Hindu Nationalism and Indian Christianity: Perceptions, Approaches and Prescriptions

This dissertation seeks to understand Hindu nationalist perceptions regarding Indian Christianity, their approaches towards the same, and the prescriptions made to contain Christianity in India. This is done by examining the speeches and writings of three Hindu nationalist ideologues: V. D. Savarkar (1883-1966), Sita Ram Goel (1921-2003), and Arun Shourie (1941-). The dissertation argues that Hindu nationalist ideologues tend to homogenize the theology and history of Christianity in general and Indian Christianity in particular. Further, Christian missions and conversions to Christianity are also essentialized. Such monolithic views caricature the nature and character of the religion, its history, and its socio-religious activities in the present. This essentialization and caricaturization is not accidental, rather it is done with the express purpose of demonizing the religion and its activities. In doing so, Hindu nationalist perceptions and approaches towards Christianity in India is not dissimilar from its views and approaches towards Indian Muslims and Islam in India. Thus, Christian missions is considered an anti-national activity which threatens and seeks to overwhelm Hindu society and religion. Hence there are methods suggested and efforts taken to curb Christian activities in India.

These arguments are developed in two parts. Part A, chapters two to four, provides an overview of the life and thought of the three Hindu nationalist ideologues under consideration. Part B, chapters five to eight, examines their views on Christianity in general, and the history and present activities of Indian Christianity in particular. Part A serves as a backdrop against which part B can be better understood. Chapter five examines their reflections on the concepts of God, Christ, Bible, and the history of Christianity. Chapter six investigates their understandings of the history of Indian Christianity. Chapter seven explores their perceptions and approaches towards Christian missions – evangelism and religious conversions, educational and medical activities, and other social uplift programs – along with missiological-theological developments in the post-colonial period. Chapter eight looks at the many methods prescribed to restrain the threat of Christian missions. This dissertation thus makes a significant contribution to the study of Hindu nationalism in general and the study of Hindu nationalist perceptions, approaches, and recommendations towards containment of Indian Christianity in particular.