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The Caste system among Indian Christians often reflect stratification by sect, location, and the castes of their predecessors.〔(Christian Castes ) Encyclopædia Britannica〕 Social practices among certain Indian Christians parallel much of the discrimination faced by lower castes in other religious communities, as well as having features unique to this community. Caste distinctions among Indian Christians are breaking down at about the same rate as those among Indians belonging to other religions. There exists evidence to show that Christian individuals have mobility within their respective castes.〔''Kerala Christians and the Caste System'' C. J. Fuller ''Man'', New Series, Vol. 11, No. 1. (Mar., 1976), pp. 53–70.〕 But, in some cases, social inertia cause old traditions and biases against other castes to remain, causing caste segregation to persist among Indian Christians.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Christian caste )〕 About 70–80 per cent of Indian Christians are Dalit Christians, that is former members of the Dalit castes.〔(Struggle for justice to Untouchable Christians ) Brojendra Nath Banerjee, Uiliyāma Kerī Sṭāḍi eyāṇḍ Risārca Seṇṭāra. Page 42: "At stake is the fate of 16 million Christians of SC origin, who form 70–80 percent of the Christians in the country"〕〔Carol Henderson Garcia, Carol E. Henderson 2002:40 "Today about 70 percent of Christians are Dalits"〕〔Radhakrishnan 2005:23〕〔Azariah 1985:5〕 Christian priests, Nuns, Dalits and similar groups are also found in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal. ==Kerala== Christians in Kerala are divided into several communities, including Syrian Christians, Dalit Christians and Latin Christians. Syrian Christians in Kerala consist of the members of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Jacobite Syrian Church , Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church and Chaldean Syrian Church. Syrian Christians maintain their traditional Syrian rites and practices, that are divided into both East and West Syrian rites. The East Syrian rite is followed by the majority Syrian Christians, who are Roman Catholics under the Syro Malabar Catholic Church. The other Syrian Christian denominations follow the west Syrian rites. They derive status within the caste system from the tradition that they are converted from high castes by Thomas the Apostle in the first century. In the pre-independence period, Untouchability was prevalent in the Kerala society and the Syrian Christians also practiced it in order to keep their upper-caste status. They used to go for a ritual bath to purify themselves on physical contact with the so-called inferior castes.〔The Asiatic journal and monthly register for British and foreign India, China and Australasia, Volume 13, the Bavarian State Library, p.237〕 The Syrian Christians did not cooperate with the evangelical activities of foreign missionaries and they did not allow new converts to join their community since they were afraid that their noble position in the society could have been endangered. However, certain denominations following the West Syrian rite, such as the Marthoma Syrian Church, are known to have admitted lower castes into their fold around the early and mid 19th century. A significant number of Syrian Christians are members of the Madhya Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India, which is an united autonomous Indian church within the Anglican Communion. 〔http://www.csimkd.net/History.aspx〕 Writers Arundhati Roy and Anand Kurian have written personal accounts of the caste system at work in their community.〔Fuller, C.J.Indian Christians: Pollution and Origins.Man, New Series, Vol. 12, No. 3/4. (Dec., 1977), pp. 528–529.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Caste system among Indian Christians」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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