Abstract

Abstract Christian missionary approaches to Hinduism, in both the past and present, receive significant attention in mission studies. In the contemporary context (i.e., the past three decades or so), postcolonial approaches, empire studies, and critical world-religion categories have helped to develop new perspectives about Christian missionary attitudes to Hinduism during the colonial period. This chapter reviews literature and studies two arguments. First is the view that Christian missionaries have contributed hugely to the colonial construction or imagination or invention of Hinduism as one unified religion. Second, Christian attitudes to secularism and related categories (like enlightenment, rationalism, etc.), as well as religious-secular distinctions in the West, have shaped mission to Hindus. The discussion in this chapter is set against the context where the Hindutva forces are politically pushing hard for Hindu nationalism on the basis of Hinduism as one religion, and attacking secularists and religious minorities as the problematic other in India.

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