A Global Perspective on Social Hierarchies

In my years of teaching, ministering, and traveling, I’ve encountered many expressions of caste systems—fixed social hierarchies that determine privilege and access. I’ve seen them in India, South Africa, studied Rwanda, and experienced our version of a caste system here at home in the United States. Each has different faces, names, and histories, but they are all built on the same human foundation: systems that rank people’s value based on what we perceive them to be. Our perceptions are often inadequately informed by trite measures such as accent, nationality, skin color, and sex.

Caste Systems Defined
A caste system is a rigid social and economic or ethnic group into which one is born, which dictates who they may marry, their occupation, their perceived virtue, and access to social capital. These hierarchies are human-made. They elevate some while oppressing others, often using appearance, ancestry, and vocation as justification. Importantly, God did not create these divisions—people did. God did not create our cultures either; we (as collective groups of humans) did. Anything humans create is imperfect.

As believers, we are warned against this kind of self-centered thinking. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:9 that “we know in part.” When we overvalue our limited information—our nationality, ethnic/racial group, experience, or education—we fall into the error of a too-small sample size, missing the fuller picture that God and history provide.

Rwanda: A Manufactured Divide
The story of Rwanda is a profound example of caste created through colonial influence. For centuries, the people considered themselves one ethnic group. However, German and later Belgian colonizers imposed a caste system based on physical traits and socio-economic roles. The Tutsi, who owned more cattle and were taller in stature, were elevated above the Hutu and Twa. Much like the Jewish community of Nazi Germany, Hutu and Twa were forced to carry identification, restricted from access to some places, heavily policed, and discriminated against in economic opportunities. This preference, rooted in European ideals of beauty and intelligence, laid the foundation for generational resentment.

Post-independence, this bitterness erupted in one of the most tragic genocides of our time. The Hutu-led government scapegoated the Tutsi, resulting in the deaths of nearly a million people in 90 days. What began as colonial favoritism and disruption of the Rwandan culture ended in horrific violence—exactly the kind of division the enemy delights in, and the kingdom of God calls us to resist.

India: Caste by Karma
In India, caste is linked to the concept of karma, where one is born into their lot as a result of past lives. Though outlawed, the system persists. The Dalits, once labeled “untouchable,” remain marginalized, relegated to the lowest jobs (mostly sanitation) often excluded from full social participation. As one moves up the hierarchy by doing good and receiving “promotion” in the next reincarnation, one also gains more social, political, and economic capital.

I witnessed this firsthand. While attending a wedding as an honored guest, I also witnessed little girls working the streets, invisible to society. Instead of being in school, learning to read,, write, and do math, these little ones were dancing or begging for survival—working under threat of hunger. I was told, “Don’t look at them,” because even a glance could provoke aggression. But how could I not see? In their faces, I recognized not only need, but echoes of my own story—doing what was necessary to survive in a world that pretended not to see. The social constructs of the caste system of India still sentences them to the status of “untouchable,” and cursed by some previous life deeds. Thus, it is believed by people of higher casts that they do not deserve assistance or empathy.

South Africa: Apartheid by Design
Apartheid in South Africa was codified in 1958 under the leadership of Hendrik Verwoerd, who, influenced by Nazi ideology and American racial policies, crafted a caste system where Dutch descendants (Afrikaans) ruled over both the “Colored” (mixed-race) and “People of the Land” (indigenous tribes).

The system was dismantled legally in the 1990s, but the social wounds and economic losses remain. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission offered a path toward healing—confession and forgiveness, but also restitution. This principle mirrors biblical justice, where reconciliation is not just about apology, but about repair (Luke 19:8-9).

The United States: A Persistent Hierarchy
In America, many object to the “caste” to describe our own context, but its effects are evident. From colonization to 2025, the system has persistently advantaged some while disadvantaging others. Eurocentric settlers justified the displacement and genocide of the indigenous people and the enslavement of Africans through narratives of divine preference and the self-serving belief that they were more advanced in so-called “civilization.” That thinking remains embedded in laws, education systems, social networks, faith institutions, and attitudes.

Even today, disparities in wealth distribution, sentencing, policing, education (access and discipline), and healthcare follow the lines drawn centuries ago. Laws may have changed, but systems—and hearts—often have not. Romans 12:2 calls us to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We are called to think and live differently from the world around us, not according to our cultural norms.

Biblical Response to Caste Systems
Caste systems are not new. Jesus was born into one, under Roman rule and within Jewish legalistic hierarchies. Yet the gospel he preached overturned those systems. Paul declared in Galatians 3:28, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

This was not a denial of differences, but a declaration of equal value. Kingdom culture does not erase identity; it honors each person as made in the image of God. It also calls for solidarity across social and economic boundaries, especially with those who have been marginalized (Proverbs 31:8-9).

We cannot allow ourselves to be conformed to the patterns of this world. Whether in India, South Africa, Rwanda, or the United States, caste is a pattern we are called to change as agents of salt and light to this world. We are citizens of a different kingdom—and we are charged to change the cultures of this world, to bring heaven to earth, and to be Jesus to our sphere of influence. If we segregate ourselves to be with those who are similar as we are in culture, economic status, education, and world-view, we are of no good to anyone, especially not the Kingdom of God.

Culture Coaching Opportunity: Would you like a full week of Culture Coaching with Doc Courage and no consulting fee?! Go with us this August 11-25 to Rwanda, this will afford you the opportunity to flip your own script, learn new ways of being, communicating, and also helping restore a community that is still devastated by the genocide against the Tutsi.  Email for details, angela.courage@gmail.com