Christian Identity and Dalit Religion in Hindu India, 1868-1947

When Christianity encounters the religion and culture of a new corner of the world, it produces fresh and distinctive forms of the faith. Chad Baumann here considers one such corner: colonial Chhattisgarh in north central India. In his exploration, Baumann focuses on the interaction of three groups: Hindus from the low-caste Satnami community, Satnami converts to Christianity, and the American missionaries who worked with them. Informed by both scholarship and fieldwork, the book describes the emergence of a unique Satnami-Christian identity. Pre-existing structures of thought, belief, behavior, and more altered this emerging identity in significant ways, thereby creating a distinct regional Christianity. This fascinating book examines a little studied region of India. By doing so Christian Identity and Dalit Religion in Hindu India, 1868-1947 will help readers to better understand Christian contextualization in all lands.