Mandli
Mandli (mun'-dah-lee), an abstract noun derived from the Sanskrit word Mandal, meaning circle, orbit, enclosure, or area within. Mandli has social implications, referring to persons, or people "within the enclosure" of a particular social, political, economic, or religious community.
Mandli has been widely used by the church in the Hindi and Hindi-related language areas, (Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, and Nepali) to denote congregation, fellowship, brotherhood, or community, e.g., "Mennonite Mandli" or "Methodist Mandli," etc. However, Christians addressing non-Christians do not speak of themselves as the "Christian Mandli," but rather as the Christian Samaj (also meaning community or society). The Persian word Majhab is also frequently used. It is a word denoting a religious sect.
Since the 1950s Mandli is rapidly being dropped in favor of Kalisiya, a word coined from the Greek "ekklesia." All newer translations of the New Testament have consistently used the latter word. While Mandli is not an inaccurate translation, the use of Kalisiya probably reflects a concern to be identified more closely with the original biblical concept.
See also Bihar Mennonite Mandli; Bharatiya Jukto Christa Prachar Mandli; India (for groups using Kalisiya).
Bibliography
Hindi Dictionaries:
Brihat Hindi Kosh. Varanasi U.P.: Gyanmandal Ltd.
Pramarnik Hindi Kosh. Varanasi, U.P.: Sahitya Ratnamala Karyalay.
Author(s) | John A Friesen |
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Date Published | 1987 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Friesen, John A. "Mandli." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1987. Web. 23 Aug 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mandli&oldid=89280.
APA style
Friesen, John A. (1987). Mandli. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 August 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mandli&oldid=89280.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 533. All rights reserved.
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