Shaibu Abraham

Jesus was a visionary and revolutionary in his context. He had not only challenged the existing social and religious systems but also envisaged an alternative paradigm for the society. This way he was a destabilizing presence in his context. In the first century Palestine, there were various issues, which exploited and negated the majority of the population. Of them, the dominant ethos, with its cultural paradigm of core value, was holiness understood as purity, meaning separation from everything unclean. Recent scholarship in Gospels studies, especially social scientific study and the Historical Jesus Research have shed ample light upon this aspect and the life and ministry of Jesus in response to it. Many of the words and deeds of Jesus make better sense and meaning when we apply them with the understanding of holiness as purity. Jesus, however, replaced holiness with compassion and loving relationship.

This thesis is an investigation into the nature of Christology among ordinary Pentecostals in India. Pentecostalism is growing rapidly among Tribal-groups, Dalits, lower castes and ordinary people. However, the movement has not articulated its theological identity in order to consolidate and further its development. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the ordinary Christology using qualitative research methods such as interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. It is argued that their Christological understandings have been formed and expressed in challenging circumstances and given extraordinary energy through Pentecostal phenomena associated with revivalism. Ordinary Indian Pentecostals understand Jesus as the healer, exorcist, provider and protector in the context of poor health-care, a spirit worldview, extreme poverty, caste-system and religious persecution. Their Christian experience enables them to acknowledge Jesus as the Saviour, Lord and supreme God. These Chr...