To Be Cared For: The Power of Conversion and Foreignness of Belonging in an Indian SlumTo Be Cared For offers a unique view into the conceptual and moral world of slum-bound Dalits (“untouchables”) in the South Indian city of Chennai. Focusing on the decision by many women to embrace locally specific forms of Pentecostal Christianity, Nathaniel Roberts challenges dominant anthropological understandings of religion as a matter of culture and identity, as well as Indian nationalist narratives of Christianity as a “foreign” ideology that disrupts local communities. Far from being a divisive force, conversion integrates the slum community—Christians and Hindus alike—by addressing hidden moral fault lines that subtly pit residents against one another in a national context that renders Dalits outsiders in their own land." Read an interview with the author on the Association for Asian Studies' #AsiaNow blog. |
Contents
Outsiders | 13 |
Typical church interior | 14 |
I | 36 |
Flies on my helmet | 38 |
Garbage removal | 39 |
Heaped garbage | 40 |
Women at water tank relaxed | 44 |
A world apart | 45 |
A ninetypound laborer after a long shift | 85 |
An act of faith | 180 |
Alis dancing | 203 |
The Holy Spirit washes over women | 207 |
Spiritfilled praises | 208 |
Inspired prayer | 209 |
Umbrella Preacher | 229 |
two views | 79 |
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Common terms and phrases
Ambedkar Anbu Nagar anticonversion laws asked autonomy basic believed caste Celvi cēri chapter Chennai claim congregation context culture CWMG Dalits debt described discourse divine dominant drinking elite example explained fact faith foreign money friends Gandhi Graham Staines Harijan Hindu and Christian Hindu gods Hindu nation Hindu nationalist Hinduism Hindutva household human Human Rights Watch husband idea identity India intraslum jāti Jesus Kalaivani Kashtappattinam lived LOGIC OF SLUM Madras marriage MIRACLES OF CHRIST missionary moral Muslims NATIONAL FRAME neighbors never non-Dalit nonslum OUTSIDERS Paraiyars PASTORAL POWER Pentecostal political poor practice pray prayer problems relationship religious conversion residents rich ritual Sagayaraj SALVATION scolded sense shared Shraddhanand simply slum Christians slum church slum dwellers slum pastors SLUM RELIGION slum women social spiritual suffering SUPERNATURAL ATTACK talk Tamil Nadu things threat tion told true University Press untouchables Viswanath wife woman words worldly worship Yesudasan