 7.1.1. Purpose of the Chapter .............................................................