A Hermeneutical Inquiry into Theological Feminism and Indigenous Indian Knowledge Systems

Abstract

This study explores the intersections of theological feminism and indigenous Indian philosophy through a hermeneutical engagement with key goddess texts such as the Devi Suktam and the Durga Saptashati. It investigates how feminist hermeneutics can revive marginalized epistemologies often excluded from canonical and colonial interpretations of women's rituals, oral traditions, and ecological wisdom. Grounded in Indigenous feminist hermeneutics, the inquiry advocates for a dialogical approach that draws upon local philosophical categories while engaging with global feminist theological discourse. Although theology has long been shaped by patriarchal hierarchies, India’s goddess traditions offer both textual and lived affirmations of feminine divinity as a potent source of knowledge, power, and creativity. By interpreting theological feminism through indigenous philosophical concepts such as prakriti, shakti, yogini, and devi, this work demonstrates how resistant hermeneutics can restore the sacred feminine as an epistemic authority within the Indian Knowledge System. It affirms that the sacred feminine is not merely symbolic but is enacted and embodied in practice.