Resistance to Empire and Militarization - Reclaiming the Sacred - Jude Lal Fernando
10. God vs Goliath: Theological Challenges to Empire in South Asia
Resistance to Empire and Militarization - Reclaiming the Sacred - Jude Lal Fernando
Francis Gonsalves [+]
Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune, India
Description
Empire and military might are creating havoc in South Asia, especially in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. India – the largest and most populous of these – has been both, active aggressor and naïve victim, in the dangerous dynamics steadily unfolding in this region. While the dominant discourse peddled by the Hindutva ruling powers is that “Bharat Mata” (Mother India) has been destroyed by Muslim kings and Christian colonizers, the actual fact is that, in the guise of patriotism, nationalism, self-protection and defense, the democratic and secular fabric of India is being threatened and a theocratic Hindu Rashtra along caste lines is being constructed. Taking the God vs. Goliath narrative as paradigmatic of the workings of the Spirit (according to the biblical tradition), this essay will first briefly highlight the ground realities and the key issues involved in current south Asian conflicts. It will then briefly seek to pinpoint causes and consequences with an interdisciplinary approach. Finally, it will attempt to reinterpret scripture and tradition with a “relational-contextual approach”, which critiques depoliticized depictions of Jesus, and replaces them with Christ-images of subaltern theologies that have the capacity to resist empire and militarization. It will also show how these are consonant with Pope Francis’s pastoral and missiological guidelines.