Land for the Adivasis is not just an economic resource but a spiritual resource as well. Displacement of the Adivasis from their land in the name of "national development" is unjust and unethical. Therefore, it is a violation of the rights of the Adivasi. In this thesis, I will first present the life of the Adivasis looking through their history until the present. Particularly, I will present their relationship with the land (earth), humans and the non-human world. In doing so, I will argue that the Adivasis are both victims of oppression and models of protecting the earth and nature. Secondly, I will present a theological reflection on creation using Laudato Si' and Pope Francis' interpretation of creation. Thirdly, I will critically analyze the present development approach of the Jharkhand government through the lens of rights-based ethics and Catholic Social Thought. Finally, I will present an alternative to the present-day approach of the government that is a "people-centered development," or an "integral development" for the state of Jharkhand.
By the use of our smart phones, tablets, laptop computers and the Internet, we celebrate and bask in the capabilities that communications technologies permit us. However, with these new capacities come consequences that we can choose to ignore at our own risk, or confront, in order that by intelligibly and ethically tackling them, we may arrive at solutions that either mitigate the unwanted effects, or totally eradicate them. This work examines the contemporary world of computer-based communications technologies with a view of highlighting the impact of adopting an ethical stance of disclosure on privacy. It explores the conditions that influence privacy both online and offline, and the social, economic, political, and moral structures that promote or demote the value of privacy. It applies the disclosive methodology of Philip Brey who structured his idea around shining the light on moral controversies embedded in computer technologies in order to engage their moral opacity intelligibly. To achieve this, disclosive ethics goes through three stages of disclosure, theory and application. Privacy is examined in the context of Google Inc. – a big player in the privacy controversy, whose popularity is internationally widespread. The hope behind this work is to enlighten the mind of the reader about the practices adopted by the big names at the center of the privacy debate and also to join my voice to that of the increasing crowd of people who long for the ethical guidance of our use of technology.
This study focuses on northern Uganda in the context of war between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. I argue that the idea of Church as "field hospital" can help the Church there to reflect on its mission of bringing lasting healing, reconciliation and reintegration. During the war, the people experienced displacement, gender and sexual violence, abduction, recruitment into the rebel ranks especially the children, mutilations of all kinds and horrific deaths. Moreover, the people were herded into internally displaced people' s camps with very appalling conditions. The Church apart from attending to some of the immediate needs of the people, modeled its presence in the form of the "Church on its knees." The Church focused its mission on praying and appealing to the perpetrators of the war to come to the negotiating table to talk peace. Given the changed circumstances due to the end of the war, I argue that the Church needs to move beyond being on its knees. With its emphasis on encounter, proximity, and accompaniment, the Church as "field hospital," in my view continues better the mission of the Church in the changed circumstances. This model enables the Church to pay attention to the people affected and afflicted by this war. This capacity helps the Church tap into the agency of the people and help them toward their healing, reconciliation and reintegration.
In 1994, Rwanda experienced one of the greatest crimes of the twentieth century, perpetrated by Hutu against their Tutsi neighbors, friends, and relatives. This tragedy, which lasted less than 100 days and during which more than one million Tutsi perished, was the result of political manipulation of the only three socio-economic groups belonging to the Rwandan community. The genocide of the Tutsis, which was prepared and executed with systematic cruelty is unique in the world. Not only did it last for a short period of time with a very large number of victims, but also it was perpetrated by Rwandans against other Rwandans. Beyond that, the genocide against the Tutsi occurred in a country which appeared to be a model of Christianity in Africa. Christians killed other Christians often from the same denomination. Such a tragedy challenges the deepness of Christianity in Rwanda. After the genocide of the Tutsi, reconciliation and justice programs have been set up, but they have not delivered the expected results. This study proposes a reconciliation based on a deep relationship with God. A Christian reconciliation cannot only heal the wounds of the genocide but also especially can help Rwandans to live their Christians values and transcend their racial identities.
The practice of Santeria ritual sacrificial practices among devotees in Miami was investigated, using an ethnographic method with an interview of devotees. Pierre Bourdieu Habitus, James Scott's weapon of the weak, Richard Schechner and Victor Turner Performance theory were used for this study. These theories helped in the analysis of the data collected. The research explores the significance of sacrifice in the religious tradition of Santeria in Miami. The study critically examined the goals for animal sacrifices and experiences of devotees in Miami. The study explored how the socio-cultural, economic and political space of Miami has hindered the sacrificial practice of Santeria and how it has equally sustained its survival. The spiritual effectiveness of sacrifice, its meaningfulness and how devotees understand the sacrifices to orishas in Santeria religious tradition are properly examined in this research. The research concludes that the offering of sacrifices to orishas enhances solution to devotee's problems, it guarantees their spiritual security, better future and sustains their physical and spiritual well-being. Devotees in Miami attested to these benefits as the motivation for their offering of sacrifices to the orisha in the religious practice of Santeria.
A survey of the latest scholarship on Catholic missions between the 16th and 18th centuries, this collection of fourteen essays by historians from eight countries offers not only a global view of the organization, finances, personnel, and history of Catholic missions to the Americas, Africa, and Asia, but also the complex political, cultural, and religious contexts of the missionary fields. The conquests and colonization of the Americas presented a different stage for the drama of evangelization in contrast to that of Africa and Asia: the inhospitable landscape of Africa, the implacable Islamic societies of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires, and the self-assured regimes of Ming-Qing China, Nguyen dynasty Vietnam, and Tokugawa Japan.
Congo Brazzaville is one of the most unstable countries in Africa. Since the coming of independence in 1960 from the French colonization, the country has never experienced a long peace. Divided by ethnic hatred and the pursuit of self-inter interest in politics, the Congolese populations suffer from decades of successive wars during which the dignity of human persons is not respected and the population in scattered toward bushes, forests living in miserable conditions, decimated by many kinds of sickness and hunger. They survive painfully and destroy the environment that previously provided protection and food. To protect themselves, political leaders form ethnic militias to fight their challengers. Discouraged by joblessness and a lack of opportunity for their studies, etc., many young join militias without any military background to satisfy their needs using violence. Generally, two ethnic groups fight for the political power in Republic of Congo. They are the Kongo group and the Mboshi groups. Coming from the north of Congo, the Mboshis control the political power about 40 years under the leadership of Sassou Nguesso. Among the southern regions, the Pool region remains the most unstable place since Pastor Ntoumi, as many other leaders in the past like André Grénard Matsoua, used ii claims of a messianic vocation to portray himself to be the savior, the one sent by God to deliver the Congo from the northerners' domination. This research paper proposes that unity and reconciliation in Congo will rely on creative work for conflict resolution and the building of social trust. This is a project that touches all aspects of national life. Years of many kind of wars have destroyed the national consciousness and patriotism. The impacts of ethnic conflicts have nourished hatred and the loss of traditional beliefs among the Congolese people who share the same ancestors, the Bantous. The solution for peace comes with participation of all and the contribution of the Congolese Church is important to form people of high moral conscience. Bishops and Pastors must conceive pastoral programs with evangelization, traditional education in communities, parishes, pilgrimages, retreats, human formations to form people of moral conscience. Regarding the methodology, I use the Catholic social pastoral circle, with its three steps: see, judge, act. For the third step, I am proposing to develop the cosmotheandric virtue promoted by Raimon Panikkar in combination with the Bantou's traditions and Pope Francis' conception of ecology. For me, the divine, the human and the earthy are the three irreducible dimensions which constitute the real and are closely connected. So, everything we do has an impact on the rest of the reality.
There is a heightened global consciousness now more than ever before on the protection of the environment. Of late is the encyclical letter Laudato si of Pope Francis on care for our common home. The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is the context of my research. This region is endowed with massive oil deposits, which have been extracted for decades by the government of Nigeria and by multinational oil companies, at the expense of the people of the region whose environment suffer degradation and their means of livelihood destroyed. This study juxtaposes Eucharist as fruit of the earth and the environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It argues that the meal character of Christian Eucharist, with its focus on the "fruit of the earth," implies an environmental response of healing the Earth and addressing the injustice being done to the people of the Niger Delta. In order to accomplish this, the thesis employs Louis Marie Chauvet's tripartite model of gift, reception and return gift in tandem with the "see-judge-act" practice of Catholic Social Teaching, both of which underscores the ethical implications of Christian Eucharist.
Since the emergence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Uganda in the 1980s, it has become increasingly evident that the HIV/AIDS scourge disproportionately affects more women and girls than men and boys. Women and girls suffer a particular vulnerability due to this pandemic. There are social, economic, political, and cultural factors that precipitate and aggravate the spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls in Uganda. This dissertation contends that Catholic Social Teaching offers us one of the best and most comprehensive and integrative ways for addressing the HIV/AIDS scourge. We argue specifically for a rights-based solidarity as the most comprehensive and integrative method for tackling HIV/AIDS. Dignity calls upon us to treat all persons with equal consideration. Dignity challenges us to pay particular attention to those whose equal dignity is most threatened. It is also dignity that gives rise to human rights. Human rights spell out the conditions that are necessary for honoring, protecting and preserving people's dignity. To protect and preserve the rights of people, in turn, calls for the participation of all to the common good. To participate in the common good demands that people live in solidarity with one another. This solidarity becomes more critical when it comes to the most vulnerable members of society. Solidarity as a paradigmatic key of encounter of people with one another, challenges us to leave no one behind. The preferential option for the poor, on the other hand, becomes the hermeneutical principal for remedying social structures and policies so as to bring to the center everyone and especially the poor and vulnerable groups who are often left at the margins of society. In this sense, Catholic Social Teaching invites and challenges us as members of society to cultivate a new way of "seeing, judging and acting" so as to bring on board the socially abandoned, the materially and economically impoverished, the politically oppressed and the culturally excluded members of society. The women and girls with HIV/AIDS in Uganda are among the most vulnerable, excluded, and impoverished group who merit our new way of "seeing, judging and acting" so that their suffering and illness serve to bring us in closer solidarity and not alienation.
This dissertation conducts a comparative study of the cultivation of the virtues in Catholic spiritual tradition and the perfections (pāramitās) in the Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions in view of the spiritual needs of contemporary Croatian young adults. The comparison is carried out through the exploration of two key texts: The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, a sixteenth-century Basque Catholic, and the founder of the Society of Jesus, and The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryāvatāra) of Śāntideva, an eight-century Indian Mahāyāna monk. The study links the central teachings of the Catholic faith to the daily life and identity of young Catholics through the cultivation of the virtues/ pāramitās, re-imagined for the modem sensibilities of today's Croatia. Such practice understands the cultivation of the virtues/pāramitās as intentional, deliberate, and cognitive behavioral activity through which one shapes one's life according to a particular vision of ultimate reality. The primary objective of this study is to fill a vital need within the Catholic community in the small but culturally and religiously complex nation of Croatia. The general problem facing Croat Catholics today is the clash of Catholic pre-modernity with modem and post-modern ideas and institutions. In this encounter, pre-modern Catholic religious forms no longer satisfy the needs and expectations of modem young adults in a society increasingly marked by cultural and religious pluralism. The immediate context of my study is the "3D Formation Program," a three-yearlong systematic program for young adults organized by the University Students Catholic Academic Center (SK.AC), which belongs to the Jesuit university chaplaincy at Zagreb University. The name "3D" is an abbreviation of the Croatian words, Duh, Dusa, and Drustvo, meaning "Spirit, Soul and Society." My study argues that a fruitful synthesis between Ignatius and Śāntideva with regard to the cultivation of virtues/pārarmitās may contribute to a form of Catholic spirituality that is intellectually and behaviorally challenging, relevant, and compelling for today's Croatian young adults. Buddhism is attractive for Catholics because of its practicality, immediately pragmatic effects, monastic institutions, and ritual richness. It therefore serves as a good dialogue partner for lgnatian spirituality in the cultivation of a contextualized spiritual practice. Though the two traditions differ radically on the level of doctrinal assumptions and consequently, ultimate goals, they share a great deal on the level of the practice of virtues/pāramitās, which assumes a common, human, biological-intellectual substratum. The theoretical framework of this study is the comparative theological method developed by Francis Clooney, complemented with Judith Berling's interreligious learning. The reason for merging Clooney's and Berling's methods lies in the nature of my work, which involves studying each text in its own context (Clooney) as well as considering contemporary interpretations within " living" communities (Berling). The work is interdisciplinary in nature. In addition to comparative theology and interreligious learning, the study applies an historical and sociological framework to an analysis of the political, economic, ideological, religious, and cultural dimensions of the Croatian context. This analysis forms the foundation of a contextualized spiritual practice for young adults who are seeking genuine encounter with God in the complex historical reality of Croatia.
This thesis proposes normative criteria of individual and social welfare to evaluate poverty alleviation programs. Since World War II, both governments and NGOs have implemented a variety of development projects to address the poverty of individuals and groups around the world. The emerging field of impact evaluation applies a methodology borrowed from clinical drug trials to measure the effect of these projects on the populations that they serve. Sixty years of the history of development reveal that despite the sophistication of the statistical techniques, the field cannot offer basic guidance on what outcomes to measure. In response, this thesis develops a set of criteria that integrates resources from development economics, Catholic Social Teaching, the capability approach of Martha Nussbaum and Amartya Sen, and the political philosophy of John Rawls. First, it proposes five criteria of individual welfare that these fields all share: human dignity, political rights, socio-economic rights, internal goods, and agency. Next, it proposes five criteria of social welfare by integrating complementary themes from different fields: social welfare and the common good, solidarity and social capital, subsidiarity and smallscale development, extractive institutions and mutual relationships, and authentic development as growth in vulnerability. Finally, it applies these criteria to a case study of indigenous coffee growers in Chiapas, Mexico to compare the effects of Mexican government social programs, the fair trade coffee movement, and the value chain reform proposed by the Batsil Maya coffee cooperative that is sponsored by the Jesuit mission of Bachajón. Using these criteria, it judges that the work of Batsil Maya represents more authentic human development than the other two approaches because of 1) its integration with other mission projects that encompass all aspects of the lives of the Tseltales; 2) the way it addresses the structural forces responsible for Tseltal poverty; 3) the reciprocal relationships of mutuality that it fosters among all those who collaborate in the project.
There is a saying that life is a pilgrimage. This journey is also echoed through Vatican II's statement that "The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature, since it is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin, in accordance with the decree of God the Father."1 As such, a pilgrimage is an expressive act of desire to engage spirituality on a practical level, and "a journey to a special or holy place as a way of making an impact on one's life with the revelation of God associated with that place."2 Our faith does not consist of an ideological or utopian world that exists only in our heads, but is instead an expression of practical, ethical action that explores the signs of the times amidst the realities of postmodernism3 and post secularism. The Korean Catholic Church has been on a difficult road to meet and experience God. In 1784, Lee Seung Hun was baptized in China, taking the name of Peter, and with that the Korean Church began. Even after four great persecutions, the Korean Church never gave up her efforts to practice the faith. It is no exaggeration to say that the Korean church of today owes its existence to the many unnamed martyrs, of whom many were lay. Since 2011, the Bishops' Conference has designated 111 holy sites throughout the country and conferred blessings on those who pilgrimed to these holy sites. This led to a certain pilgrimage 'boom'. The Bishop of the Missionary of the Episcopal Church and the Bishop of the Holy Land pilgrimage (Chairman Kim Sun-tae) presented a blessing to the organizers who pilgrimed to all 111 of the Holy Places listed in the "Catholic Church Pilgrimage in Korea" on December 12. On this day, 433 believers received blessings. As a result, a total of 2,664 persons received the blessing. A total of 1,215 people was awarded the blessing year in 2017.4 In this way, it can be seen that this ministerial approach to pilgrimage in the Korean Catholic is yielding good fruit. The Catholic Church in Korea is researching how to integrate theology and spirituality of pilgrimage into mission, pursuing the unity of theory and practice.5 Pilgrimage is an embodied ritual, so the theology and spirituality of pilgrimage must also come out of a concrete practice. In the pilgrimage we undertake, the external pilgrimage to the holy place and the inner pilgrimage are not separate, but are rather complementary. The Korean Catholic Church is actively developing and revitalizing the ritual of outward and inward pilgrimage. The Korean Catholic Church has practiced pilgrimage as a part of the faith life of the church community, even as it is seen as an option, not a requirement. This work will argue that the Korean Catholic Church should link pilgrimage with a variety of programs within this context. In particular, it should develop a pilgrimage program for young people to help them locate themselves within Korean church history and also within their communities in the long history of God's providence. In this sense, the goal of pilgrimage is not to abolish the relevance of church's political, historical, or doctrinal contexts, but to restore its identity as a pilgrim community and to strengthen its evangelical mission as a community of churches. In other words, the theology and spirituality of pilgrimage will provide dynamism to the Korean church. This dynamic community can only be called an evangelical community when it truly is God's salt, leaven, and light in the world. In order to approach the crisis and opportunity of today's postmodern church situation in a missionary and communicative manner, I will study pilgrimage to these sacred sites and present this unique pilgrim spirituality as a paradigmatic transformation of the new mission and method of evangelization. The purpose of this dissertation is to consider pilgrimage, which is one of the various popular devotional acts, as an important phenomenon of the new evangelization. Hence, I will explore not only some Catholic studies from other parts of the world, but also the unique spiritual pilgrimage spirituality and its corresponding mission dimension that have been created through the spiritual phenomenon of Asian pilgrimages active in Catholic churches in East Asia. This dissertation has four main objectives which underscore its significance to the field of missiology: (a) to examine what pilgrimage is from historical, biblical, and church viewpoints, and to provide its relevance for mission today; (b) to reestablish the relationship between pilgrimage and tourism as this form of popular devotion has unfolded throughout human history; (c) To help the reader understand the unique pilgrim spirituality of the Korean Catholic Church; and (d) as a local church in the world church, to better orient the future direction of this ministry and spirituality, not only in Korea but also in other parts of a world church. In this work, the first chapter looks at the definition of pilgrimage sites and the meaning of the place where the pilgrimage is taking place, approaching this from historical, biblical, and ecclesial perspectives. First, I deal with the history of pilgrimage to the shrines of the Korean Catholic Church. Second, I present pilgrimage to these holy lands through the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments' The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy-Principles and Guidelines. Third, I describe how it is that, from historical and biblical points, pilgrimages are deeply related to the human journey which has to do with salvation, engaging memory, penitence, liturgy and sacraments, and popular devotion. Lastly, I demonstrate how it is that pilgrimage is related to mission, one embodies by an intrinsic desire to live a life of faith. The second chapter is more forced specifically at pilgrim spirituality in conjunction with the definition of pilgrimage in the early Church, the Middle Ages, and the Second Vatican Council. Furthermore, I examine pilgrimage, in light of pilgrimage spirituality, tourism, and theology, highlighting the theological restructuring act which enables the reader to re-illuminate Christian testimony and life. In the third chapter I explain how the establishment of pilgrimage to the sacred places of by the Korean Catholic Church has produced legacy of faith that has been handed down through the faith of the martyrs and the myriad of ancestors of a faith witnessed by worship and service to God. Based on these spiritual aspects, I describe how these sacred places have grown through pilgrimage, a pilgrimage often focused around persecution and martyrdom. Furthermore, I explore the activities of the Suwon Diocese for the promotion of pilgrimage. In particular, for example, guide books which assist the pilgrim in walking to these sacred places in the precincts, Didimgil, make the pilgrimage more enriching. A treatment of modern parish movements to promote the veneration of these saints and martyrs accents their continuing relevance and connection with the grassroots. This chapter is not without its description of more concrete ways of doing pilgrimage, such as that done physically walking, one done with a leader, and the creation of resources to assist pilgrims in furthering their relationship with a God who invites us to participate in mission. Some of my major learnings round out the work.
In the public sphere of contemporary Western society, its post-Enlightenment culture is secular at large. Encouraged by the principle of equality upon which the United States of America was founded, the current culture promotes a subjective and individual mindset, which demands that everyone, regardless of gender, race, or class, possess equal representation in all fields of duty. Against this individualistic egalitarianism, the Church can seem to lag behind the times because she operates from a different model than that of modern society. While most societies in the West espouse a democratic culture and representative participation at every level of governance, the Church seems to continue the hierarchical model of the past in its operation. Yet, is it true to state that the Church is "hierarchical?" If so, what does that entail? With an ongoing tension between the Church and secularity, a genuine discussion is necessary to mend the challenges and misunderstandings. While the secular society, at times, promotes ideologies that contradict church teachings, there also is a secular dimension to the Church. In this sense, church and society are not against each another; rather, she is found within society carrying out her tasks in the temporal order. As such, the lay people who share in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly offices by the virtue of their baptism have a particular vocation to evangelize secularity. More precisely, they are secular and they encounter secularity in their daily life. With the authority that they hold in the Church, they bring Christ to those who they encounter daily. The Church, in this light, is within the culture at large. The secular dimension of the Church can flourish if the authorities within the Church work in a collegial manner. In other words, the lay people must have a genuine dialogue with the magisterium and theologians so that the truths of the faith will influence secularity. Collegiality, however, should not be mistaken for democracy. While it is understandable that Americans, who are used to democratic structures, may push for more participation by disregarding her teachings, the nature of the Church is more complex than a mere political system. This thesis acknowledges the proper authority which is given to each group within the Church, both in the sacraments and in jurisdiction. The ongoing conversation in the thesis treats the nature, leadership, and authority of the Church that is scriptural and traditional. The ideas contained in the works of Yves Congar will ultimately help in resolving the challenges that the Church face today. By speaking about his perception of authority that is given to every individual in the Church, this thesis clarifies for the readers the proper function of priests, bishops, and laity, functions which, in the past, have been overly confused and even abused. As a result, the resolution of current challenges will encourage the entire People of God to live out pastorally the sacramental and juridical functions that they hold.
Today, the Indian church is situated within an increasingly complex socioeconomic and religio-cultural reality. On the one hand, India's cherished values of democracy, secularism, and religious diversity are being threatened by the forces of radical Hindu fundamentalism. On the other hand, the Indian church itself is divided by ethnic, linguistic, caste, gender, and ritual boundaries. These concerns call for rigorous theological discourse that advances an adequate self-understanding of the church in India. We can envision a communion of local churches, one which welcomes and affirms the distinct identity of each language group, ethnicity, caste, culture, and rite; encourages solidarity and mutual support; and strengthens a coordinated commitment to the church's prophetic presence in a pluralistic India. This dissertation argues that the synodal ecclesiology of Pope Francis, which is marked by decentralization, participation, subsidiarity, and encounter, can provide an underlying vision for a new way of being church in India today, one which fosters unity and reconciliation within the church itself, and becomes a force for Sarvodaya (the welfare of all) in Indian society. The central claim of this study is that in order to be an agent of Sarvodaya, the church must first be healed and unified within. Given the complexities of the Indian ecclesial and social reality, my study is necessarily interdisciplinary in nature. It employs socio-economic, political, religious, historical, and cultural analyses to investigate the multidimensional reality of India. It also draws on scriptural/exegetical analysis to examine the biblical roots of the pope's x vision of synodality, notably a Pauline Body of Christ theology. Furthermore, the study employs the discipline of organizational theory as a lens through which to evaluate the pope's call for the decentralization of power and authority within church structures and the participation of the whole people of God within all levels of church life and mission. The first Jesuit and Latin American pope is striving to renew the structures, mission, and self-understanding of the church. His vision is both radically new and rooted soundly in the Second Vatican Council. His pastoral acuity with regard to the signs of the times, his call to go forth to the peripheries, his transformative leadership style, his denunciation of the economic structures that rob the poor of life and plunder the earth, and his call for a church of dialogue and encounter are among the qualities which hold particular relevance for the church in India today. Pope Francis's emphasis on a culture of encounter underscores the significance of his vision for the present moment in India. The Indian church, fostering a genuine encounter among the various rites, cultures, language groups, and ethnicities, will transform itself into an inclusive community and bear witness to one Body of Christ, unified in its splendid diversity. Through his theology of encounter, his call to move to the peripheries to empower the alienated and excluded, his fierce critique of unfettered capitalism, and his call for synodal structures to be mirrored in civil society, Pope Francis effectively announces an ethics of sarvodaya which coincides with his vision of the Kingdom of God, whose realization is the very basis of evangelization.
The uprooting of Adivasis from their land raises theological, anthropological, and ethical questions regarding the intrinsic dignity of Adivasis as human persons, created in the image of God. This thesis argues that the looting of Adivasi land on the part of the multinational corporations (MNCs) is an unethical and sinful reality. It proposes a paradigm of prophetic dialogue and critical pedagogy that joins the effort to conscientize Adivasis about their own oppression, the power of the political dynamics, and to empower them in their struggle for freedom and liberation. In this project I analyze and critique the issue of displacement caused by neo-liberalism, economic growth and unjust societal structures through the lens of a rights-based ethics, which advocates the protection of the rights of Adivasis and other vulnerable people who cry out for rootedness in their land. This study is located within the broader area of Christian theological ethics, with a particular focus on the issue of land rights of Adivasis, whose survival and way of life are being severely threatened by the mass development projects of the MNCs in India today. The fundamental question this thesis explores is how best to address the injustice of the uprooting of Adivasis from their ancestral lands. The study first analyzes the current anthropological, socio-cultural, political, and spiritual reality of Adivasi uprootedness and suffering in light of the historical background of land grab and alienation in India. Second, through the lens of a rights-based ethics, the study looks at the issue of Adivasi displacement and alienation induced by the MNCs. Third, it considers how land can be a ground or revelatory text to assess the theological, moral, economic, anthropological, and ecological significance of human dignity, drawing resources from the natural law theory of Thomas Aquinas and key papal encyclicals to show how human dignity has been the first principle of social justice. I treat this issue by employing a deontological approach and a social inter-connection model to forge a constructive proposal which exerts a moral claim on the Brahmin culture and the MNCs. Here, my effort is to include every Indian citizen, urging them to say no to any kind of development that is not humanizing and yes to those projects which protect bio-diversity, promote bio-centrism and enshrine ecoegalitarian culture. Finally, it discusses the problem of the caste system and critiques the collusion of the Brahmin class and the MNCs, which amplifies the land grab from Adivasis, threatening their survival and way of life.