ISSN: P-0972-3331 | E-2582-8711

BIBLE IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

Volume 28/2 May-August 2024

Pontificium Athenaeum Pooniensis

Jnana Deepa
Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Theology
Pune 411014, India.
www.punejournal.in
 CONTENTS

Editorial 05

The “Pixelated Text”:

Reading the Bible in the Digital World 08
Thomas Karimundackal, SJ

The Bible and Digital Culture:

A Networking of Digital Natives 28
Jeevan Prasad Dandavathi, MSFS

From Sacred Scrolls to Scrolling Screens

Relooking at the Biblical Text in a Digital Age 55
Naveen Rebello SVD

Unlocking Scriptures in the Digital Age 71

Antony Tharekadavil

Bible and Artificial Intelligence (AI) 89

Joshy Koonamparambath

Bible and Computer: Smart Ways to Biblical Studies 111

Maria Micheal Felix

The Digital Turn in Scriptural Literacy

and Its Possible Impact on Christian Religious Cultures 139
Nirmal Savio Paul
 Jnanadeepa: Pune Journal of Religious Studies

The Bible and Social Media:

Synergy in Modern Communication 168
Agnes Rungsung

Digital Discipleship 189

Ashique Lenin

Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and

Cultural Nationalism as the Necessary Condition
to Synodality of the Church-In-India 207
S. Lourdunathan

Book Reviews 234

4
 Jnanadeepa: Pune Journal of Religious Studies
ISSN: P-0972-3331| E-2582-8711
Vol 28/2 May-Aug 2024, 207-233
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13709200
Stable URL: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13709200

Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural Nationalism

As the Necessary Condition to Synodality of the
Church-in-India
S. Lourdunathan

Abstract
The paper titled Denial of Caste, and Clerical-Capitalism
and Cultural Nationalism as the Necessary Condition to
Synodality of the Church-in-India explores the constitutive
characteristics of synodality and the conditional grounds for
its realization in the Church-in-India. Exploring the
theoretical-epistemic constraints ingrained in the conceptual
bearings of synodality, it characterizes synodality as
relationality enlivened through the world of God. It argues
that (i) the denial of the politics of Casteism and (ii) the denial
of Clerical Capitalism is essential to be synodal, the negation
of which is both theoretical, structural and practical.
Contextualising the Policy of Dalit Empowerment in the
Catholic Church in India, the author opts for an epistemic
break and an epistemic turn in order to celebrate the
eucharistic journey of synodality.

Introduction
The paper aims at (i) identifying the constitutive characteristics of
Synodality1 scripted from selected synodal documents of the
Church (ii) and provisioning the possibility of our Church-in-India2
towards encrypting Synodality in its life and mission as a response
to synodal imperative. The how of Synodality (application) pre-
requisites a priori interrogation of ‘what it is’ and if /when, ‘the

207
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

what’ is clarified, then the how of it becomes a possibility for

synodal church-in-India. The central augmentative claim is that:
The denial of the politics of the intersectionality Casteism and
Clerical Capitalism is the necessary condition to be a Synodal
Church-in-India; and the categorical necessity to the denial of them
demand a concomitant theoretical (conceptual) and practical
understanding of how caste-clerical-capitalism is ingrained within
the mind-social structures of our church.
By ‘theoretical denial’ I mean, the ideological-structural
underpinnings that are antithetical and by ‘practical denial’ I mean,
the ritual, socio-cultural, political structures and practices that
disable the Indian Church to Synodality. Thus, ‘denial of the
denials’ is logically positioned as an affirmative way of being
synodal church. The involution Casteism-Clericalism-Capitalism
within veins of our church renders alien to be the people of God
and consequently compels a sense of a sense of withdrawal to a
participatory mode of being-in-the-church. If the social/political
structures of the church remain unaltered, the desire and the claim
of the church to be synodal would be rendered empty without
cognitive content into it. The Church with its institutional presence
for centuries in India, unfortunately accommodated the perils of
casteism, and a garbed practice of clericalism with capitalistic
interests. The radicality of our Christian faith, namely the Eucharist
presence-in-community is in categorical opposition to the
configurations of Casteism-Clericalism-Capitalism. The
imperative therefore, is to spell out how the denial of casteism and
clericalism and capitalism forms the necessary basis of a synodal
church in India. Synodality is a moment of grace, for a movement
of repentance and reconciliation set towards a Categorical Denial
of the hitherto existing denials (structural sinfulness) within the
system and to be guided in the journey towards Synodality.
Methodologically rendered, may first I attempt to
characterise the ‘sensibilities’ of Synodality from selected
documents on Synodality, then proceed to explore the legitimacy

208
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

of synodality, positioned from the documents of the Church and

finally provision a discussion on the possibility of a practice of
synodality as a way of ‘denial of’ denials’ -as an act of faith in
justice towards becoming a Synodal church in India. A praxis is
guided and rooted in succinct theoretical bearings in order that
theory vs practice divide is transcended which in turn enables a
‘praxis’ of contextual synodality.
1. Guiding Documents of Synodality
Synodality in the life and mission of the Church3 I believe, is the
early directive document which after several theological
consultations/commissions since 2014, was finally authorised for
Pope Francis on 2nd March 2018. In response to this primary call by
the Holy See, the process of becoming a Synodal Church (How can
we be a Synodal Church in Mission?) gained momentum in the
Catholic Church; convened through various consultations at
various phases (Local Church Phase (October 2021-April 2022,
Continental Phase (September 2022 - March 2023, Universal
Church Phase (October 2023)4 all resulted in a series of declarative
documents known as the Synodal Journey Documents.5 Some of
the noteworthy documents on synodality include (i) Synodality in
the life and mission of the Church (2018), (ii) Instrumentum
Laboris (XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
(October 2023), (iii) Preparatory Document for a Synodal Church:
Communion, Participation, and Mission, (iv) A Synodal Church in
Mission: A Synthesis Report (October 2023) and (v) Final
Document of the Asian Continental Assembly of Synodality (March
2023) and many other related documents cumulatively opens up a
renewed ‘horizons of hope for the fulfilment of the church’s
mission’6.
Take for instance the document on A Synodal Church
Mission: A Synthesis Report (October 2023) focuses mainly on
Communion, Participation, Mission and it is quite comprehensive
to provide the constitutive aspects of Synodality. The first part, the
face of the Synodal Church, invites a strong sense of spiritual

209
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

experience of Synodality, rooted in the contemplation of the Trinity

and characterized by unity and multiplicity within the Church. It
stresses the need of the catholic church to a radical change from
bureaucracy and clericalism and alternatively affirm a synodal-
relational approach. The second part, All disciples, all missionaries,
emphasizes the significance of walking together in the diversity of
charisms, vocations, and ministries, recognising the value of
Synodality through the experience of dialogue, silence, sharing,
and prayer, acknowledging the challenges of listening to different
ideas without immediately countering them. The third part,
Weaving bonds, building community, presents synodality as a set of
processes and a network of bodies enabling active conversation
between the Churches and with the world at large. It highlights the
role of synodality in fostering fruitful dialogue within and outside
the church. The discussions in it, postulate a deep
concern/commitment to respond to the cry of the poor, the
migrants, and the victims of violence and climate change,
recognising the need for the Church to foster paths of
reconciliation, hope, justice, and peace and evangelical solidarity.
In short, the synodal documents emphasizes the importance of a
Church to be relational, non-bureaucratic, ecumenical, and living
closer to the lives of its people, prioritizing the role of women in
the Church, developing charism of the Laity, enriching the lives of
individuals and communities, and contributing to the well-being of
the world.
2. Sensibilities of Synodality
Let me provide a perspectival summary of the sensibilities of
synodality culled out from the Documents of Synodal Journey of
our church. the first thing one would notice in reading the
documents is that the overall presentation-style of all the documents
on Synodality, is profoundly confided and presented through
immense scriptural references and attuned with etymological traces
with corresponding theo-conceptual explanations to the extent that
any reader might feel exhausted and miss the centrality of the

210
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

claims, which in turn, demands a clear summary of their central

claims.
3. Church and Synodality- Constitutively Synonyms
Synodality is the constitutive principle of the very nature of being
a church in its mission and it gains so much attention due to the
emphasis by our Pope Francis who points out that ‘Synodality is
deeply rooted in the Church’s tradition and involves a sense of
collective journey of the People of God’7 Such a claim directly
implies that the catholic church is constitutively synodal in all its
theological, canonical and pastoral sensibilities. ‘Synodality means
that the whole Church is a subject and that everyone in the Church
is a subject… Synodal life reveals a Church consisting of free and
different subjects, united in communion, … to be a single
communitarian subject built on Christ"… a “dwelling-place of God
in the Spirit".8
Essentially rendered the church and synodality are
constrictively synonyms in the sense of rendering it as a formal or
logically necessary truth. They are not two separable entities but
inseparable of each other forming an ontological unification. A
triangle, for example, is necessarily three-sided. The subject
‘triangle’ is disclosing to be a predicate namely ‘three-sided’
however, the subject and the predicate are inseparable. It means that
the denial of the predication amounts to the denial of the subject
vice versa. And so is the case, with Church and Synodality. The
Church is Synodal, necessarily (formally) means one and the same
thing - of being a church and of being Synodal inseparably. The
church is the subject reveals in the predicate of being ‘synodal’
simultaneously. Synodal is therefore not a quality or an attribute of
the Church or an yet-another program of the church or a special
kind of ritual practice or ceremony to be performed on special
occasions; but it is very essence of being a church in/by/for itself.
“Synodality is not a chapter in an ecclesiology textbook, much less
a fad or a slogan to be bandied about in our meetings. Synodality is
an expression of the Church’s nature, her form, style and mission.”9

211
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

Thus, we may infer that synodality is an onto-logical necessity of

being a church and understood in this sense, the church and
synodality grounds a formal unity acclaimed as metaphysical
category of understanding, meaning that both church and synodal
are inseparable in principle and ought to perceived as directive and
foundational principle being together in concomitant relation.
However, one should be open to the problematic of this
position about which one should become theoretically cognisant of
it. Considering synodality/church as metaphysical category leaves
open the difficulty of translating it into an existential-practical
category. The position that the church as synodal is constitutively
synonymous is confined of a theoretical problematic. If a
content/construct is ontological and trans-physical such a construct
can fall prey to a sense of undue logical ontologism – meaning that
the truth of such position is true by the virtue of its construction-all
truism can as well implicate no-truism at the practical level. To
render the ontological into physical is there a possibility of
transforming the metaphysical into a category of ethical imperative.
The foundational metaphysical is transformed as physical by being
ethical. For instance, the metaphysical idea of Eucharist is
transformed as physical in its ethical-practical realization of
becoming a humane community in solidarity.
4. Synodality, a Categorical Ethical Imperative
Applying the Kantian notion of morality, we may re-cognise the
metaphysical synonymity of church/synodality explicable as an
ethical imperative. In his work on ‘Groundwork on the metaphysics
of Morals’ Kant establishes that being ethical is necessarily
metaphysical. In essence he works out the foundation for a moral
or ethical positioning. Say for example, X is good because he is
believer does not make him good per se, rather X is good because
being good stems from the very metaphysical foundation of being
good. If X is good guided by any contingency such as religion,
ideology or culture (empirical contingent knowledge) etc, in the
absence of such factors X cannot be considered good. Suppose if I

212
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

say, X is a Jesuit religious and therefore he is good does not make

any sense of ethical-metaphysical foundation. But in the layman’s
understanding we tend to hold X is good because s/he is a Jesuit
religious. In the absence of such and such affiliation (empirical
cultural contingent knowledge), X is deprived of good and
goodness itself is deprived of what it is meant to be good/moral.
Thus, Kant establishes a pure (a priori) ethics (goodness) grounded
upon the metaphysical principle of morality which he calls the
supreme principle of morality.10
In the same vein, we may recognise concepts of
Church/Synodality as foundationally as a metaphysical unity and
an ethical imperative. The church by being synodal is inescapably,
necessarily, inseparably and imperatively conjoined, and I believe
this is foundational/essential message that all the documents on
synodality try to establish. It is a demand to first act morally as a
collective church and secondly as individual members the catholic
church. The collective and individual concomitantly ethical is the
imperative of synodality. It is otherwise a foundational sense of an
ethical identity of being a church. As a moral or ethical content,
synodality intends its members to be moral agencies of synodality.
This is why it is said that a Synodal Church is a Church which
listens, which realizes that listening ‘is more than simply hearing’.
It is a mutual listening in which everyone has something to learn.
The faithful people, the college of bishops, the Bishop of Rome: all
listening to each other, and all listening to the Holy Spirit, the
‘Spirit of truth’ (Jn 14:17), in order to know what he ‘says to the
Churches’ (Rev 2:7).
5. Synodality is Spiritually intentional and Culturally
Conventional
Having established that Church and Synodality as interdependently
metaphysical and ethical categories, let me proceed to explain the
how of realizing them in our practical living. To this, let me
introduce of two notions namely intentionality and conventionality.
These are not arbitrary notions artificially injected for a defence,

213
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

rather they emerge from the nature of catholic tradition. To

illustrate this, that is to render meaning of what is meant by the
metaphysics and ethics of church and synodality, I largely depend
upon the writings of H. P. Grice especially to his notion of
‘Meaning’11 which largely influenced the discipline of semantics
and linguistics. Grice explains how ethical claims are rendered
meaningful. According to him, there are two factors that contribute
to the meaning of ethical declarations. They are rendering
meaningfulness by being intentional and conventional. Without
engaging the technicalities, let me briefly explain of what is meant
by intentionality and conventionality of a moral statement. For
example, if X is a Christian by baptism, it means both a matter of
convention and intention. By convention X is a Christian and more
importantly by intention X is a Christian. The togetherness of both
marks the meaning of what is meant by saying X is a Christian. The
absence of either nullifies the sense of being a Christian. So
meaning is both conventional (practical) and intentional (desired by
the individual). Let me give another example. In Christian tradition,
the church bell rings twice. If the Church bells rings thrice at twelve
in the morning, the sense/meaning of the ringing bell communicates
an intentional-meaning-sensibility, namely it is call to pray
Angelus. The bell ringing here does not mean the rhythm of noise
produced by the bells, rather it intends an act – a conventional
practice – of praying Angelus. For an outsider, the ringing of the
church bell does not mean the praying of Angelus. This is what
Grice calls it as ‘intention-based-semantics’ whose understanding
depends of ‘recognition and responding’ to what is intended by
convention. The intentionality is a matter of convention understood
by the participating agents, while extensionality12 (reference) is a
mere ‘act of ringing the bell’. Religious statements are largely
rendered meaningful by accounting for their intentional,
conventional sensibilities by a mode of recognising and responding
to them rather by an act of extensional referential show-act of state
of affairs.

214
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

H.P. Grice theory of meaning, is richly applicable to appreciate the

meaningfulness of church/synodality. The church being and
becoming of synodal is both a matter of intention and the
convention and not necessarily a matter of some ritual-external-
ceremonial performances. One needs to participate –become part of
the synodal tradition of the catholic church – as highlighted in the
synodal documents, the conventional dimension and should
recognise and respond to what is intended by what is
meant/intended-semantics of the documents. Synodality by an act
of reference may mean a council or meeting or discussion by
episcopal authorities, but when considered ethically-intentional,
synodality means an ethical imperative of ‘community living’ such
community-living is understood by the conventions of the church.
Synodality does not necessarily mean an external-referential
performances such as pious gatherings, preachings or
concelebrations rather it is an intrinsic-intended-conventional sense
of being a church- recognising the intentionality specifically
against forms of injustice and discriminations within the structure
and beyond the structures of the church. To say that the Christian
God is Trinitarian amounts to mean a specific sensibility, namely
the sense of unity and the sense of being unified. It does not mean
three or more people sitting together and performing a religious act.
The statement God is Good is meaningful solely by its ethical-
intended-content-by-convention. Similarly, the expression that the
church is synodal, is primarily matter by ethical intentionality
emerging from the convention of the church and demanding its
response-ability on the part of the members of the church.
6. Synodality as a Form of Life (Lebensform) Modus Vivendi et
Operandi
The synodal documents in toto position synodality as a specific
form of life, namely the pastoral form of living life that vitalizes the
Church's structures and directs her mission, with a call for its
continued development by revitalising its structures. The guiding
concerns of the pastoral dimension according to the documents

215
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

include the principles of communion, synodality, collegiality. It

reads, ‘In this ecclesiological context, synodality is the
specific modus vivendi et operandi of the Church, the People of
God, which reveals and gives substance to her being as communion
when all her members journey together, gather in assembly and take
an active part in her evangelising mission. The document on A
Synodal Church in Mission: Synthesis Report’ reads the pastoral
form of life thus: The preferential option for the poor is implicit in
Christological faith: Jesus, poor and humble, befriended people in
poverty, shared a table with them, and denounced the causes of
poverty. For the Church, the preferential option for the poor and
those at the margins is a theological category before being a
cultural, sociological, political or philosophical one.13
The claim that synodality as specific form of life bears
illustrated from the writings of Wittgenstein in his works on
‘Philosophical Investigations’ and ‘The Blue and Brown Books’14.
Form of Life (German: Lebensform)15 is used by Wittgenstein to
imply that the understanding of meaning of language goes beyond
the terrains of scriptural exegesis, intentionality and extensionality
(language as meaning calculus) and occupies the realm of culture,
anthropology and ethnicity. For him understanding the meaning of
language cannot be reduced to a class of sentences that can be
formed as a set of axioms (canonical definitions) but a free-flowing
series of interlocking language-games constituting form of life or
way of living, (forma vivendi) (a specific culture).
7. Epistemic Positioning of Synodality- Problematic
Having characterised the nature of church/synodality
foundationally as (i) ethical-metaphysical category of
understanding (Kant), (ii) and the understanding of which demands
the knowing of them in terms of intentionality and conventionality
realised through recognising and responding to its sensibilities
(H.P. Grice) beyond mere external ritual manifestations and
specifically (iii) denying forms of injustice due social
discrimination and (economic) exploitations.

216
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

Let me proceed to point out two important conceptual constrains

ingrained in the mode of presentation of the synodal documents and
they are namely (a) certain epistemic constrains termed as epistemic
circularity (b) the analogous problematic tugged in the heritage of
the mode of presentations of the synodal documents (the manner by
which they are presented/claimed) that could hamper and digress
the authenticity of becoming a synodal church. and (c) the need to
become conscious of the deference if understanding the
sensibilities of what is meant by church in sociological terms. This
I do so, not for negating the synodal documents per se but owing to
the very strength of attributing and eliciting the intended-
imperative sensibilities of synodality.
7.1 Epistemic Circularity of Synodal Documents
Reading the available documents on Synodality we can infer that
synodality is the very nature of being a Church and such a claim is
claimed mostly on the basis repetitive scriptural quotations (treated
as evidence to be synodal), canonical and assumed theological
positions, and certain traditional conclave practices of the church.
In other words –a claim of a statement (document) is true only
because it is overtly scriptural and already positioned with the
tradition of the church and hence, s/he is invoked to be synodal.
The justifiability (evidentiality) of synodality is mostly based on
the repetitive scriptural cum traditional narratives of the church
thereby lacking factual evidences that would contribute or evidence
the church as a church of justice, solidarity and synodality. This
does not mean the church is non-participative in the struggle for
justice, the point is that the documents cumulatively do not speak
the facticity of injustice and the struggle for justice within/outside
its corridors which would in turn amount to the possibility of
repeating the scriptures and glorifying the tradition bannered as
Synodality and minimise the capability of the church-members to
stand/to crusade for justice and solidarity. In other words, the
epistemic validity of synodality is ascertained on the basis of
verbalism and traditionalism which in turn posits a strong sense of

217
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

epistemic break/turn in order to appreciate synodality more

authentically. I may be permitted to classify such epistemic
insufficiency falling into the problematic of epistemic circularity.
A claim or a position or an argument is epistemically circular if its
truth-claim is based on the reliability of a source of belief by relying
on the premises that are themselves based on the source. One
cannot use memory to justify the reliability of memory. One cannot
use scripture to justify the reliability of scripture. One cannot use
perception to justify the reliability of perception.16 An argument or
a claim is circular if it uses the same statement/claim as both
premise and conclusion, and no new factual information, evidence
or justification is intended into it. It is like saying whatever is said
in the Bible is true because it is said in the Bible.
The mode or the manner by which almost all the synodal
documents are presented, heavily rely upon repetitive scriptural,
canonical, textual justifications to justify synodality. Untold into it
is the claim scripture, cannon, conventional practice of the Church
is validating authority and hence what is claimed by synodal
documents are authentic and valid. Putting together all the synodal
documents, one can perceive their Défense mainly rely upon the
textual and the traditional epistemic claims which are otherwise
repetitively circular lacking factual and new information regarding
either prevalence of injustice or the resistance to injustice as the
culture of church. To cull out and exegetically exemplify a set of
scriptural statements and traditional practices of the church cannot
conclusively propel the required new sense of synodality i.e., to
foster of a life of communion against structural evils of the church
and the society at large. It only amounts to repeat verbatim what is
repeated in the past and hence lacks a realistic-sense of urgency to
be synodal in the face of social and economic discriminations and
subjugations.
Moreover, the synodality of the church -gleaned through
the documental sources- is positioned onto the nature of Church as
pastorally synodal instantiated from the historical tradition of the

218
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

catholic church. An historical practice cannot justify something

new, rather it is call to play the past in the manner the past is played.
Such a claim may render illustrative and not necessarily
informative-practical of how the church ought to be synodal in the
context of the contemporary society. The synodal event(s) of the
Apostolic Council of Jerusalem as a paradigm for Synods is
highlighted, emphasizing the communal discernment and active
participation of the People of God in participatory decision-making
processes. It argues that the church ministry is to promote the unity,
diversity, and mutual responsibility of the people of God in the
model of our church forefathers. It outlines pastoral orientations for
implementing synodality at various levels, including the local
Church, regional communion, and the universal Church,
emphasizing the circular relationship between the ministry of
pastors, the participation of lay people, and the charismatic gifts. It
also exemplifies the church-structures as service in the mission, in
urgent needs, and in the process of involving developmental and
justice ministries.
7.2 The Analogous Problematic
The synodal documents, in their mode of presentation (modus
vivendi et operandi), far from being realistic of the contemporary
reality, not only ingrains a sense of epistemic circularity but it also
accentuates the use of analogical reasoning to justify the claims of
synodality. The documents pervasively interspersed with the use
analogical reasoning to infer synodality. To be analogical is to fit
the truth-claim in an illustration or in a simile/metaphor, or in a
narrative or into a comparative conceptual bearing. It is to fit the
current problem/issue into to a past narrative or a metaphor and
propel a psychological sense that what is claimed is real and
concrete. Analogical reasoning by and large is explanatory and not
necessarily real. Such reasoning either explain something or
explain it away or it can lead to any other possible interpretations.
The catholic church true to its Thomistic heritage, seems to
strongly engages the method of analogy for to make its truth-

219
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

claims. For example, the idea trinity as unity analogically implying

unity among the people, the notion of Eucharist analogically as
Communion, the historical practice of synod in the catholic
tradition exemplified to be synodal as a pastoral modelling are
intensely analogical in nature. They are meaningful analogies and
such metaphorical implications serve mostly the purpose of
illustration/explanation but unfortunately conceals the concrete
reality of the social-political reality that demand the sense to be
synodal realistically. To claim that the church to be modelled
(analogy) like trinitarian God does explain the notion of unity but
it does not question or portray the disunity within/beyond the
church. The problematic here is that analogical argumentum as
epistemic truth-claim always ends up a series of explanation-after-
explanations or multiple different hermeneutical interpretations; it
does not cumulative argue to evidence the case/truth rather it
provides a sort of persuasive explanatory position which permeate
an aura of psychological satisfaction. Instance if I say that X is like
a moon, X does not become a moon. And so, the case with the
analogical claims such as the church is modelled in the likeness of
the Trinitarian God, does not make the church unified in reality
except projecting a make-belief that the members of the church are
in unity. To claim that the forefathers of the church practiced
synodality does not amount to say that there is synodality within
the church. Analogical mode though engaged for illustrative
purposes -to be synodal – the very analogous reasoning can itself
veil the truth.
7.3 ‘Church’ means Differently to Different People: The
Deference
The church in spite of its official-theological position, at the level
of ordinary people, the understanding of it is quite different. There
are different sensibilities of what is meant by the Church for the
people. Though the synodal documents speak of universal and local
church becoming synodal, but the word Church is conjoined with
multiple linguistic sensibilities perceived through eyes/experience

220
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

of the people of the church. ‘Church’ for the ordinary people means
or carries differentia of sensibilities and understanding. It is
predicated of multiple identities.
The identities are so elusive that it escapes the actual
central connotation of what is meany by Church. For people, it
(church) can refer to a physical structure, a place of worship, a
physical-structural identity, it can also mean namely Christianity as
a religion, thus a religion identity; it can refer to different
denominations and sub-sects such as catholic, protestant, Anglican
etc., thus a socially denominational identity. It can mean a specific
type of organization or political structure, thus a political-structural
identity. It can have an identity with a nation/continent such as
Indian Church, Asian Church, western church etc., thus a national-
territorial geographical identity. It does refer to differentials of
rites such as Latin rite church, Syro-malabar-malankara church
etc., thus ends up with a ritual identity. It does refer to a sense of
tradition like orthodox church thus an identity by tradition (there is
no heterodox church even thou it is). It is also interesting to note
that the term church is used in an economical identity for example,
we speak of the church as poor/rich, religiously poor, economically
not-so-poor, and we phrase such as the poverty of the church with
tons of meaning-layers. In the use such as the church is holy/sinful,
the meaning identity takes the form of ideological identity. In
certain places, the expressions such as English church, Tamil
Church, French Church etc., are used thus having a language
identity. In certain documental-claims, the word Church is used to
refer a sense of ‘people of God’ resulting a kind of community or
communal identity. All the more interesting is the fact that the
word church refers to some kind of devotional performances or
activities such as prayer, forms of worship, attending ceremonies, a
specific behavioural pattern singing, gatherings etc., thus a sense of
performative behavioural identity. All the more, especially
during/after Covid, the church is attributed as Digital church, Cyber
church and social media church etc.

221
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

The word church thus is jointed with physical, political, social,

cultural, ritual, traditional, communal, structural, organizational,
behavioural, performative, digital differentia of sensibilities with
heterogeneous identifications. Setting aside the theo-ideological or
metaphysical sensibilities, the semiological-referential differences
of the word church does rise an important contest - to be clarified-
to what sense, or to which identity, the expression ‘Synodality’ is to
be identified with? When we claim the Church is Synodal, to which
identity or identities, synodality refer to? Can Synodality be
exercised or communed with political/economic/traditional
structural ritual identities? These raises a basic concern: Can the
church be synodal in the context of differential(s) in understanding
it and can the church be really synodal with reference to sharing of
structural power relations? Can the church be synodal in the
performative expressions of rituals? Can the church be synodal to
evaluate its ideological underpinnings? Can the church be synodal
politically, socially and ideologically? To which aspect of identity,
synodality is referred to? These are some of the queries we need to
address rather discern when we want to be synodal. If/when
synodality is meant to be only a moral-claim, a sense of moral
agency and a moral urgency- then perhaps once again the content
of synodality will turn to be ‘a fine brash hypothesis to be killed by
thousand ceremonies or gatherings. Like a fine brand of hypothesis
killed by thousand qualifications,17 by way of symbolically synodal
and remain anti-synodal by its political-structural-power positions.
God could be Trinitarian unity (synodal) theologically but this does
not necessarily infer and enforce the people of God are
participatory of the synodal. The statement or claim the church is
synodal is spiritually and morally elevating however how such
synodality be distributed justly especially when the church in India
is permeated by casteism, clerical capitalism and faced with the
threat of cultural nationalism. I belief this is a serious and sincere
question that we need to address immediately especially in the
context of Pope’s call to synodal church.

222
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

What is needed to spell out the content of synodality as specifically

against caste-clerical-capitalism with in the syllabus of the church.
What is needed is a practice difference/diffarence, a sense of
deconstruction of the constructs of catholic church both in its
theology and social system. To augment for synodality solely on
the strength of documental positions (textural or traditional)
however elaborate it may be, such methodology would end up in
repetitive occurrence of moral claims than representative
possibility. We need to spell out, how the structures of the church
be transformed to be synodal beyond symbolic repetitive ritualism.
If synodality is claimed (by the documents) as already there (a-
prior-entity) in the textual canonical tradition, then to augment for
synodality becomes redundant.
7.4 The Need for Epistemic Turn for Epistemic Standpoint
The above mentioned conceptual constrains, can be overcome by a
sense of epistemic turn or break (breaking from the usual traditional
modes of presentations such as overtly exegetical or analogical or
repetitive ceremonial) and by engaging a standpoint episteme18
namely to perceive synodality from the stand point of the
vulnerable people within/beyond the church. Synodality apart from
its scriptural and traditional hermeneutics, I argue should embrace
and be informed by the life-world of the people of God who are
otherwise politically subjugated and psychologically enslaved by
the dominant structures (authoritarian racial, male-dominant caste
hierarchy) of the church/society. Standpoint epistemology engages
specific social and cultural analysis of injustice and inequality
within the specific context and it is informed both organic social
intellectual and the individual experience of the vulnerable people.
In a sense, it is to set beyond clerical theo-logos and embrace the
logos of the chosen people of the Gospel.19 (Mat:5:3-13)
By standpoint epistemology, I do not mean that church
should listen to the voice of the poor, rather the church should
situate itself wholly and only as the voice of the poor/discriminated
not only exegetically but existentially. It should not represent or

223
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

speak for the poor through analogies and carefully guarded

assemblies, rather it should present itself the value and vulnerability
of the poor/discriminated. (Mat 5: 14-16) If not, church and
synodality remain ontological ivory towers. The experience of the
discriminated people, their voice for justice and equality challenges
any dominant or dominating perspectives and structures, thereby
contribute to a comprehensive practice of synodality.
7.5 Denial of Caste and Clerical Capitalism and Cultural
Nationalism: Necessary Condition to be Synodal Church-
in-India/Asia
There are notable synodal documents circulated by the
synod/assembly of Asian Bishops with refence to Asia/India
becoming a synodal church. They are namely (i) Synod of Bishops,
Special Assembly for Asia, Jesus Christ the Saviour and His
Mission of Love and Service in Asia:"...That They May Have Life,
And Have It Abundantly" (Jn 10:10). Lineamenta20 and (ii)
Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, Final Document of the
Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality 16 March 2023.
The central theme of the first document is ‘That They may
have Life and Have it Abundantly’ (JN 10:10) and proceeds to
situate synodality as a specific sense of ‘walking together’ or
accompanying the plurality of Asian cultures/religions of the Asian
People. The Church in Asia, the document points our should meet
the challenges such as lopsided economic development, political-
capitalistic control of media, the presence endemic corruption, the
deprived situation of minorities and ecological disaster etc.
Exemplifying the contribution of early missionaries in India, and
exercising an elaborate exegesis the document calls for a
commitment to inculturation and dialogue in Eucharistic
communion and the guidance of Mother Mary.
The second synodal document, ‘Final Document of the
Asian Constituent Assembly on Synodality’ highlights issues such
as interconnectedness of Asian Cultures (2) and it proceeds to point

224
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

out tensions that prevail in the Asian Church such as: dubious
divide between the rich and the poor (3), Church as Tent (36),
Synodal as experience of Joy, spiritual experience and journey (54),
plurality and diversity of religions in Asia (75), divide in the
hierarchy of church (86), lack of laity participation in decision
making, dialogue as superficial(90), lack of accountability and
transparency in the church (91), decrees in priestly vocations ((93),
lack of participation of women (95), the status of poor,
marginalised, migrant workers, urban slum dwellers, persons with
disabilities, deprivation of liberty, divorced and remarried, single
mothers, elderly and infirmed, HIV positive persons, substance
dependents, persons who identify as LGBTQIA+, etc and tribal
people as wounded people (103,148,151), clericalism of the priests
(113), tension between traditional spiritualism and modern values
(122), excessive individualism (125), division based on caste,
language, ethnicity, and socio-economic status (128), ecological
disaster affecting the poor (133), internal conflicts due to
oppressive systems etc and the documents ends with a call to
respond to these in faith and prayer.
The document on A Synodal Church in Mission: Synthesis
Report provides the directive principles and it deems negating the
evils and combating the challenges as moment of grace, healing of
the church and spiritual experience. Synodal documents and The
Social Teachings of the Church and Policy of Dalit Empowerment
in the Catholic Church in India: An Ethical Imperative to Build
Inclusive Communities needs to be translated first as study
materials -brought into public positioning - in the manner Christian
educational formation at all levels of the church and transformed as
apostolic ministry within the church.
We need to treat these documents as guidelines or
directional to respond to the challenges mentioned in them to
realize the synodality. The challenges pointed out by the documents
can broadly be classified as (i) Capitalistic-Political Profit interests
of the affluent that exploit the vulnerable, (ii) the growing conflicts

225
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

amongst religious communities and (iii) the lacuna of the priestly

church to address these concerns. Both these documents
insightfully, rather sparingly situate almost many social, cultural,
economic and political concerns that hinder synodality, but the
caste-question -which is the root cause of discrimination
within/beyond the Indian church - is insufficiently noted. The
Synodal documents of the Asian Bishop assembly refer to the word
‘caste’ just in two places and unfortunately this means that the
mind-set of Church is not-yet-a-church to foster communion and
ready to address this structural malice in view of what is meant by
synodality.
There are three vital concerns that our church in India/Asia
needs to be seriously concerned and they are namely:
(a) Casteism that cancers the church, which is but a
transfused cultural heritage in spite of the baptismal conversion to
Christian faith
(b) Clerical Capitalism, namely the appropriation of
the politics and economics of power by a specific configuration of
our clergy
(c) Cultural Nationalism, emerging imminent danger
against constitutional nationalism.
Casteism, clerical capitalism and cultural nationalism are
the major challenges that the church-in-India needs to confront
with. These are the major contesting terrains, that constitute the
fore-grounds against the realization of synodality of the church in
India.
8. Casteism
In the secular society, casteism is combined with cultural and
political and economic power constitutes the social space of
exclusion-by-degradation and subordination of the vulnerable
people hierarchically. This evil (deprivation of Good as per our
Christian understanding) of casteism is the ‘original sin’, a

226
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

voluntary disobedience to the Divine, appropriates Indian society

and the members of the Christian church are no exception to it. The
synodal documents (Asia) sparingly makes a mention of this
however it is to be treated inferential. Practice of caste in terms of
attitude, choice of people to power positions, confining relations
solely on the basis of caste-configurations, the structural visibility
of caste within the portals of church is the primary concern that is
antithetical to synodality of the Indian Christianity and the catholic
church. caste breeds itself if it breeds within the Eucharistic
community, it nullifies the later to its authenticity. As members of
a particular caste-in-group, the human subject is subjectivised
within it. The sense of church is replaced by a sense of caste-church
thereby ‘caste-enslavement’ of both the upper and the lower caste
is socially construed. This is the ‘original sin’ carried from birth to
death and this needs to be doctrinally displaced, sacramentally
disabled and systematically resisted in the structures of the church.
The configuration and intersectionality of Casteism, Clericalism
and Capitalistic profit interests needs to be confronted in realistic
terms in order to be synodal.
9. Clerical Capitalistic Interests
Clericalism is the kind of self-imposed attitude of superiority over
others due to unscientific cultural assumptions and habitual
capitalizations of power relations appropriated by a class of people
over/against the others who are assumed and placed as lesser in
status of clerical hierarchy. Caste as a system of degradation and
capitalism (institutional power) as system of economic and political
power when they are combined within the mother church, the
burden of Indian church becomes unbearable as it stands blocks
synodality against faith and justice. The synodal spirituality and
apostolic mission of the gospel are restrained by the corridors of
such sinful individual-institutions and allied practices. Though the
documentary textualities passionately persuade for synodality the
negation of these negations demands intelligible theoretical and

227
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

analytical understanding of them and the members of the church

needs to be ‘educated’ sufficiently.
10. Cultural Nationalism
While caste-clerical capitalism to large extent a challenge rather
‘sinfulness’ that hamper the spiritual journey and experience of
synodality within the church there is yet another serious danger
executed against being a Christian community and it threatens the
very basis of our religious existence. It is but cultural nationalism
that has been seeded for the past almost a century about which our
church needs to take complete cognition. While cultural
nationalism stems from roots of communalism and
fundamentalism. Recent Israel Palestinian conflict is grained on the
basis such cultural nationalism/fundamentalism and the sad part of
it is the claim that being a Jew (religious identity) is equivalent
being the citizen of Israel (political identity) and anything opposite
needs to be eradicated and this is justified on Biblical hermeneutics.
Thus, culture and national combined systematically to acquire
political/economic power. As we are divided by caste-capitalistic
configurations the entry of the facets of cultural nationalism into
the nerves of the members of our church is not farfetched. Most of
us and our documents acclaim plurality and inclusivity but a typical
form of cultural nationalism project and propel exclusivity of the
vulnerable namely Christianity in Indian. This is not only an issue
of minority but a constitutional issue of equality and freedom. The
synodal-church needs to take serious cognition of such conclaves
mentioned above seriously and work out educational mission to
restore the constitutional and synodal values.
The Church in Asia is called to be on the side of the poor
who "struggle to overcome everything which condemns them to
remain at the margin of life: famine, chronic disease, illiteracy,
poverty, injustice...situations of economic and cultural neo-
colonialism...." Solidarity with the poor, involvement in their
struggle for justice, reawakening the consciences of society to the
needs of the poor and works of charity are all means of expressing

228
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

the integral salvation which God offers to humanity in Jesus

Christ.21 To engage synodality within the church in India, it is
necessary that we involve reflective understanding of these
challenging realities that conceive and continue to breed injustice
into the veins of the Indian church.
11. Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural
Nationalism
If and when caste, clerical capitalism and cultural nationalism are
negations that abnegates the Corpus-Christi -of the indwelling
oikos of the Indian Church, then such negations ought to be negated
– a logic of double negation (negation of negations) is but an
affirmation by logical necessity. Hence the negation of such
negations is not mere sufficient condition but necessary condition
to synodality of the Indian Christianity/Church. To this direction
based on the cumulative strength of synodal/church documents may
I reflect the following inferences for further consideration.
(a) A sincere and analytical study and exposition of
the status of casteism and clericalism that hamper the synodal
journey of our church is necessary on the part of the church
officiality. Negation of caste and clericalism needs to perceived and
programmed as ‘journeying together’ in the spirit of inclusivity. In
this context, the study of the status of caste in each curia is vital so
that the church as a whole may be able to respond towards its
eradication in view of synodality. The politics and sharing of
power needs to studied, understood, and shared by the by the
‘people of god’ in an educational formative manner avoiding
condensation of conflicts. To this end the academic intelligentsia
available within the church needs to be utilised and evaluative
status reports could be embarked at different levels of the church
so that progressively each local church would be able to evolve
ways and means of dispelling such negations. Most scholars within
the church are equipped to analyse caste as ‘out-there’ but not ready
to expose analytically the caste-inside the church and in
themselves. Our social ministries are efficient if and only if it

229
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

stipulates a sense of atonement, renewal and transformation on the

part of caste Christianity.
(b) The Policy of Dalit Empowerment in the Catholic
Church in India discusses the challenges faced by Dalit Christians
in India, emphasizing the need to take proactive measures to
address issues of discriminations. It calls for empowering Dalit
leaders, creating social consciousness, and promoting inclusive
administration and transparency in governance. The document
emphasizes the need for structured and systematic responses,
including the promotion of vocations, participative and inclusive
administration, and the strengthening of implementation strategies
and monitoring mechanisms. This means that catholic education at
all levels from formation to practice, from sacramental to social
ministry – must be inscribed of an anti-caste discourse.
(c) This Dalit Empowerment Policy, I would deem it,
relative or transitory, as it mostly voiced as ‘reservation-claims and
mostly dominated a cry for reservation amongst the hierarchy. In
fact, empowerment of Dalit/Tribals is possible only by the
disempowerment of Caste within the Church. This would
categorically mean that we need to evolve policy/strategies of
educational action for communication in terms of Disempowerment
of Caste/cultural nationalism because both empowerment and
disempowerment though opposed but simultaneously conjoined.
Veiling of the realities of such negativities is form of evading any
sense of authentic sacramentality. The presence and silence
regarding these negations and veiling into ritualistic performances
amounts to the preferential option to nullify synodality and
Eucharistic Communion of synodality. The burden of proving the
presence of these anomalies/negations lies in the very shoulder of
the Indian church in order to set itself towards the ‘journey of
synodality’.
(d) The synodal Aian/Indian documents most
sincerely outline and inform the challenges from poverty to
discrimination and from exclusion to inclusion but such

230
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

information or list of challenges needs to be corroborated from the

analytical contribution/discussion of social sciences so that
actualization of synodality transcends the limitations -namely
concaving synodality as within the theological portals. To this, the
synodal documents needs to be corroborated and informed by the
analytical contribution of secular social and humanistic science
trends. A religious dialogue must be combined by secular social
science dialogue. Ambedkar’s contributions his writings analytical-
tradition sets itself prime face the status of caste, capitalism and
cultural nationalism and the need annihilate even to the extent
pronouncing a change from one religion to another. What is needed
is renewed infrastructural scheme to build of ‘disempowerment of
the negations as empowerment policy and action’.
Conclusion
The Church as the people of God in its entirety be prepared to
recognise such sinfulness that calls for proactive recognition and
response if not just reconciliation. Pope John Paul II observes quite
strongly, “Any semblance of a caste-based prejudice in relations
between Christians is a countersign to authentic human solidarity,
a threat to genuine spirituality and a serious hindrance to the
Church’s mission of evangelization. Therefore, customs and
traditions that perpetuate or reinforce caste division should be
sensitively reformed so that they may become an expression of
solidarity of the whole Christian community.”22 In fine, based on
the above considerations, we could affirm that if/when synodality
is a paradigm shift invoked by/in the catholic church, then it is
necessary that synodality not to be treated as an ‘additional’ or yet-
another-document/ceremony but to be embarked upon as Christian
Educational Communication Action for Empowerment at various
levels of our church in India.
About the Author
Dr. S. Lourdunathan is a professor of philosophy for the past
35 years and served both at State and Central University (JNU)
teaching Philosophy and Religion and social science. He has

231
Lourdunathan: Denial of Caste, Clerical Capitalism and Cultural

guided several doctoral students successfully. He serves as

visiting professor to both catholic and protestant seminaries in
the formation of students for priesthood. His area of research
interest includes epistemology, ethics and emancipatory
systems of knowledge. Among his books, Postmodern Readings
of Culture and Religion and Dalit Hermeneutics and Symbolic
Logic are widely acclaimed.
Email: [email protected]

1
Francis, Ceremony Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the
Institution of the Synod of Bishops, 17 October 2015, AAS 107 (2015)
1139. (Pope Francis at the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of
the institution of the Synod of Bishops by Blessed Paul VI. He stressed
that, synodality “is an essential dimension of the Church”, in the sense
that “what the Lord is asking of us is already in some sense present in
the very word 'synod’).
2
The Indian Catholic church is the single largest and the third largest
religion in India; it has the second largest Christian population in Asia,
whose evangelical roots are as old as Christianity. Refer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_India.,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4243727.stm
3
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_document
s/rc_cti_20180302_sinodalita_en.html
4
https://www.synod.va/en/synodal-process.html
5
https://www.synod.va/en/resources/official-documents.html
6
Their translations are available in English, French, Italian, Portuguese
and Spanish and hopefully the local churches would soon find their
regional translations.
7
Refer: A synodal campus ministry in the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Kalookan context
(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19422539.2024.233110
4)
8
International Theological Commission, ‘Synodality in the Life and
Mission of the Church’
(https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_docume
nts)

232
 Jnanadeepa: 28/2 May-Aug 2024

9
Refer: The Record, Article on The Good Steward-Pope Francis’ vision
of synodality, (https://therecordnewspaper.org/the-good-steward-pope-
francis-vision-of-synodality)
10
Refer Immanuel Kant work on Groundwork on the Metaphysics of
Morals, Cambridge University Press, 1998.
11
H.P Grice famous works include ‘In Défense of a Dogma’ and ‘Studies
in the Way of Words’, 1989.
12
In the factual/scientific realm ‘something is correctly meaningful if and
only it has an actual reference’. For example, the statement X eats three
Apples, is sensible by an act of factual reference, that is to say, that there
is a person X and s/he eats three apples. The sensibility here is not
intentional, for its meaning is true by referentiality and not by its ethical-
sense-content intended.
13
Refer: International theological commission, synodality in the life and
mission of the church
14
Wittgenstein, L., 1969. The Blue and Brown Books. Oxford: Blackwell
15
Helmreich S. & Roosth S., 2010. “Life Forms: a Keyword Entry” In:
Representations, pp. 27-53
16
Fumerton, Richard. Metaepistemology and Skepticism. Lanham:
Rowman & Littlefield, 1995. Also refer: Internet Encyclopaedia,
Epistemic Circularity, https://iep.utm.edu/ep-circ
17
https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/Ch
apter%203%20Religion/CH-3-Documents/ch3-
Flew%20Hare%20Mitchell.pdf (Please read Antony Flew’s challenges
to Theism)
18
Pohlhaus, Gaile (2002). "Knowing communities: An investigation of
Harding's standpoint epistemology". Social Epistemology. 16 (3): 283–
298.
19
Blessed are the poor, the merciful. persecuted because of righteousness.
20
https://www.vatican.va/roman curia/synod/documents/rc synod_doc
01081996_asia-lineam_en.html
21
Synod of Bishops, Special Assembly for Asia, Jesus Christ the Saviour
and His Mission of Love and Service in Asia.
22
Refer: ‘Policy of Dalit Empowerment in the Catholic Church in India:
An Ethical Imperative to Build Inclusive Communities’

233