Introduction: Indian Christianity, Categorical Inequalities, and the Need for Democratization

Abstract

This chapter attempts to foreground the relationship between democratic values and Indian Christianity against the backdrop of institutionalized practices and structures of inequality in Indian society. In that direction, it engages with lived Christianity in India and its relationship with broader ideas of categorical inequalities, subaltern social movements, knowledge inequalities, human rights, citizenship, and subaltern narratives. In the light of categorical inequalities – of caste, gender, class, denomination, language, ethnicity – that have become institutionalized hurdles for Indian Christianity to realize the democratic values for both within Indian church communities and other social groups, this chapter makes a case for democratization of Indian Christianity, which is yet to be achieved in its ideal form, in terms of its teachings, resource allocation, theology, and inclusive methods to protect the marginalized groups. © 2024 Ashok Kumar Mocherla and James Ponniah. All rights reserved..