In the proposed paper, I aim to look at the Third Gender (Aravani/Thirunangai/Ali) Christians in North Chennai. The third gender community in India is generally not Christian. Their self-mythologizing is usually Hindu, and they are known to follow syncretic faith practices, borrowing from all religions. To adopt Christianity and have a church to themselves are unique cultural formations that demand study. How has a section of this community come to embrace Christianity? What does it mean to them? How are third-gender Christians seen by the communities in which they live? How do the third gender Christians understand the image of God, and how do they theologically understand their gender? How does their belief help them with their daily sufferings and the systemic marginalization and abuse they face? Studying and writing about the community will offer new perceptions of gender and Christianity in India.
Keywords: Christianity, Conversion, and Syncretism