Ecclesial Identities in a Multi-Faith Context

This study explores how leaders and contexts of churches, or Yeshu satsangs (Jesus Truth-Gatherings) in northwest India frame the emergence of their unique ecclesial identities among Hindu and Sikh communities. Combining Margaret Archer's Critical Realism with Bourdieu's concept of habitus, I form what I call an Emergentist theory of identity formation. Through this I demonstrate that the various practices of the Yeshu satsangs, and the contexts that enable and constrain them, have helped to form particular markers that distinguish their ecclesial identities from the Hindu/Sikh and Christian communities. Field research involving participant observation of six Yeshu satsangs and over sixty semi-structured interviews of leaders and members explored the practices of the Yeshu satsangs, and the dual impact of Christ and socio-religious contexts in forming these. As a result, it was possible to delineate four themes of vernacular ecclesiology that are emerging among the Yeshu satsangs and the factors that have helped to cause them. The findings demonstrated that the Yeshu satsangs are developing expressions of worship and spirituality that reflect Hindu/Sikh bhakti traditions, an emphasis on God's miracles and blessings, nuanced ways of discerning evil, and distinct ways of witnessing to the Hindu and Sikh communities. These markers are being formed in response to socio-religious tensions between Christians and Hindus/Sikhs and are shaped by a combination of critical decision-making, as well as unconscious aspects of their habitus . In order to critique the ecclesial identity markers of the Yeshu satsangs, I critically correlate these with the Book of Acts, demonstrating the ways in which these markers are affirmed by the Biblical text, as well as delineating areas where the text may caution or challenge the Yeshu satsangs. Similar to the Book of Acts, the Yeshu satsangs are emerging from the midst of multi-cultural and multi-religious contexts, and are sharpened and challenged by issues relating to this. To that end, I propose that an understanding of ecclesiology and ecclesial identity formation are enhanced through attention to the processes of emergence, particularly those involving the various interactions between religious practices and communities.