a contextual missiology of the spirit - eTheses Repository ...

the product of Pentecostal theology, and in particular its pneumatology and
eschatology.
1.3.2. Pentecostalism in Rajasthan
Although Pentecostalism is growing rapidly in Rajasthan, no systematic effort has
been made to study the movement closely. However, the FBC took the initiative
to encourage its students as well as faculty members to study Pentecostalism in
Rajasthan. As a result, several efforts have been made with diverse foci. These
studies can be classified into two main categories. The first include studies done
from a general Christian perspective, which focus on Christian contributions to
the Bhil tribal community. 43 In these studies the contribution of Pentecostals is
also evaluated alongside other Christian sectors. For example, Abraham Cherian
has studied the religion of Bhil tribal people in Rajasthan and their response to the
Christian message. He limited his research to the Jhadol Taluk in the district of
Udaipur. In his PhD research, Cherian evaluated the contribution of churches and
Christian mission agencies to the holistic development of the Bhils in Rajasthan.
He argued that the accusation that ‘Christians have made the tribals poor convert,’
is invalid and concluded that Christian mission among these tribal communities
has brought holistic progress in the social, educational, economic and spiritual
aspects of the Bhil community.
43 Abraham T. Cherian, ‘A Study of the Religion of the Bhils of Jhadol Taluk in Udaipur,
Rajasthan and Their Response to Christian Faith in the Post-Independent Period’ (MTh thesis,
Asian Institute of Theology, Bangalore, 2001); Abraham T. Cherian, ‘Contribution of Churches
and Missions to the Bhils of Rajasthan’ (PhD thesis, AIT, Bangalore, 2005).
15