Dalit Christ & Tribal Christ

By: Genlemthang Suantak

Introduction
Dalits in India have suffered oppression under the dominant castes for at least last three
millenniums. These oppressions were sanctioned under the mainstream religion alienating them
socially, culturally and economically. Within the Church too, Christian Dalits suffer stigma and
prejudice by the other caste members. Hence, as the word “Dalit” means - “crushed”, broken”
or“split apart” - Dalit experience in India is invariably colored by their subjugated experience.
They endure broken experiences at the physical, emotional and psychological levels. Hence, the
Dalit Christological reflections, following the Latin American Liberation theology, is essentially
located within the locus of such “Dalit experiences” in India. The “situatedness” of a Dalit
theologian defines his or her theological imperatives. In this essay, a study on the methodological
approach of two pioneer Dalit theologians – Arvind P Nirmal and M. E. Prabhakar is undertaken.
The concept of God-World relationship is central and true in the Bible, because it starts from the
creation of the world which is inclusive of all and that is the foundation of Christian faith and
profession. In the same way, the Tribal perception of God is affirmed by their understanding of
Cosmology where the relationship between God, Human and the World is at the foundation.
Their understanding of God- Human- World relationship affects their attitudes, the way they
understand themselves, their relation to other people, to the environment and to all other
creatures.

1.Dalit Christology
Christology from the Dalit perspective expresses the Dalit realities through the paradigm of the
life of Jesus Christ. The objective of Christology within Dalit theology is to interpret the
relevance of the person and work of Jesus Christ to a marginalized, oppressed and de-humanized
people; the Dalits. Dalit Christology is in fact a re- interpretation of Christology in Dalit
categories. Dalit Christology envisions a paradigm of liberation upon which Dalits can construct
an alternate vision of social and religious interactions, enabling them to move towards an Like
any other Christian identity theology, Dalit theology identified Jesus Christ in the midst of their
struggle for human dignity, equality, and liberation from socio-economic oppression. As A.P.
Nirmal states, “Jesus of India is in the midst of the liberation struggle of the Dalits of India”. 1The
exodus experience (from Hinduism) coupled with ‘pathos’ and ‘Dalit identity’ enabled Dalits to
identify Jesus Christ as their God, in fact a ‘Dalit God’. Nirmal remarks that in our exodus to
Jesus Christ, we have had a liberating experience.2Dalit Christology portrays the commonality
between Jesus’ servitude and the Dalit servitude in Indian society, thereby identifying with Jesus
Christ.3 Jesus whom Dalit follow is a ‘Dalit’ Jesus. The ontology of Jesus is reinterpreted.

1
A.P. Nirmal, Towards a Christian Dalit theoloty, reader,63
2
Nirmal. Towards a Christian Dalit theoloty, reader,,64
3
Nirmal. Towards a Christian Dalit theoloty, reader, 67

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Dalit Jesus
For a Dalit Christian or more specifically for a Dalit theologian, Jesus’ reconstructed identity as
a“Dalit-of-his-own-time” is essential for Christological reflections. As A. P. Nirmal asserts, “We
proclaim and affirm that Jesus Christ whose followers we are, was himself a Dalit despite
hisbeing a Jew. .. both his humanity and his divinity are to be understood in terms of his
Dalitness.His Dalitness is the key to the mystery of his divine human unity.”4 This Dalitness of
Jesus is emphasized by referring to his genealogy in the Gospels which include social outcasts
like Tamar, Rehab and Solomon, an illegitimate child born to David through Bathsheba. Further,
Jesus’ preferred title “Son of Man” and the associated rejection, mockery, contempt,suffering
and eventual death are very important in Dalit Christological reflections. “Jesus underwent these
Dalit experiences as the Prototype of all Dalits”. Jesus being accused of eating and drinking with
publicans, tax collectors and “sinners” of his day is another aspect of Jesus’Dalitness as well as
his solidarity with Dalits. Jesus’ approach and attitude towards Samaritans –the “Dalits of Jesus’
days” – demonstrates Jesus’ love and care for the Dalits. Thus the Dalittheologian identifies with
the “dalit” experiences of Jesus, which conjure up a solidarity feeling.5

Pathos-centered Approach
Dalit experiences are grounded on the fundamental feelings of suffering, servitude, oppression
and powerlessness. Arvind P Nirmal defines “Dalit Theology” as that which is based on their
own dalit experiences - their own sufferings, their own aspirations and their own hope. It
attempts to narrate the story of their pathos(suffering) and their protest against the socio-
economic injustices that they have been subjected to throughout history. Following Arvind’slead,
Prabhakar contends, “a Christian Dalit theology will be a theology full of pathos but not apassive
theology.6 Dalit theology wants to assert that at the heart of the Dalit people’s experiences is
their pathos or suffering.. It is in and through this pain-pathos that the sufferer knows God.This is
because the sufferer in and through his/her pain-pathos knows that God participates inhuman
pain. The participation of God in human pain is characterized by the New Testament as the
passion of Jesus symbolized in his crucifixion”. This pathos-centeredness is the distinctive
character of Dalit Christological reflections which enables Dalit believers to identify with Jesus
Christ in his suffering conjoined by their sharing in his offer of redemption and liberation. 7

Pathos-Protest-Praxis
But Dalit Christology cannot continue to glorify their sufferings which will still legitimize the
status quo of oppression and inequality. Rather, Dalit theologian attempts to locate a paradigm of
protest against all forms of oppressions within Jesus’ life and activity. The passion (suffering
anddeath) of Jesus Christ on the cross, for the sake of the world, on behalf of the Dalits, and his
resurrection are basic to understanding Christology beyond the fundamental aspect of pathos-
centeredness. Arvind Nirmal asserts that “The cross and resurrection are God’s way of
protestingagainst the powers of the world and overcoming them. It is through the cross and

4 James Massey, Towards Dalit Hermeneutics, (Delhi: ISPCK, 1994), 1-5.

5 Arvind P. Nirmal, Heuristic Explorations, (Madras: CLS, 1990), 139.
6 M.E. Prabhakar, “The Search for a Dalit Theology”,Arvind P. Nirmal, ed., A Reader in Dalit Theology ( Chennai: Gurukul

Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, 1991), 41-43.

7 James Massey, Towards Dalit Hermeneutics, (Delhi: ISPCK, 1994), 29-31.

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resurrection that the no-people are transformed into God’s own people. Christ is the great
‘humanizer’.” This realization of protest paradigm calls for the Dalit praxis to achieve liberation.
To know Jesus is to know him as revealed in the struggles of Dalits for their liberation. Thus the
Pathos-Protest-Praxis sequence constitutes the basis of Dalit liberation.8

Methodological Exclusivity
“For a Dalit theologian, Dalit Theology and hence Dalit Christology represents a radical
discontinuity with the Indian Christian Theology of the Brahminic tradition. This means that a
Christian Dalit theology will be counter-theology and in order for them to remain as counter-
theology, it is necessary that they are exclusive in character. This methodological exclusivism is
necessary because the tendency of all dominant tradition – cultural or theological – is to
accommodate, include or assimilate and finally conquer others.” By arguing for a
methodological exclusivism, Arvind Nirmal constricts the possibility of doing Dalit theologizing
to born Dalits. He justifies this exclusivistic stand by pointing to the assimilating and
eventuallyconquering attitude in the dominant theologizing. It is held that the essential
“situatedness” of a Dalit is the primary trait for an authentic Dalit theologizing.9

Preferential option for the Dalits

Dalit theology derives many of its methodological aspects from the Liberation Theology. As the
Latin American “local communes” were the locus of Liberation theologizing, Dalit
communityand its collective “dalit experiences” form the loci of Indian Dalit Theology. Also, as
Liberation Theology argued for the ”preferential option” for the poor Latin Americans, Dalit
Theology contends for the “preferential option to the Dalits in India”. As the positive
discrimination on behalf of the Dalits is enshrined in the Indian Constitution, Dalit hermeneutics
locates Christ’s(and hence God’s) positive discrimination on behalf of the “dalits-of-Jesus’-
days”. It is contended that following the proclamation of Nazareth manifesto, Jesus immediately
remarks about the applicability of that manifesto of liberation by mentioning about the Zarepath
widow and Namaan, the Syrian lepor.10 This is construed as Jesus’ preference for the Dalits and
his rejection of non-Dalits. “The gospel that Jesus brought was the gospel for “Dalits” and not
for the non-Dalits not for Israel. The Nazareth manifesto then is really manifesto for Dalits.11
Another episode from Jesus’ ministry full of significance for Dalit Christology is that of the
cleansing of the temple. Following Light Foot’s commentary A P Nirmal argues that the event
was significant for its implications for the gentiles. The gentile court was changed into a market
area denying the access to the gentiles. Jesus, the messianic King restores the right of the
gentiles. “Light foot’sin terpretation makes sense to the Indian Dalits who had to struggle for the
temple entry right sand we know about temple entry legislation in the various states of India”. In
Jesus’ act of restoration of the Gentile rights to worship, Dalits see a “prefiguration of the
vindication of the Indian Dalit struggle for their prayer and worship rights”.12

8 Y.T. Vinaya Raj, Re-imagining Dalit Theology: Post modern readings, (Tiruvalla:CSS,2010), 25.
9 A.P. Nirmal, Heuristic Exploration, (Madras: CLS, 1990), 141-142.
10 M.E. Prabhakar, “The Search for a Dalit Theology”, in A Reader in Dalit Theology edited by Arvind P. Nirmal

( Chennai: Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, 1991), 43.
11 M.E. Prabhakar, “The Search for a Dalit Theology”, in A Reader in Dalit Theology edited by Arvind P. Nirmal,,45.
12 James Massey, Down Trodden: The struggle of India’s Dalits for Identity, Solidarity and Liberation (Geneva: WCC, 1997), 59.

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Jesus’ Particularity and Universality
While emphasizing the particularity of Jesus by appealing to his Jewishness, Arvind Nirmal
says,“Apart from the Jewishness of Jesus, we cannot understand our faith in Jesus Christ, based
in the Judeo-Christian tradition, as the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Israel and the new
covenant of God for all humanity effected through his cross and resurrection. His Jewishness
established his humanity and concreteness of is existence in history, which are the very basis of
our acknowledgement of the Jesus of History as the Christ of our faith.” Yet by going beyond the
particularity of Jesus of Nazareth, Arvind Nirmal contends, “The cross and resurrection
actualizein history Jesus’ eschatological vision that the last shall be first and the first last. The
resurrection means that the universal fact of God’s salvation and God’s option for the poor and
oppressed are not limited to the particularity of his Jewishness but is available to all “who labor
and are heavy laden” and all who fight for the liberation of humanity in this world”. Thus both
the particularity as well as the universal applicability of Jesus’ life and activity is considered in
Dalit Christological reflections.13

Christ’s Redeeming Significance

While reflecting on Christ’s redeeming relevance for the Dalits, Prabhakar notes,“The Risen
Christ’s presence among the poor and oppressed (Dalits) today is just as real as was his presence
with the outcastes in first-century Palestine. He is the same yesterday and today taking the pain-
pathos of the outcaste Dalits into himself and bearing their grief and sorrows on their behalf.
Jesus Christis Dalit because he manifested on the cross God’s love for us and because he will
manifest and display hissalvation and glory through us, the broken and oppressed, downtrodden
and marginalized Dalits. Christ has taken our Dalitness (out-cateness) upon himself and endured
our humiliation and pain and redeemed us by laying down his life “as a ransom for many”. He
has made us “liberated servants” to continue our struggle against all suffering, with the assurance
that he will come again to consummate his rule on earth”.14
For a Dalit, it is easy to identify Jesus Christ as the suffering Servant of God. “As the Gospels
point to Jesus accepting the role of the Suffering servant, as God’s Suffering Servant, he
becomes God’s visible presence in the world, enduring, suffering for the freedom of humanity.
His suffering is redemptive, because God is present with him, bearing the pain of sin so that
liberation will become a reality among all people”. Hence, through the paradigm of pathos-
protest-praxis, Jesus Christ’s redeeming relevance is appropriated for a Dalit Christology.15

2.Tribal understanding of God

Supreme Being/God: Tribal people believe in the existence of God who is superior to all other
spirits. Tribal understood that God was just like having family in heaven. They never evoke other
family member. Attribution to human- transcendental as well as immanent regarded to be source
and blessings. God was perceived as kind deity who is merciful and loving. Tribal did not regard

13 A.P. Nirmal, Towards Christian Dalit Theology, Heuristic Exploration (Madras, CLS,1990) p 145-147
14 John C,B. Webster,Religion and Dalit Liberation,(Delhi:Manohar ,2002),12.
15 E.M,Prabakar,Towards a Dalit theology(Delhi:ISPCK,1988),5.

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to be misfortune. They believe that God was active onlooker, because of that they prayed to God
in times of trouble and in times of extreme difficulties console themselves that God will be there.
God was not a mere spectator. He was one who saw the people from above and also willing to
help and uphold justice. In some tradition said that supreme being came down to earth and bless
the people.16 Apart from the Supreme Being the tribal also understood in the existence of
celestial beings that are more personal and more involved in human affairs than the Supreme
Being.17
Human: Human being is a unitary. The tribal understanding of the human was that no
differentiation between soul and body, sacred and secular. They believe that every human being
is inseparable from soul and from body. If the body felt sick the soul also suffer. Tribal
understand human being as social being in sense of community rather than individual. In tribal a
person can not be realized unless he/she is in community. This idea is the foundation and central
in the tribal understanding of human. Their life was based on interpersonal relationship and live
together with mutual trust and respect. They maintain kinship order in a very close interpersonal
relationship.18
Land: Tribal understood land as the source of their survival. Tribal people not only develop a
strong sense of attachment to the land and they show great respect and care for the nature. Tribal
people regarded land as source of life from which they receive all resources for livelihood. Tribal
people just live what the earth provided them since their survival was totally dependent on the
.land. without land they become like child without mother. Tribal people perceives land as a holy
ground, temple through which they discern the will of god.19
Relationship between God-human-world: The tribal believed that God- Human World formed
a community in which they are interrelated.20The interrelatedness of the Creator with creation is
manifested through a variety of forms. This aspect of interrelatedness is one of the essential
elements of God in the tribal worldview.21As a result of this fact, for the Tribals, God is active,
creative and has sustaining presence in the world. For instance, according to Ao Nagas, Lijaba
enters the earth with the seeds and rises again along with the crops. He is the one who gives
vegetation in the land and regenerates the earth by entering into the earth every year.
Since the Tribal people sees God- Human and World to be interrelated and forming a
community, in the tribal worldview space is the basis of all realities. They see the self of the
Supreme Being in space and not in history. That is why among many tribal communities, the
concept of land is very complex and occupies a very central place in their worldview. The land is
sacred and co- creator with the Creator. It is the land that owns the people and gives them an

16
L.H.Lalpekhlua, Class note 2006.
17
K.Thanzauva, Theology of Community (Bangalore: Asian trading Corporation, …p.192.
18
Lalpekhlua, Class note 2018.
19
Lalpekhlua, Class note 2018.
20
Thanzauva, Theology of Community…192.
21
Yangkhohao Vashum “Theology of Land: A Naga Perspective,” in The Tribal Worldview and Ecology, op.cit; A
Wati Longchar, “Dancing with the Land “ in Doing Theology with Tribal resources, ed by A. Wati Longchar &L.C.
Davis (Jorhat: Tribal Study Center, 2000), pp.123-125.

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identity. It is also a temple through which the people becomes not only with the sacred power,
but also with their ancestors, the spirits and other living creatures.22
Like the Hebrews many tribal societies affirm that the land belongs to the creator. The village,
clans and individuals own the land, but within the wider understanding that the land belongs to
the creator who is the ultimate owner of the land. Thus the land equally belongs to all with equal
rights and freedom to live in it, and no one can claim it exclusively for himself or herself.
Since the land belongs to the creator, the creator and creation cannot be perceived without the
land. The creator indwells not only the human persons but also indwells in the soil. The land is
also understood as the symbol of unity of all living creatures. Since the land has sustaining
power, for the tribals it is also an integral part of people’s identity. It is not a mere space but it is
a place which gives an identity to the community. Without the land there is no personhood and
identity. Since the people’s identity is closely attached to the land, it is usual for many tribal
peoples to identify with their village or tribe rather then their personal identity.23

Community Model as a means for expressing God- Human- World relationship:

Since the tribal concept of God- Human –World relationship is derived neither from strict ideas
of transcendence nor immanence, nor monotheism nor polytheism, a community Model seems to
be the most appropriate model to express the tribal concept of God- Human- World relationship.
This model affirms the inter-connectedness of all creation, but maintains the distinctiveness of all
creation and acknowledges the unique position of human in the created order as a more capable,
rational, free and powerful. However this does not mean that human beings can survive in
isolation from other creatures. Therefore there is a need to maintain commonality of all creation
in the midst of diversities. Human consciousness of inter-dependence and unity of all creation in
the midst of diversity recognizes and respects the intrinsic rights of nature. In this community,
God is seen as the originator and ground of the community. Thus the act of creation implies that
the universe, including our earth with all its creatures lives and moves and has its being in God.
This implies further that all creatures are creatures among other creatures in the community of
creation.24

Theological significance for Social transformation:

The communitarian model has had a great potential to serve as a theological basis for social
transformation. The understanding of God-World as belonging to the community helps the tribal
Christians to rediscover a holistic concept of reality from their tradition. It would provide a
theological basis to inspire and orient the churches towards social involvement and to bring
about social change and be more inclusive in their ministry and mission. This would also help us
to broaden the circle of salvation from salvation of individual souls for life after death to the
understanding of cosmic salvation-total salvation of human beings with their body, soul, spirit,
society and all other creatures as well, here and now and to the future.25

22
Alaez, A Tribal Christian…292.
23
Ibid.
24
Thanzauva, Theology of…p.198.
25
Thanzauva, Theology of…p.205.

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Conclusion
Dalit Christological reflections have “counter-theologizing” prospects as against the
dominant(Brahminical) tendencies. Against the generalizing trend of mainstream theology, Dalit
Theology, as its pioneering counterpart Liberation Theology (within the Latin American
communes), emerges within the locus of the “situatedness” of “Dalit experiences”. Jesus, whose
identity is reconstructed as a “Dalit of his own times”, is seen in solidarity with the pathos of the
Dalits in India. The passion of Jesus that portrays the rejection, humiliation,
brokenness,forsakenness and helplessness is essentially construed as his “dalit experience”. Yet,
beyond the pathos-centrism, a paradigm of Protest is unveiled from the life and activity of Jesus.
His deedsare understood as subversive that challenged the status quo of his time. Jesus came to
proclaim liberation to the “dalits of his time” – tax-collectors, “sinners”, prostitutes and
Samaritans. Thisrealization of protest spurs Dalits for a praxis toward Indian Dalit liberation.
Dalit Theology being a contextual theology, Dalit Christological reflections emerge from within
the context ofDalit experiences. Further, Dalit Theology, through methodological exclusivism
constricts Dalit theologizing to born Dalits.The tribal worldview offers a concrete and
communitarian worldview. It excludes the idea of dichotomy and anthropocentrism. It is always
God centred and creation centred in a sense the ultimate meaning of life of every creation is
derived from the Supreme Being. That is why there is no seperation of the Supreme Being and
his creation in the tribal worldview. Everything that exists is for community which should be
shared and utilized without exploiting for selfish gains. Moreover, the strong affirmation of faith
in the tribal worldview is that nature is sacred. This understanding re-enforces the idea that every
creation is divinely inspired and endowed and nothing is outside God’s caring and protection.

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