Community and Worldview among Paraiyars of South India: 'Lived' Religion

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This volume presents a detailed ethnographic study of rural Paraiyar communities in South India, focusing on their religions and cultural identity. Formerly known as Dalits, or Untouchables, these are a largely socially marginalised group living within a dynamic and complex social matrix dominated by the caste system and its social and religious implications in India. Through examining Paraiyar Christian communities, the author provides a comprehensive understanding of Paraiyar religious worldviews within the dominant Hindu religious worldview. In contrast to existing research, this volume places the Paraiyars within their wider social context, ascribed and achieved identity, religious symbolism and ritual and negotiation of social boundaries. In arguing that the Paraiyars help us to understand religion as 'lived', the author removes the concept 'religion' from the reified forms it so often obtains in textbooks. Instead, Jeremiah demonstrates that it is only in local and specific contexts, as opposed to essentialised notions, that 'religion' either makes any sense or that theories concerning it can be tested.

Reviews

Written with the sensitivity of an insider-priest, and the enquiring insight of an ethnographer this book is a welcome addition to studies on the social and religious lives of Dalit Christians. It captures some of the unexpected ways in which Christianity is lived through relationships in a south Indian Dalit village. -- David Mosse, Professor of Social Anthropology, School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London, UK, and author of The Saint in the Banyan Tree: Christianity and Caste Society in India
Much dalit theology evolves in urban-based academia which, as in many a rank-ordered context, sets aside the thoughts and reflections of rural poor as unformed ignorance. Jeremiah starts from the theology of agricultural workers and brick-makers, evolved in their experience, coming to sober conclusions which do not always sit well with a Christianity run by (and for) the relatively privileged. -- Elizabeth Koepping, Associate Director, CSWC School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, UK
An important contribution to the study of the religious world of the Dalit Christians -- Pavel Hons, Research Fellow, Oriental Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic * Journal of African and Asian Studies *
Jeremiahs work is important for showing us that even at present there is caste both inside and outside the church and bias and discrimination are widespread. * Rowena Robinson, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India *

Author Bio

Anderson H. M. Jeremiah is Lecturer in World Christianity, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University, UK.