This book delves into the public character of public theology from the sites of subalternity, the excluded Dalit (non) public in the Indian public sphere. Raj Bharat Patta employs a decolonial methodology and explores the topic in three parts: First, he engages with ‘theological contexts,’ by mapping global and Indian public theologies and critically analysing them. Next, he discusses ‘theological companions,’ and explains ‘theological subalternity’ and ‘subaltern public’ as companions for a subaltern public theology for India. Finally, Patta explains ‘theological contours’ by discussing subaltern liturgy as a theological account of the subaltern public and explores a subaltern public theology for India.
Raj Bharat Patta is a Minister from the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, and is currently serving as a Recognized and Regarded Minister of the Methodist Church in Britain. He has a PhD from the University of Manchester.
1. Introduction.- 2. Mapping Public Theologies: A Critical Anaylsis.- 3. A Critical Recovery and Appraisal of Indian Public Theologies.- 4. Can the Subalterns Speak? A Critical Indian Theological Hearing of Subalternity.- 5. Can the Subalterns Public-ize? A Critical Subaltern Interrogation of Public.- 6. Subaltern Liturgy: A Theological Account of Public.- 7. The Tasks and Scope of Subaltern Public Theology.- 8. Towards a subaltern public theology for India.