The Saint in the Banyan Tree: Christianity and Caste Society in India
- ISBN-10
- 0520953975
- ISBN-13
- 9780520953970
- Category
- Social Science
- Pages
- 408
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2012-10-01
- Publisher
- Univ of California Press
- Author
- David Mosse
Description
The Saint in the Banyan Tree is a nuanced and historically persuasive exploration of Christianity’s remarkable trajectory as a social and cultural force in southern India. Starting in the seventeenth century, when the religion was integrated into Tamil institutions of caste and popular religiosity, this study moves into the twentieth century, when Christianity became an unexpected source of radical transformation for the country’s ‘untouchables’ (dalits). Mosse shows how caste was central to the way in which categories of ‘religion’ and ‘culture’ were formed and negotiated in missionary encounters, and how the social and semiotic possibilities of Christianity lead to a new politic of equal rights in South India. Skillfully combining archival research with anthropological fieldwork, this book examines the full cultural impact of Christianity on Indian religious, social and political life. Connecting historical ethnography to the preoccupations of priests and Jesuit social activists, Mosse throws new light on the contemporary nature of caste, conversion, religious synthesis, secularization, dalit politics, the inherent tensions of religious pluralism, and the struggle for recognition among subordinated people.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2012-10-01
- 407 pages
- Paperback
- Univ of California Press
-
- 2012-10
- 385 pages
- Paperback
- Univ of California Press
Similar books
-
The Anthropology of Christianity
By Fenella Cannell... and reshaped by changing relations of power and the global context of the Christian church ( see Stirrat 1992 ; Caplan 1987a ; and my forthcoming work , The saint in the banyan tree , for a more explicitly diachronic perspective ) .
-
Psalms of a Saiva Saint
By T. Isaac TambyahBANYAN . ( Page 20 , No. 36 ) . The appearance of Siva to the saints under the shade of a banyan tree is frequently mentioned by our poet . The expression s ( kallal ) stone - grown banyan ' means in these hymns , as in other Tamil ...
-
A History of Christian Conversion
By David W. KlingAccessible to scholars, students, and those with a general interest in conversion, Kling's book is the most satisfying and comprehensive account of conversion in Christian history to date; this major work will become a standard must-read in ...
-
The Crescent Arises Over the Banyan Tree: A Study of the Muhammadiyah Movement in a Central Javanese Town, C. 1910-2010
By Mitsuo NakamuraA 16th centuryfavanese Muslim text attributed to the Saint Bonan, re-edited and translated With an introduction. Blibliotheca Indonesia, No. 4. ... An Indonesian-English Dictionary. 2nd. 384 The Crescent Arises over the Banyan Tree.
-
Catholic Shrines in Chennai, India: The politics of renewal and apostolic legacy
By Thomas Charles NagyThe earliest of these works was In the Steps of St. Thomas, which was written by Herman D'Souza, a Catholic priest ... both Medleycott and D'Souza's books are still being published at San Thome under the auspices of the Cathedral's own ...
-
Disease, Religion and Healing in Asia: Collaborations and Collisions
By Zhou Xun, Ivette M. Vargas-O'BryanAncient Indian Tradition and Mythology Series, vol. 59, parts X and XI. ... ( 1984 ) “South Asian Systems of Healing.” Contributions to Asian Studies , vol. 18. Leiden : E. J. Brill . Dumont , Louis ( 1983 ) “The Debt to the Ancestors ...
-
Anti-Christian Violence in India
By Chad M. Bauman... Hindu and Christian in South-East India (London: Curzon, 1991). 45. Frykenberg, “Christians and Religious Traditions,” 484. Emphasis added. 46. Both Cuddapah and Nellore are located in what is now Andhra Pradesh.
-
Short Stories: Stories to Lift your Soul Short & Imaginary
By Seth The Accidental AuthorEveryone will pause to look at the Mansion surrounded with huge walls and the saint will only smile and at night everyone will be gathered under this huge banyan tree where the saint sits permanently to disclose about courses on life, ...
-
Chinese Religion in Malaysia: Temples and Communities
By Chee-Beng TanThis informative book describes Chinese Religion in Malaysia and contributes to an understanding of Chinese migration and settlement, religion and identity politics as well the significance of religion to both individuals and communities.
-
Garland of Love: An Illustrated Retelling of the Story of Andal
By Anisha SenthilvasanAs he was crossing through the forest, he found a saint resting under a banyan tree. There were lots of nests filled with birds in the tree. There were a few monkeys trying to steal the saint's food. Flowers covered the ground around ...