Examining Devotional Themes in Reverend Narayan Vaman Tilak’s 19th century Marathi Poetry: A Comparative Study Público

Abstract

Drawing upon Marathi texts concerning Reverend Narayan Vaman Tilak’s writings, this thesis elucidates the devotional themes embedded in his 19^th century poetic repertoire. In current missiological scholarship, an assumption of theological resonance between Protestant Christianity and the varkari bhakti traditions prevails. As such, the central questions that this thesis seeks to address are: 1. Through the nuanced lens of varkari bhakti traditions, how did Tilak articulate his distinctive vision of Protestant Christianity?; 2. Against the backdrop of British Protestant missionaries, where does Tilak’s varkari-inflected Christian perspective position itself?; 3. What role do non-Brahmin interpretations of varkari bhakti traditions, if at all, play in the dialogue between Protestant missionaries and Brahmin converts to Christianity?

 

A comprehensive examination of Tilak’s writing, set within both his English and Marathi contexts, reveals a dominant trend: the narratives of Protestant and Hindu scholars tend to be framed by a Brahmin-centric Indological framework. While this viewpoint has scholarly merit, it risks undermining the rich and textured folk practices that form the foundation of the varkari bhakti traditions. As Ramchandra Dhere, a foremost authority in Maharashtra’s folk studies, articulates, the deity Vitthal, despite gravitating towards Vaishnavite themes since the 11^th century, remains intrinsically linked to its folk origins. It’s imperative to recognize that Protestant portrayals of varkari bhakti, encompassing those in Tilak’s post-conversion works, often diverge from non-Brahmin experiential insights.

 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents:

 

 

Section I. Theoretical Frameworks: Bhakti, Hindu traditions, and religious studies………………………………………………………………………………………1

 

Section II. Poet Narayan Waman Tilak and Reverend Jack Copley Winslow………………………………………………………………………………………6

 

Section III. Forms of Tilak’s Poetry……………………………………………………………………………………..…12

 

Section IV. Theological Re-fashioning of Christ…………………………………………………………………………………….….20

 

Section V. Vitthal in Christian and varkari Narratives……………………………………………………………………………………26

 

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………...…33

 

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	Religion
Subfield / Discipline	West and South Asian Religions
Degree	M.A.
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Theology Religion, General South Asian Studies
Palavra-chave	Marathi bhakti Vitthal conversion Global Christianity
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Devaka Premawardhana , Emory University
Committee Members	Arun W. Jones, Emory University Harshita Kamath, Emory University

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