Dalit Traditions, Liberation, and Comparative Theology

Dalit communities, experiences, and theologies provide a critical and decolonial approach to comparative theologies and Christian theologies of liberation. Attending to Dalit traditions through comparative theology may lead to multireligious and interreligious solidarity and co-resistance against local and global structures of oppression and ideological discourses of marginalization. One paper explores how Christian Dalit theologians may learn from the liberation struggles of Dalits of other faith traditions, seeking to elevate the liberative possibilities inherent in such an attempt in the context of the emergence of new empires of majoritarian nationalism and religious supremacies. The second paper contrasts Hindu and Christian theological ideals of liberation and equality with the social reality of Hindu and Christian oppression of the marginalized. The third paper examines the intersections of Korean Han and Dalit Pathos, both to enrich theological understanding and to inspire a collective pursuit of justice and liberation that transcends cultural and religious boundaries.