ABSTRACT
This chapter contextualizes Dalit Christian questions in the light of identity politics of caste in Andhra to analyse peculiar aspects like ‘Dalits preaching to Dalits’, ‘dual religious identity’, and ‘marriage as a proxy for baptism’. These peculiar aspects will not only enhance our understanding of caste and religion with new perspectives but also allow us to think about the role of a church among marginalized groups from unexplored dimensions. This chapter views the idea of ‘dual religious identity’ both as a symbol and as a result of structurally imposed marginality upon Dalit Christians. This chapter also delves into the two most prominent rites of passage (i.e. marriage and death) among Dalit Christians in order to examine how and why certain identities are important, though sometimes, they tend to be paradoxical with each other. The practice of burial remained an economic issue, standing against the ideas of their pre-conversion faith, but gained a religious framework under Christianity, which has the potential to cut across class and caste identity frameworks. It analyses how caste identity, Christian identity, and Dalit Christian identity play out in contextually meaningful ways to constitute their lived religion and in tune with their local politics.
