Curious Christian

Reflections on culture, nature, and spirituality from a Christian perspective

I was reading in the news that, “As the United Nations has made a small but significant step forward towards declaring caste-based discrimination a human rights violation, Indian Christian leaders have called on the churches to confess that the caste system is still being practised also within them.”

Now, before we tut, tut the continuance of caste discrimination within the Indian church, have you ever considered just how much missional ecclesiology is drawn from the experience of Indian missionaries? The experience that growth is faster Christians contextualize into the subcultures (aka castes) rather than challenge subcultural boundaries? Have you considered that the homogenous unity principle was hashed out in a caste situation?

Now understand, I am not saying contextualization is of no value, I think it has much value. But part of the contextualizing process should surely be contextually challenging cultural boundaries?

3 responses to “Caste Discrimination and Missional Tribalism”

  1. Sally Avatar

    now those are uncomfortable questions Matt, we don’t like to look into our own history, or dare I say into the mirror of tough questions!

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  2. Eric Avatar
    Eric

    It’s the usual deal of a homogenous group being better for outreach and a mixed group being better in other ways. Hopefully the Indian churches (and ours too) can get into rhythms where we have both.

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  3. Matt Stone Avatar

    Is some ways its an argument of quality over quantity. Culturally segregated churches may grow faster, but are churches that entrench cultural segregation what Jesus had in mind?

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