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Religious Controversy in British India: Dialogues in South Asian Languages.
... A large number of court cases were also filed as a consequence. As Kenneth Jones' edited volume on religious controversies during this period shows, the multidirectional flow and circulation of affect that the controversies generated in the public sphere worked in interesting ways in the context of fluid and constantly shifting boundaries of communities and selves (Jones 1992). In her essay in the volume, Barbara Metcalf shows how a spectacular debate between Indian spokesmen and Christian missionaries had the effect of bringing the Indians of all backgrounds together in solidarity. ...
... Needless to say, most Hindus would only be impressed by the public use of Sanskrit rather than actually understand the content of the argument. As the goal invariably was to 'stand forth to champion one's own side and foster IZSAF 07/2022 communal self-esteem', each side invariably claimed victory, with partisan presses reporting conflicting views (Jones 1992;also Tareen 2012;Jordens 1978). All these instances demonstrate the role played by the affective in the public sphere of religious controversies. ...
... In the detailed analysis of the global print sources they marshal at their disposal, they also reveal the situatedness of both the Swami's as well as their own discourse somewhere in the midst of the global circulation of affects. As Kenneth Jones has shown, religious controversies were an important factor in shaping and consolidating the borders and boundaries of communities (Jones 1992). John Cort's recent work offers further evidence that demonstrates how controversial statement about Jains in Satyarth Prakash became instrumental in the modern construction of the Jain community (Cort 2019). ...
Several movements for religious and social reform emerged among the religious communities in 19 th century India as varied responses to the colonial 'civilizing mission'. The work of reform among the Hindus and Muslims involved both the defence of their respective religious traditions and simultaneous critiques of established religious practices and institutions seen as corrupt or inauthentic. Both Hindus and Muslims inherited rich traditions of reason, reasoning and rational argumentation as well as of internal religious innovation and reforms. What is new about the 19 th century reformist discourses, is the imbrication of these concepts with the Western conceptions of reason and science. The public sphere that emerged in this wake involved diverse forms of polemics and contests within religious traditions (i.e., between the orthodox and the reformers within a tradition) and between the religious traditions. The colonial state protected religious criticism, subject to public peace and order. However, public order frequently became a concern for the state as both these dimensions of religious controversies tended to generate affects-hurt feelings, passions, public enthusiasm often leading to violence. A large number of court cases were also filed as a consequence. The public sphere of the religious controversies was also exposed to the global circulation of concepts, images and rhetorical figures. This article attempts to explore the rational and affective dimensions of the religious controversies in the early 20 th century India by focusing on an important document related to the history of the reformist organisation Arya Samaj relevant for this theme.
... A large number of court cases were also filed as a consequence. As Kenneth Jones' edited volume on religious controversies during this period shows, the multidirectional flow and circulation of affect that the controversies generated in the public sphere worked in interesting ways in the context of fluid and constantly shifting boundaries of communities and selves (Jones 1992). In her essay in the volume, Barbara Metcalf shows how a spectacular debate between Indian spokesmen and Christian missionaries had the effect of bringing the Indians of all backgrounds together in solidarity. ...
... Needless to say, most Hindus would only be impressed by the public use of Sanskrit rather than actually understand the content of the argument. As the goal invariably was to 'stand forth to champion one's own side and foster IZSAF 07/2022 communal self-esteem', each side invariably claimed victory, with partisan presses reporting conflicting views (Jones 1992;also Tareen 2012;Jordens 1978). All these instances demonstrate the role played by the affective in the public sphere of religious controversies. ...
... In the detailed analysis of the global print sources they marshal at their disposal, they also reveal the situatedness of both the Swami's as well as their own discourse somewhere in the midst of the global circulation of affects. As Kenneth Jones has shown, religious controversies were an important factor in shaping and consolidating the borders and boundaries of communities (Jones 1992). John Cort's recent work offers further evidence that demonstrates how controversial statement about Jains in Satyarth Prakash became instrumental in the modern construction of the Jain community (Cort 2019). ...
Several movements for religious and social reform emerged among the religious communities in 19 th century India as varied responses to the colonial 'civilizing mission'. The work of reform among the Hindus and Muslims involved both the defence of their respective religious traditions and simultaneous critiques of established religious practices and institutions seen as corrupt or inauthentic. Both Hindus and Muslims inherited rich traditions of reason, reasoning and rational argumentation as well as of internal religious innovation and reforms. What is new about the 19 th century reformist discourses, is the imbrication of these concepts with the Western conceptions of reason and science. The public sphere that emerged in this wake involved diverse forms of polemics and contests within religious traditions (i.e., between the orthodox and the reformers within a tradition) and between the religious traditions. The colonial state protected religious criticism, subject to public peace and order. However, public order frequently became a concern for the state as both these dimensions of religious controversies tended to generate affects-hurt feelings, passions, public enthusiasm often leading to violence. A large number of court cases were also filed as a consequence. The public sphere of the religious controversies was also exposed to the global circulation of concepts, images and rhetorical figures. This article attempts to explore the rational and affective dimensions of the religious controversies in the early 20 th century India by focusing on an important document related to the history of the reformist organisation Arya Samaj relevant for this theme.
... Missionaries established schools that, while ostensibly open to all, often catered to higher castes, thereby perpetuating existing hierarchies. In response, Hindu revivalists like Arumuka Navalar emerged, emphasising traditional practices and reinforcing caste identities within the Hindu community (Jones, 1992). ...
This review examines the origins, evolution, and contemporary relevance of the caste system in Sri Lanka, with a focus on its development within the Sinhalese and Tamil communities. Drawing on historical chronicles such as the Mahavamsa, colonial records, and contemporary academic literature, the study examines how indigenous social structures, religious ideologies-particularly Buddhism and Hinduism-and colonial administrations contributed to the shaping of caste hierarchies. The paper further examines how the Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial powers utilised caste for governance and economic exploitation, reinforcing or restructuring social divisions through legal codification, labor exploitation, and missionary activity. Post-independence reforms, notably universal education and economic liberalisation facilitated social mobility and weakened caste rigidity, especially in urban contexts. However, the caste continues to influence politics, religious institutions, and rural communities. By applying theoretical frameworks such as Functionalism, Marxism, Weberian stratification, and Subaltern Studies, the review explains the resilience and adaptability of caste as a social institution. The study concludes with policy recommendations and calls for further longitudinal and intervention-based research to mitigate caste-based inequalities and promote inclusive development in Sri Lanka.
The Emergence of Modern Hinduism argues for the importance of regional, vernacular innovation in processes of Hindu modernization. Scholars usually trace the emergence of modern Hinduism to cosmopolitan reform movements, producing accounts that overemphasize the centrality of elite religion and the influence of Western ideas and models. In this study, the author considers religious change on the margins of colonialism by looking at an important local figure, the Tamil Shaiva poet and mystic Ramalinga Swami (1823–1874). Richard S. Weiss narrates a history of Hindu modernization that demonstrates the transformative role of Hindu ideas, models, and institutions, making this text essential for scholarly audiences of South Asian history, religious studies, Hindu studies, and South Asian studies.
Available for free at: https://www.luminosoa.org/site/books/10.1525/luminos.75/
The article presents an investigation on certain anthropological-social aspects and the social organization of women with a focus on female education and women’s rights in Islam in South Asia, and especially in the subcontinent. It starts with the Moghul period and then turns to the colonial era and contemporary developments. Through the movement for independence from colonial rule of Britain, the Muslim identity in the South Asian region rose in a state of transformation, reform and development. This occurred due to several factors that encouraged the regeneration and reviewing of Indian society in response to the condemnation, discrimination and chauvinism of their colonial rulers and their deep-seated legacy. Women of the society, who were censured to be subjugated by the native men as entitled by colonial rulers, empowered this transformation by taking direct and indirect participation in it even though patriarchal norms and mind-sets have been a durable feature of South Asian society, cutting across faith communities and social strata, including the Hindu, Buddhist and other non-Islamic traditions on the subcontinent. While religious arguments are generally used in efforts to preserve the asymmetrical status of men and women in economic, political, and social arenas, this investigation attempts to show that religious traditions in South Asia are not monolithic in their perceptions of gender and women’s education. The structure of gender roles in these traditions is a consequence of various historical practices and ideological influences. Today, there is a substantial variability within and between religious communities concerning the social status of women. At different times and in different milieus, religious points of view have been deployed to validate male authority over women and, in opposition, to call for more impartial gender relations.
Although evangelicals have long been involved in the discipline of missiology, their contribution to the theology of religions is more recent. I explore the relationship between theology, theology of religions, and missiology, as these are understood by evangelicals, noting areas of common concern as well distinctives of each discipline. Some basic principles for an evangelical theology of religions are suggested. I argue that missiology must include discussion of theology of religions, and I conclude with some implications of this for evangelical missiology.
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