Towards a Theology of Engagement from Luther's Two Realm
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Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Concordia Seminary Scholarship 4-1-2016 Hindutva Nationalism and Civil Government in India: Towards a Theology of Engagement from Luther’s Two Realm Perspective Sam Thompson Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/phd Part of the Missions and World Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Thompson, Sam, "Hindutva Nationalism and Civil Government in India: Towards a Theology of Engagement from Luther’s Two Realm Perspective" (2016). Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation. 24. https://scholar.csl.edu/phd/24 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. HINDUTVA NATIONALISM AND CIVIL GOVERNMENT IN INDIA: TOWARDS A THEOLOGY OF ENGAGEMENT FROM LUTHER’S TWO REALM PERSPECTIVE A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Department of Systematic Theology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Sam Thompson April 2016 Approved by Dr. Charles P. Arand Advisor Dr. Joel D. Biermann Reader Dr. Victor A. Raj Reader © 2016 by Sam Thompson. All rights reserved. ii To my loving wife and friend Shana and two cheerful children Sasha and Shaan. Regardless of where we are in the world, it always feels like home when we are together. I love you all. iii CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ viii ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................... x ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 THE THESIS ........................................................................................................................ 4 THE DISSERTATION IN THE CONTEXT OF CURRENT SCHOLARSHIP ................. 4 THE METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURE TO BE EMPLOYED .................................... 5 THE OUTCOME(S) ANTICIPATED ................................................................................. 7 STRUCTURE OF THIS DISSERTATION ......................................................................... 8 CHAPTER TWO ......................................................................................................................... 10 HINDUTVA NATIONALISM AND ITS CHALLENGES ................................................ 10 CONCEPTUAL CONSIDERATIONS: NATION, NATIONALISM AND STATE ........ 10 THE HINDUTVA NATIONALISM AND ITS IDEOLOGICAL FUNDAMENTALS ..... 14 THE IDEOLOGICAL CONTOURS OF HINDUTVA ....................................................... 17 STATE IN HINDUTVA IMAGINATION .......................................................................... 26 INDIAN SECULARISM AND HINDUTVA NATIONALISM ......................................... 30 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 32 CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................................... 34 INDIAN CHRISTIAN RESPONSES TOWARDS POLITICAL HINDUISM ................. 34 HINDUTVA CHALLENGES TO CHRISTIANS: AN OVERVIEW ................................ 34 The Scandal of Conversion ........................................................................................ 35 iv The Scandal of Theological Exclusivism .................................................................. 39 A Challenge to Multicultural Society ........................................................................ 40 INDIAN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO POLITICAL HINDUISM .. 42 INCULTURATION APPROACH ..................................................................................... 42 SECULAR APPROACH .................................................................................................... 46 INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE..................................................................................... 51 LIBERATION APPROACH .............................................................................................. 55 EVANGELICAL APPROACH .......................................................................................... 59 A LUTHERAN CRITIQUE FROM AN ECCLESIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ........... 61 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ................................................................................... 64 CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................................ 67 AN INTRODUCTION TO LUTHER’S UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S TWO REALMS ............................................................................................................................................ 67 HISTORICAL DISTORTIONS AND CHALLENGES IN RELATION TO THE TWO REALM TEACHING ......................................................................................................... 67 EIGENGESETZLICHKEIT, THE CONCEPT OF THE AUTONOMOUS LAWS OF EACH SPHERE .................................................................................................................. 68 TWO KINGDOM TEACHING AS CHURCH AND STATE REDUCTIONISM .......... 70 TWO KINGDOM TEACHING AS A GUARDIAN OF STATUS QUO AND QUIETISM ............................................................................................................................................ 71 THE NATURE OF LUTHER’S POLITICAL THOUGHT ............................................... 74 SITZ IM LEBEN OF LUTHER’S TWO REALM THOUGHT .......................................... 76 THE CONTOURS OF LUTHER’S UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S TWO REALMS .. 87 LAW AND GOSPEL IN RELATION TO TWO REALMS .............................................. 90 SAINT-SINNER DIALECTIC (SIMUL JUSTUS ET PECCATOR) IN RELATION TO TWO REALMS .................................................................................................................. 93 v CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................... 94 CHAPTER FIVE ......................................................................................................................... 96 LUTHER’S CONCEPT OF STATE: ITS PURPOSE, FUNCTIONS AND LIMITS ....... 96 GOD ORDAINED STRUCTURES OR INSTITUTIONS IN THE LEFT-HAND REALM ............................................................................................................................................ 96 LUTHER’S PERSPECTIVE ON STATE AND TEMPORAL AUTHORITY ............... 105 Origin and Purpose of State/ Civil Authority .......................................................... 106 The Modus Operandi of the State ............................................................................ 111 The Proper Limits of the State ................................................................................. 121 Church and State Interaction in the Temporal Realm ............................................. 128 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 132 CHAPTER SIX .......................................................................................................................... 134 TWO KINDS OF RIGHTEOUNESS AND CHRISTIAN VOCATION: A CHRISTIAN CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK TOWARDS ENGAGEMENT IN THE WORLD ..... 134 LUTHER’S UNDERSTANDING OF TWO KINDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ............... 134 The Passive Righteousness: The Righteousness of Identity .................................... 136 Active Righteousness: The Righteousness of Performance .................................... 140 LUTHER’S UNDERSTANDING OF VOCATION ........................................................ 146 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 153 CHAPTER SEVEN ................................................................................................................... 155 A RESPONSE TO HINDUTVA FROM A TWO REALM PERSPECTIVE: TOWARDS A THEOLOGY OF ENGAGEMENT .................................................................................. 155 TOWARDS A THEOLOGY OF ENGAGEMENT IN PUBLIC SQUARE: LUTHER’S TWO REALM THEOLOGY............................................................................................ 155 Two Realms of God’s Activity: Distinct not Separate ............................................ 157 vi Two Dimensions of Christian’s Identity: Distinct Yet Integrated. .......................... 158 An Inclusive Paradigm for Common Humanity: Foundations for our Common Existence .................................................................................................................. 163 Common Creatureliness and Common Needs. ........................................................ 163 Common