Linguistic Diversity, Ecclesial Unity, and Evangelism among Lutherans in North India

This paper examines contemporary debates about the use of vernacular languages for worship in Adivasi (indigenous) Lutheran churches in North India, attending to the material implications of linguistic diversity for ecclesial unity and evangelism. Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork, I argue that the material investments required to support vernacular language use in multilingual contexts strengthen churches and create unity through a shared imagination of reproducible vitality.