Strong Religion, Zealous Media
Christian Fundamentalism and Communication in India
- Pradip Ninan Thomas - School of Communication and Arts, University of Queensland, Australia
Thomas’s detailed study gives a very compelling survey of the current state of the relationship between the media and Christianity in India...There are excellent analyses of specific contemporary groups and events, and Thomas gives some enlightening case studies as illustrations...The book is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking a survey of current scholarship in the fieldand wishing to identify current gaps in this scholarship...There is no denying that this book represents a worthy and useful addition to this unduly neglected area of scholarship, both for India itself and the wider issues of the interplay between religion and media around the world
This book is the first in-depth cultural and social analysis of the growth of conservative forms of Christianity within the Protestant tradition in India and the many ways in which these new churches use the media.
Taking head-on the delicate matter of minority fundamentalism, Thomas gives the reader insights into a less discussed phenomenon — the communication strategies adopted by the Pentecostalist traditions, old and new...he chronicles a fascinating history of the use of the media by the Protestant church in India...a good read for those interested in religious fundamentalism, the media and society.
The book…is a “wake-up call” to the traditional church in India to recognise the danger of fundamentalist incursions into a faith that is largely seen as beneficial and peaceful, surviving for several thousand years in a multicultural, multi-religious space, which this subcontinent has provided.