View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Digital Commons @ Butler University Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies Volume 28 Article 6 2015 Hindu-Christian Relations in the Everyday Life of North Indian Pentecostals Julia Kuhlin Uppsala University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs Recommended Citation Kuhlin, Julia (2015) "Hindu-Christian Relations in the Everyday Life of North Indian Pentecostals," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 28, Article 6. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1605 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]. Kuhlin: Hindu-Christian Relations in the Everyday Life of North Indian Pe Hindu-Christian Relations in the Everyday Life of North Indian Pentecostals Julia Kuhlin Uppsala University OVER the last few decades, Hindu-Christian relationship with the Hindu surroundings in relations in India appear to have taken a new their everyday life. The study proceeds from a worrying turn. Since 1998 violent attacks Social Identity Theory (SIT) framework, against Christians in India have increased accordingly paying particular attention to the significantly, and there are no signs of decline. construction and perception of group relations. Pentecostal and Pentecostal-like groups have A central finding of the study is that the been afflicted to a greater extent by this recent informants did not perceive Hindu-Christian development and are disproportionately relations as a matter of “we and them” but targeted in attacks in comparison to other described both groups as internally Christians.1 Considering the explosion of differentiated. This understanding of the academic studies on Pentecostalism worldwide, Christian in-group and the Hindu out-group it is striking that so little attention has been meant that Hindu-Christian relations, for the paid to the contemporary situation of Indian informants, did not simply involve two Pentecostals. In particular, there is a notable religious groups relating to each other, but lack of studies dealing with Indian Pentecostals’ consisted of various Christian and Hindu sub- everyday life from a non-church perspective. groups with complicated interrelationships. The aim of this case study—consisting of in- Furthermore, the Christian in-group and the depth interviews with students at the Hindu out-group were overlapped by various Pentecostal college Doon Bible College2 in identities and relations, such as caste identity, Dehradun (Uttarakhand)—is to explore from a the village community and families. The micro perspective how North Indian dualistic worldview which is often associated Pentecostals perceive and experience the with Pentecostals did not conform to either the Julia Kuhlin is a PhD candidate in World Christianity and Interreligious Studies at the Faculty of Theology at Uppsala University, Sweden. Kuhlin’s major research interests are focused around questions concerning the Pentecostal movement in India and Hindu-Christian relations. Her PhD project concerns lived religion among Indian Pentecostal women in New Delhi. The present article is a condensed version of her Master's thesis Love Thy Hindu Neighbor as Thyself (2014) and deals with North Indian Pentecostals’ everyday interaction with the Hindu population and experiences of Hindu- Christian relations. Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies 28 (2015):40-54 Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2015 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 28 [2015], Art. 6 Hindu-Christian Relations in the Everyday Life of North Indian Pentecostals 41 informants’ perception of Hindu-Christian given a significant boost, and a Pentecostal relations or their everyday interaction network began to be established.5 The question patterns. All informants had Hindu family of origin has become a burning issue within members or close Hindu friends with whom Indian Pentecostalism due to the commonly- they frequently interacted. In addition, as a held opinion among Hindu nationalistic groups result of the arrangement of village life, the that Christianity is a foreign import. As a informants coming from rural areas consequence, the rather Eurocentric intermingled to a great extent with members of description of the Pentecostal movement’s the Hindu out-group who were neither family history in India (which tends to place a great nor friends. Hindu-Christians relations were deal of emphasis on the efforts of foreign described as mostly trouble-free on micro and missionaries) is being revised, and attention is meso-levels; conflicts were perceived as called to the role played by indigenous exceptions to a normal peaceful coexistence. adherents of the movement. However, the informants expressed fear and While the Pentecostal movement worldwide anxiety concerning Hindu-Christian relations experienced a considerable growth during the on the national level. first part of the 20th century, it had a comparatively slow beginning in India.6 Even Pentecostalism in India though churches and Bible schools had been The origin of the Pentecostal movement in founded around the country, the movement India is a much-disputed topic. The discussion had difficulties in reaching out to a larger generally concerns whether Indian public. After independence in 1947 the Pentecostalism is to be regarded as an movement got an upswing as the Charismatic American import arriving in the early 20th wave found its way into the Catholic Church century or an indigenous Indian spiritual and mainline Protestant denominations. At the movement. Scholars of the latter position argue same time increasing numbers of independent that Pentecostal-like revivals3 have taken place Pentecostal churches started to emerge, and within India since the late 19th century, and the growth of Pentecostal and Charismatic even though American missionaries played a Christianity accelerated dramatically. With the crucial role in linking the various revivals and appearance of a wide range of independent groups into a movement, the foundation for the Pentecostal churches a space was opened up for movement had already been laid by the time of lower caste Pentecostal leaders, which has been their arrival.4 However, the Mukti revival in an important factor in the movement’s success, Maharashtra, led by Pandita Ramabai, and the yet has also contributed to its vulnerable events in Khasi Hills (in present-day Assam) are 7 position. usually regarded by researchers of both A main characteristic of the Pentecostal positions as having been vital for the movement globally, including India, is its establishment and spread of the Pentecostal emphasis on mission. Initially, there was a movement in India. With the arrival of strong belief that the end times were rapidly missionaries from Azusa Street the ideas and approaching and, as a consequence, there was experiences that came out of the revivals were an urge to save as many souls as possible. Even http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol28/iss1/6 2 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1605 Kuhlin: Hindu-Christian Relations in the Everyday Life of North Indian Pe 42 Julia Kuhlin though the belief in an encroaching end times have the protective network of a strong has, to some extent, been toned down in India, denomination that other churches may have.13 Pentecostal groups nonetheless tend to put He also highlights Pentecostals’ strong strong emphasis on the importance of engagement in the areas of healing and spreading the gospel.8 However, methods of exorcism, which makes them competitors with evangelism have changed over time, and other religious groups. nowadays many Indian churches have started An emphasis on signs and wonders is to shift their focus from evangelistic work to another major characteristic among Indian social work. Pentecostals are often accused of Pentecostals. In meetings, the experiences of using aggressive methods of evangelization, but the Holy Spirit, spontaneity and emotionalism recent research indicates that this is not a are often given prominence. There is typically a uniform tendency within the contemporary strong belief that any Christian (lay or Indian Pentecost movement, but limited to ordained) can be empowered by the Holy Spirit parts of the movement.9 and be given “spiritual gifts,” such as the ability Evangelism and conversion have been major to “speak in tongues,” perform healing, caste sources of conflict and disagreement within out demons and prophesize. In his work on Hindu-Christian relations throughout 20th south Indian Pentecostalism Michael century. Sebastian Kim has neatly traced this Bergunder14 describes that healing and debate in his book In Search for Identity.10 Among exorcism provide an overlapping set of other things, Kim11 describes the discussions practices between Pentecostals and Hindu preceding the formation of the Indian popular spirituality that leads to contact Constitution in which the question of between the two groups. Instead of rejecting conversion and proselytization was much in commonly-held Hindu popular beliefs that focus. Even though the right to proselytize was spirits affect daily life, Pentecostal churches inscribed in the Constitution, the issue over tend to embrace these and offer