ABSTRACT
The rise of Dalit Christian theology marked a significant shift in Indian Christian discourse on caste towards the end of the twentieth-century. The starting point for this chapter, however, is the debate which took place between Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, for it captures the essence of controversy which continues to shape present day discourse on the issues of religious identity, conversion, and caste. Although Ambedkar's quest for the introduction of government measures for Dalits came to fruition through the Indian Constitution, the question of exactly who would be entitled to such benefits sparked new controversy. The years after Independence were marked by a 'certain optimism' with regard to the breakdown of caste and untouchability. Dalit Christian theology is concerned with the emancipation of all Dalits, influenced largely by the vision of Ambedkar. Dalit theology emerged in India during the 1980s in 'radical discontinuity with the Indian Christian Theology of the Brahminical tradition'.
