Professional Documents
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I s s ue 1 9 Tuesday Conference
Theology e-magazine To make humanity united in worshipping God
Introduction
Hindu nationalism always requires a foe, a minority
religion, as an object of hatred to survive. The crucial point is
The world that conversion is not actually the issue, or rather, it is a
manufactured issue, a deliberate diversion and a trap ...the real
community is
object is to sway the majority of the people with a hate
disastrously campaign against a minority. As said, following are the major
drifting into a ways in which the Church in India can fight the Hindu
whirl pool of Nationalism and globalization. Before explaining these issue,
clash of we will brief the concept of clash of the civilizations as a
background for our study.
cultures and
civilizations. In
this vortex of
cultural
conflicts and
confrontation
religions of the
world cannot
Clash of Civilizations
We are in a political spectrum of multipolar and multi-
stand idle and
civilizational world. Asian civilizations are expanding and
passive.
asserting themselves with their recent economic strength,
political stability and military might relying on their cultural
sources. The Western universalist claims of its civilization and
concept of development have become obsolete and defunct.
There is an Asian alternative incorporating Asian cultural
sensibilities and values.
In the present unfolding of the world order conflicts are not often in terms of
classes but in the name of cultural ethnicity and entities. Conflicts are mainly
because of the cultural prejudice, ethnic animosity and hatred over the past
centuries among the ethnic communities.
Nations of same cultural heritage come together
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and form a formidable political, and economic axis.
Never
threaten the People separated by the ideology are now united by culture;
self-hood of nations formerly united by imposed political philosophy are
broken, people are re-grouped by their cultural or civilizational
communities.
identities. Western dominated globalization has placed non-
That is the most
western countries on the defensive. Many Islamic countries have
precious
turned inward looking. Buddhism is witnessing a revival in
treasure they
Buddhist countries. Confucianism is showing vitality in East Asia.
have. If There is a re-awakening of cultures
anything we do taking place around the globe,
appears like a resisting western projects imposed
threat to the in the name of human rights,
selfhood of a
political freedom and economic
internationalism. There is an
community,
increasing evidence that
resistance is
globalization has led a cultural
inevitable.
backlash.
Often religions are made to supply cultural archetypes and lineages in the
ongoing revitalization of cultural identities. In this process there is always the
danger that religions become a point of polarization of people on fundamentalist
principles. Thus religions become easy tools for spreading cultural chauvinism and
religious terrorism.
Look at the Islamization of
politics in the West Asian Arab
countries and Hinduization in India.
To cross over this tide we need the
world religions to come to an axis of
creative collaboration and mutual
commitment.
The construction of the identity of a religious community will depend upon the
use of these materials. In the present-day militant & aggressive discourses, we need
to highlight from the same tradition more open and universalistic resources.
We Indians Even the most selfless acts of love and service to other
have become human beings could, in this general climate of lack of trust,
get painted as most selfish when interpreted by another
today a nation
suspecting group. We need to seriously look into the political
of suspicions. import of their inter relationships or power relationships.
Paternalism in the Church
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In many her activities, the modus operandi is paternalistic.
Paternalism The basic approach is that as a teacher, givers, donors, doers, and
treats people problem solvers. The paternalistic model is not conducive to
as passive empowerment, development, democracy and cultural resonance. In
recipients, long run people do not want charity.
objects. It They prefer to safeguard their dignity, human
leads to rights, community consciousness and unity
uneven rather than fragmentation. They prefer
development cultural rootedness rather than alienation.
and ongoing
They want a chance.
dependency
They do not want solutions imposed from outsider. The poor
resulting in the
would like to handle their own destiny and development; they
hero worship
would like to have partners, comrades, agents and mutual sharers.
and
sycophancy. If in the earlier period, missions had problems, now the
missions itself became a problem. Dialogue (with the Marxists
and non- Christians religions), ecumenism (unification within
Christian denominations) and sensitivity to other cultures
through inculturation were concrete steps that the church took to
adapt and make itself relevant in the changing contexts.
Concluding Remarks
India is passing through what can be labeled as a unidirectional Hinduism
through a process of politicizing religion. They want an enemy, the other to
mobilize the Hindu masses. Come what may, the Hindu nationalists will continue
their vicious campaign against the minorities.
But should the minorities play into their hands by not being sensitive to
intercultural communication?
Do Christians need to reinstate the word evangelization or help their Hindu
brethren to understand the activities and the message of Christianity in a
culturally cognitive manner?
But if we are not clarifying them in the intercultural contexts, Hindu
nationalists will continue using them to arouse irrational hostility towards
Christians in India. All the good work done can get buried under the garbage of
irrational hostility generated by the Hindutvavdis.