RLBcB254 Contemporary Indian Christianity

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Kristýna Čižmářová
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Tue 16:00–17:40 K21, except Mon 18. 11. to Sun 24. 11. ; and Fri 4. 10. 16:00–17:40 B2.22, Fri 1. 11. 16:00–17:40 B2.22, Fri 29. 11. 16:00–17:40 B2.22
Prerequisites
RLBcA006 Christianity I || RLBcKA006 Christianity I && (! RLB254 Indian Christianity )
Basic knowledge of Christianity and religions of India.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 15/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 8 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Indian Christianity is an example of a diverse tradition that draws on very different cultural sources - from Syrian Christianity, to Catholicism, to Protestantism, to "Hinduism" and local Indian tribal traditions. Through historical sources, rich visual material, and scholarly literature, the course aims to introduce the various strands of Indian Christianity from earliest times to the present, and above all to outline their contemporary problems in the context of India today. The course also aims to offer perspectives on entangled and global histories that draw on postcolonial and subaltern approaches to the study of Indian traditions.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, students will be able to:
  • understand the basic outline of the history of particular Christian churches in India;
  • critically analyze the influence of colonialism on the situation of Indian Chritians;
  • analyse the main issues of Indian Christians with regard to social and political situation, namelly the impact of Hindu nationalism;
  • understand the Dalit movement and spread of Christianity among the tribal population.
    • Syllabus
    • 0. Introductory lecture;
    • 1. A Connected and Global History of Indian Christianity - Approaches and Perspectives;
    • 2. Tradition of the Apostle Thomas in India;
    • 3. Syriac Christianity in India;
    • 4. Portuguese missions and their impact on Indian Christianity;
    • 5. Indian religions and Christianity in local traditions and everyday life;
    • 6. Protestant Missions in India and Hindu Reformism;
    • 7. Christianity among indigenous tribes and mass conversion movements;
    • 8. The Dalit Movement and Dalit Theology;
    • 9. Indian Christians and Hindu nationalism;
    • 10. "Indianization" and inculturation in  contemporary Indian Christianity;
    • 11. Indian Christianity in contemporary India;
    • 12. Final discussion, test.
    Literature
      required literature
    • ROBINSON, Rowena. Christians of India. 1st published. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2003, 234 s. ISBN 8178292939. info
      recommended literature
    • Religious conversion in India : modes, motivations, and meanings. Edited by Rowena Robinson - Santhianthan Clarke. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2003, xv, 420. ISBN 0195663292. URL info
    • Christians, cultural interactions, and India's religious traditions. Edited by Judith Margaret Brown - Robert Eric Frykenberg - Alaine M. Low. London: Routledge Curzon, 2002, ix, 241. ISBN 0700716017. info
    • Popular Christianity in India : riting between the lines. Edited by Selva J. Raj - Corinne G. Dempsey. New York: State University of New York Press, 2002, xix, 284. ISBN 0791455203. info
    • ŽUPANOV, Ines. Disputed mission : Jesuit experiments and Brahmanical knowledge in seventeenth-century India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2001, xiii, 277. ISBN 0195658825. info
    • DEMPSEY, Corinne G. Kerala Christian sainthood : collisions of culture and worldview in South India. 1st pub. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2001, xii, 213. ISBN 0195653599. info
    Teaching methods
    Lectures, discussions, reading.
    Assessment methods
    Contents of the semester:
    Lectures, class discussions, student presentations.
    Requirements for daily student:
    (a) active participation in seminars (30 %);
    (b) presentation of a seminar work and its written form (30 %).
    (c) final test (40%) See Study materials for detailed information. Conditions of the colloquium for combined studies: (a) Active participation in seminars (20 %);
    (b) written paper submitted on the assigned topic (30 %).
    (c) knowledge test at the end of the course (40%) and group discussion (10%) Detailed information on termination conditions are published in the Study Materials.
    Language of instruction
    Czech
    Study support
    https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/phil/podzim2024/RLBcB254/index.qwarp
    Further Comments
    Study Materials
    The course is taught once in two years.
    • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2024/RLBcB254