Religion Past and Present

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Caste
(1,741 words)

[German Version]

I. India – II. Caste and Christianity (in History) – III. Missiology

I. India

“Caste” (from Port. casta, “pure, unadulterated, chaste”) is the term used to denote Indian social groups based on criteria of consanguinity and, in part, fictional genealogy; they are distinguished by common occupations, names, and traditions, especially norms governing marriage and diet (Dietary laws: VIII). Traditional Hindu society adopts a hierarchic model of four classes (Skt. varṇa, often …

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Michaels, Axel, Jeyaraj, Daniel and Forrester, Duncan, “Caste”, in: Religion Past and Present. Consulted online on 28 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_COM_11353>
First published online: 2011
First print edition: ISBN: 9789004146662, 2006-2013



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