Soteriologies of India and Their Role in the Perception of Disability

Anand Rao

Jan. 2004 · LIT Verlag Münster

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At the turn of the century and the beginning of the new Millennium, India has made extraordinary industrial and economic progress. At the same time the sub-continent is faced with innumerable problems in the area of basic social services. Religion plays an important role in the interpersonal relationship and social interaction of the people. Religion is not only worship and prayer, but dictates such factors as who could come in physical contact with the other and who has the right to draw water from a well and who is deprived of it. Because of these factors it is necessary to look at the perception of disability in the soteriologies of India. This study confines itself to Hinduism as the major religion of India, that is based on the achievement of salvation and thus to escape the cycle of birth-, death- and rebirth and Christianity, on the other hand, that is involved in trying to improve the conditions of the poor and the needy and its main precept is the love of neighbours. It would be interesting to pursue these distinctions in reviewing the perception of disability in both these religions.