What Is Religion?

"Drawing deep from the wells of Indian Christian theology and Indian religiosity, Nigel Ajay Kumar waters our thinking and refreshes our imagination through his erudite engagement with the question as to what religion is. Refusing to be elbowed aside at the wells by those who would claim that the waters are muddied beyond redemption, he enables us to be rejuvenated by his careful and painstaking analysis, as we drink from this outstanding book."

--J. Jayakiran Sebastian, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia



"Breathtaking in scope and brimming with insight, Nigel Kumar brings the voice of the Indian lay theologian, Pandipeddi Chenchiah, into the global scholarly conversation about the meaning of religion. Using Chenchiah's insights, Kumar perceptively and persuasively argues that a theology of religions is not only possible, it is necessary. A fine example of constructive contextual theology set within the grand narrative of the Christian tradition."

--John Vissers, Knox College, University of Toronto



"This fine theological study of the nature of 'religion,' by one of India's brightest younger theologians, speaks into a world convulsed by 'religious' conflict and confused about 'religious identity.' Using the influential Indian theologian, Pandipeddi Chenchiah, as a foil for his work ensures that Kumar's book is as relevant to India as it is to scholars, diplomats, and religious leaders worldwide who face with all of us 'the crisis of religion' today. I commend the book warmly."

--Christopher Hancock, Wolfson College, Oxford