Ecclesial Identities in a Multi-Faith Context: Jesus Truth-Gatherings (Yeshu Satsangs) among Hindus and Sikhs in Northwest India

"When Hindus and Sikhs become followers of Christ, what happens next? Should they join Christian churches that often look and feel very unfamiliar to them? Or to what degree can or should they remain a part of their Hindu/Sikh communities and practices? Uncomfortable with the answers that were provided to them by Christian leaders in northwest India, six followers of Christ began Yeshu satsangs Jesus truth-gatherings that sought to follow Christ and the teachings of the Bible while remaining connected to their Hindu and/or Sikh communities. "Ecclesial Identities in a Multi-Faith Context" contextualises the practices and identities of these leaders and their gatherings, situating these in the religious history of the region and the personal histories of the leaders themselves. Whereas some Christians worry that the "Yeshu satsangs" and related "insider movements" are syncretising their beliefs and are not properly identifiable as "churches", Darren Todd Duerksen analyses the Yeshu satsang's narratives and practices to find vibrant expressions of local church that are grappling with questions and tensions of social and religious identity. In addition to his ethnographic approach, Duerksen also uses recent sociological and anthropological theory in identity formation and critical realism, as well as discussions of biblical ecclesiology from the Book of Acts. Darren Todd Duerksen is Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies at Fresno Pacific University. "This study will be a helpful resource for those interested in global Christianity, the practices and identities of churches in religiously plural environments, and the creative ways in which Christ-followers can engage people of other faiths. Duerksen has taken the risk of listening carefully to believers who most evangelicals would dismiss as heretical, of seeking to understand theologically the ways in which these believers have negotiated the tensions between their cultural heritage and the gospel, and then of embracing their ecclesial solutions to this tension as part of the historical process of God's building His church. Each of the narratives analysed by Duerksen illustrates how crises in the lives and beliefs of both Hindus and Sikhs led to the adoption of a new course of faith and practice, a commitment to Christ." Sherwood Lingenfelter, author of "Leading Cross-Culturally"."

Publisher -

Language - English

Paperback

Contributors

Author

Duerksen Darren Todd

Published Date -

ISBN - 9780718894061

Dimensions - 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm

Page Count - 314