Ageing: Perspectival Explorations towards Theo-gerontology

Contents: Introduction. 1. Problematizing the Epistemological and Practical Issues of Ageing: Blessing or Curse...! /M. Peter Singh. 2. `Ageing' in Jewish Interpretations/John Samuel. 3. Mapping the Gerontological Imageries in Qohelet: Juxtaposing the Allegorical and Literal Interpretations of Qohelet 12:2-5/Aravind Jeyakumar Moniraj. 4. Growing Old in the Ancestral Narratives: A Theological Perspective/Nagaiyasamy N. S. Samuel. 5. Re-reading Lukan "Birth Narratives" with the Optics of Ageing/Shanthi Sudha Monica. 6. Graceful Ageing and Intergenerational Conflict in the New Testament: Towards Aged-Friendly Communities/Edwin Jebaraj. 7. Issue of Ageing in the Early Writings of History of Christianity: A Response/Babu C. 8. Ageing in World History: An Overview of Programmes and Policies/S. David Joseph Raj. 9. Ageing: Awakening the Mission Mandate of the Church/Rebecca Azariah. 10. A Postmodern Missiological Response to the Issue of Ageing/K. Vijayan. 11. Vanapratha-sannyasa Schemes of Life as Gerotranscendence: An Appraisal of a Hindu Perspective of Ageing/Giri Krishnan. 12. Familial and Community Care in Vrddhavastha: Socio-religious Jara-sastra from Classical Hinduism/Wilson Paluri. 13. New Media: A Caregiver for the Aged/D. Samuel Sounderaraj Singh. 14. Gerontological Hermeneutics: An Ethical Deconstruction/Mervin Shinoj Boas. 15. Indian Feminist Theo-gerontology: Towards Growing Positively/Nelavala Gnana Prasuna. 16. Theological Culture of Ageing Together/Daniel Kirubaraj. 17. Theo-critical Exploration of Ageing: Towards a Theo-gerontology/Songram Basumatary. 

The book is a multi-dimensional explorations on the issue facing vulnerable Ageing population in the growing individualistic and materialistic world. The volume is yet another bold theological step of Gurukul in her effort to make a fresh adventure in addressing one of the serious social issues of public importance. The articles in the volume try to challenge the socio-economically constructed negative images of the Aged people and bring to light their beauty and their agency by constructing a theo-gerontology which would provide viable practical response to the issue of Ageing. The uniqueness of the volume lies in its ‘approach’. Explorations are not made from a mere sympathetic solidarity perspective, i.e. what is to be done for, but from an active participatory perspective, i.e. what they can contribute. There is power in them for building community of peace and harmony!