Description

Between Hindu and Christian examines a movement of low caste and Dalit devotees worshipping Jesus in Catholic spaces in Varanasi, the purported heart of Hindu civilization. Through thick description and analysis, the author examines the worldview and ways of life of these devotees, along with the Catholic priests and nuns who mediate Jesus, Mary and other members of the Catholic pantheon in a place never associated with Christianity. The author places this movement within the context of the devotional history of Varanasi, the history of Indian Christianity, the rise of low caste and Dalit emancipatory struggles, and the ascendance of Hindu nationalism to demonstrate, among other things, that religious categories are not nearly as self-evident as they often seem–