The Historical Revolution of Vatican II and the Vision of a Post-Western Christianity in India

Abstract

The vision of a post-western Christianity in India is traditionally linked to a distinct theological interpretation of Vatican II. According to such an interpretation, Vatican II was a theological revolution that favoured the openness of the Church to the world. In this article, I explore that vision through a historical, rather than a theological, interpretation of Vatican II. In Europe, Vatican II was a historical revolution that promoted the exit of Catholicism from Christendom and the establishment of a new Christian order with no links with Christendom. In India, this post-Christendom order has taken the form of a post-western order.