Agonistic intimacy and moral aspiration in popular Hinduism: A study in the political theology of the neighbor

Abstract

In what ways do potentially hostile neighboring groups find a place in each other's moral aspirations? I analyze the arrival of a “new” god, the oral‐epic deity Tejaji, in the villages of Shahbad (Rajasthan, India) and the modes of relatedness this divine migration expresses between neighboring castes and tribes. How do we conceptualize relations between neighbors? I set out the idea of “agonistic intimacy” as a way of engaging the copresence of conflict and cohabitation. Placing Tejaji in relation to longer‐term currents of Hinduism, I examine the conflicts, neighborly relations, and shared moral aspirations that animate this form of religious life. I locate spiritual–moral aspirations not necessarily in “otherworldliness” but as a political theology of the neighbor, conceiving of the neighbor as human and nonhuman (as deity, spirit, and animal), in ways that widen the definition of “the political” and of “theos.”

Amorphous Family Nexus: An Analytical Tool in Considering Community/m-MGO Haritika's Ties in Bundelkhand, Central India

“…Drawing upon D urkheim 's work on collective consciousness and research on intergenerational solidarity (see Bengtson and Roberts, 1991;Silverstein and Bengtson, 1997) we define the community/m-NGOs nexus as comprising structural (geographic proximity), associational (frequency o f interaction), consensual (the degree o f consensus or conflict in beliefs and orientations), affectional (positive feelings o f trust, understanding, respect, fairness, affection, and warmth), functional (financial assistance and service exchanges), and normative (norms o f mutual obligation held by the NGO workers and community members) dimensions. Like Singh (2011), who uses Durkheim's work on 'social solidarity' in studying intergroup dynamics and un(neighbourly) conduct, we highlight how and why family-like relationships (including problematic ones) are negotiated to shape the AFN.…”

Attunement and Fidelity: Two Ontological Conditions for Morally Being‐in‐the‐World

“…There is little doubt that the study of morality and ethics has become central to the work of many anthropologists. Increasingly the concepts of “morality,” “moral,” “ethical,” and “ethics” are keywords found in the articles of the discipline's top journals (e.g., Agrama ; Elisha ; George ; Selka ; Simon ; Singh ; Tanabe ). Some claim that despite the increased use of these keywords anthropologists have been studying morality all along through concepts such as kinship, religion, emotions, violence, and suffering.…”

Revolution, Occupation, and Love: The 2011 Year in Cultural Anthropology

“…These are questions that will no doubt be important for those trying to make sense of the events surrounding the “Arab Spring” and more so for those trying to build a durable political future that is not merely a reflection of what was already there. In turning to last year's publications in cultural anthropology, a series of suggestive starting points for thinking through these questions can be found in Singh's (2011) work on “agonistic intimacy” in India and Dave's (2011) study of lesbian activism in India. Indeed, Singh (2011) asks this precise question: “In what ways might anthropology offer more pluralized and empirically enriched terms for understanding how neighboring groups live together, in conflict and cohabitation?” (431).…”

“…In turning to last year's publications in cultural anthropology, a series of suggestive starting points for thinking through these questions can be found in Singh's (2011) work on “agonistic intimacy” in India and Dave's (2011) study of lesbian activism in India. Indeed, Singh (2011) asks this precise question: “In what ways might anthropology offer more pluralized and empirically enriched terms for understanding how neighboring groups live together, in conflict and cohabitation?” (431). By tracing the significance of the arrival of a “new” god across neighboring groups in Rajasthan, Singh offers us the concept of “agonistic intimacy” to imagine a mode of relatedness that is not predisposed entirely toward “communitarian affirmation” (as with Hardt's “narcissistic love”) or oppositional negation (as with the “enemy” in Schmitt's conception of sovereignty).…”