This collection provides a panoramic view of the many facets of contemporary Indian Christianity. Examining this subject through historical, theological, and missional lenses, the essays here explore the main themes driving Indian Christian life and thought today. Among the issues analyzed are Indian Christianity's theological foundations, ecclesiology, worship practices, and public theology, as well as the interreligious and political environment of contemporary India.
Lalsangkima Pachuau is the John Wesley Beeson Professor of Christian Mission and the dean of Advanced Research Programs at Asbury Theological Seminary. Allan Varghese Meloottu is the registrar at Asbury Theological Seminary, as well as a PhD candidate studying Pentecostalism in India.
This edited volume brings together a set of substantial essays that offer a range of trajectories through the incredibly multifaceted reality of Christianity in India, placing the lived experiences of practicing Christians at the forefront of the investigation. Most of the writers assembled represent a new generation of scholar-practitioners. Their acumen and ability to handle the big-picture questions, without losing sight of the practitioners who have inhabited and continue to dwell in the local religious spaces of multicultural and multifaith India, is laudable. --J. Jayakiran Sebastian, dean and H. George Anderson Professor of Mission and Cultures, United Lutheran Seminary, Philadelphia Christians and Christianity in India Today highlights many original reflections and offers a credible case for Christianity in India being a microcosm of World Christianity. The authors' sketches of the regionally varied forms of Christianity throughout history, expositions of its theology in context, and reconstructions of the missional challenges in India's dynamic milieu all richly demonstrate Indian Christianity's prophetic presence within World Christianity today. --David Emmanuel Singh, senior research tutor, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies Christians and Christianity in India Today is a scholarly tribute to Asbury Theological Seminary's centenary celebration. Divided into historical, theological, sociocultural, and missional sections, the book illuminates Christianity's journey across India's diverse landscape. It uncovers caste dynamics, interfaith relations, and faith's cultural expressions, addressing pressing issues like gender inequality, mental health, and human trafficking. The book showcases how Christianity has intricately woven itself into India's cultural tapestry, resulting in a fusion of identities. This meticulously argued yet accessible collection invites readers to a journey of faith, history, and identity. --Finny Philip, principal, Filadelfia Bible College, Udaipur, India; author of The Origins of Pauline Pneumatology India, the world's most populous nation, has been home to Christians and Christianity for almost as long as Christianity has existed. However, if Christianity doesn't reorient, reinvent, and redefine itself in every age, it loses its vital essence. Christians and Christianity in India Today is a unique contribution from the practitioners of Christian faith to the current Indian Christian conversation. I strongly recommend it to all dedicated scholars and students of Christianity in the Global South. --Samuel George, professor of Christian theology and principal, South India Biblical Seminary, Bangarapet, India; author of Jesus Beyond Borders: Towards a 'Glocal' Christology This book presents the history of Indian Christians, their theological interactions, and their social realities as a minority community. Written from insiders' perspectives by Indian scholars, the chapters provide excellent reflections on the stories of Indian Christians, their responses to contextual challenges, and their contributions to larger Indian society. The multidimensional missional challenges for Indian Christians are also clearly reflected. --K. Lalrinkima, senior administrative secretary (general secretary), Presbyterian Church of India This is a fascinating resource on Christians and Christianity in India from a multidimensional perspective. It uniquely allows readers to look at Christianity in India, which is as old as Christianity itself, through various paradigms. I highly recommend this new book to anyone who is interested in knowing about the latest on Christianity in the present-day India. --V. V. Thomas, chair of the department of the history of Christianity, United Theological College, Bangalore, India
