Acknowledgments
Many good people have supported and sustained me through the journey of writing this book. I am thankful to my doktorvater, John Thatamanil, who guided me with compassion and wisdom in the early stages of this book as a dissertation. I cannot thank him enough for being a motivating teacher and a generous friend who believed in me more than I ever did myself. My thanks are also due to the illustrious members of my dissertation committee—Sathianathan Clarke, Paul Knitter, Rachel McDermott, and Cornel West—whose constructive criticisms helped me to revise a graduate school thesis into publishable material. I am also indebted to all my teachers, both in India and the United States, especially, Jayakiran Sebastian, John Mohan Razu, Roger Haight, Jerusha Lamptey, Ulrike Auga, Hyun Kyun Chung, and Samuel Cruz for teaching me the tools to think critically and creatively. In particular, I am ever grateful to my beloved teacher, the Late. Prof. James Cone (to whom I have dedicated this book) for constantly reminding me that my voice mattered and that I needed to write, not for my sake, but to further the cause of justice for the oppressed. I am overwhelmed by the love and faith that these people have in me as a scholar, and though I may not reach their levels of academic excellence, I sincerely hope that I would be able to emulate their spirit of kindness and humility.
As I was completing this book, I was invited to serve on the faculty of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary, NY, as Visiting Lecturer for Theology, Global Christianity, and Mission. It is an honor for me to serve with Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean of eds@Union who inspires me with her scholarship and her passion for justice. My heartfelt thanks to Miguel Escobar, the Director of the Anglican Studies program, whose friendship pushes me to widen my horizons of knowledge and be a publicly engaged theologian.
This book revolves around the ethnographic study that I conducted in Tamilnadu, India, during the summer of 2016, and my earlier researches in 2010–12. I am thankful to the Dalit communities of Kottaikarai, Pulichapallam, Annai Nagar, Vichur, Periyapalayam, Chekkanur, Thannirkulam, Aranvayil, and Pandur for opening their hearts and lives to me and sharing their religious beliefs and experiences. I also cannot forget the assistance and support rendered by my two research associates, Lazar and Arputharaj, who not only introduced and accompanied me to different research sites and helped me with the interviews, but also made perceptive observations that I may have never noticed otherwise.
When this project was still in its embryonic stage, I had the privilege of gaining from the wisdom of many scholars. In particular, I am thankful for the insights I received from the representing faculty and students at the Trans-Atlantic (now Global) Ph.D. Seminar held at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in 2014, and at the Union Theological Seminary, New York, in 2015. I am also grateful for the opportunity to attend the Asian Theological Summer Institute (atsi) at the United Lutheran Seminary, Philadelphia, in 2016 where the facilitators and fellow participants helped me to fine-tune the focus and the argument of my book.
Many friends in the academy and the church have been part of this exciting journey. I thank Sunder John Boopalan, Joseph Prabhakar Dayam, Peniel Jesudasan Rufus Rajkumar, Balasubramaniam Jeyapal, John Jeyaharan, Samuel Logan Rathnaraj, Esther Parajuli, Abidhanandhar John, Jamal Calloway, and Christopher Ficci with whom I held enlightening discussions at different stages of writing. I am also grateful to Kyeongil Jung, Makito Nagasawa, Ruth Batausa, Lisa and Joel Pratt, Mary Jett, Stewart Everett, Crystal Hall, Amy Meverden, Vinod Wesley, Sweety Helen, Poonam Rai, and Janet Okang for enriching my life with their friendship.
When I began looking for publishers, I am glad that Paul Hedges suggested and recommended my proposal to Brill and put me in touch with Marianne Moyaert, the editor-in-chief of the Currents of Encounter series. My thanks to both of them for their suggestions and support. I also thank Ingrid Heijckers-Velt for her help and guidance through the publication process. I am ever grateful to Mrinalini Sebastian for kindly reading and checking my manuscript for grammar, coherence, and clarity. I cannot say how indebted I am to Immanuel Vivekanandh for the powerful cover image. It fits perfectly with the book’s theme.
I could not have written this book without the spiritual support of the faith community to which I belong, the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Richmond Hill, NY. I am also grateful for the prayers and encouragement of many caring elders in my life, including Rev. Christopher and Sarah Solomon, Rev. Gideon Jebamani, Bishop Lawrence Provenzano, Fr. Winfred Vergara, and Prof. Jim Kodera.
My parents taught me to think critically. I am truly grateful to my amma and appa, Elizabeth Victoria and Samuel Jacob, for filling our home with unbounded love and generous freedom that encouraged their children to question assumptions and challenge conventions. I also thank my sister, Beulah Ezhilselvan, who, along with her husband, Joshua Ezhilselvan and their lovely son, Jerry, has been a constant source of motivation in my academic journey. I am blessed to have wonderful parents-in-law, Jeyaseelan David and Jessie David, who go out of their way to support me.
This whole enterprise would not have been possible without my beloved friend and life partner, Amirthaseeli Jeyaseelan. It was her love and wisdom that gave me the enthusiasm and energy to do this project. Together, we are delighted and proud of our children, Raphael and Matthew (who was born exactly three days after I submitted the final manuscript to the publisher). I thank God for giving me these three lovely people who make my life beautiful and my endeavors meaningful and fun.