KCHR Chairman Applauds Franciscan Missionary's Work on St' Thomas Tradition and its Impact on Kerala Historiography.

 http://www.printsasia.com/book/Origin-of-Christianity-in-India-A-Historiographical-Critique-Benedict-8174952586-9788174952585.Accession Date and Time 11-10-2011; 12.30PM

Benedict Vadakkekara is a Research scholar, at the Capuchin Historical Institute (Rome), and teaches Franciscan Mission History at the Pontifical University Antonianum. He is a member of the St Joseph Province (India) of the Franciscan Capuchin Order and has to his Credit several publications especially in the area of Franciscan history and spirituality.

Contents

Messages

Foreword/Dr. K.N. Panikar

Introduction

Chap. I : EARLY Christianity IN India : TRAITS OF IDENTITY :

1. Identification of Early Indian Christianity :

i. Constituent Elements of Identity :

a. Origin

b. Way of St Thomas"

c. Syriac Language and Liturgy

d. Social Stratification

ii. Appellations :

a. St Thomas Christians or Mar Thoma Christians

b. Nasrani Mapila
c. Christians of the Serra
d. Syrian Christians
e. Chaldeans

iii. Possible Sources :
a. Expressions of Communal belief and Experience
b. Tomb of Apostle Thomas at Mylapore
c. Acta Thomae and Church tradition

2. Early Indian Christianity in Today's Ecclesial Fellowships :
i. Catholic St Thomas Christians :
a. Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church
b. Syro-Malankara Major Archiepiscopal Church

ii. Other Fellowships of St Thomas Christians :
a. Malankara (Jacobite) Syrian Orthodox Church
b. Independent Syrian Church of Malankara
c. Marthomite Church
d. St Thomas Evangelical Church of India
e. Church of South India
f. Church of the East

3. St Thomas Christians outside Official Fellowships
Conclusion

Chap. II : ORIGIN OF INDIAN CHRISTLANTTY IN Historiography :
1. Origin from Apostle Thomas : Arguments and Supportive Evidences :
i. Tradition of Indian Christians :
a. Fact of Tradition
b. Uniqueness of Tradition
c. Consistency of Tradition
d. Unanimity of Tradition
e. Simplicity of Tradition
f. South India and its Accessibility

ii. Tomb of Apostle Thomas at Mylapore :
a. Actuality of Tomb
b. Consensus of Tradition
c. Uniqueness of Tomb
d. Relics from Tomb

iii. Gondopharnes, Acta Thomae and Church Tradition :
a. Gondopharnes and Acta Thomae
b. Acta Thomae and Church Tradition
c. Ecclesiastical Tradition and Liturgy
d. Church Tradition, Relics and Pilgrimages
e. Mention of Christian Presence in Ancient India

2. Origin not from Apostle Thomas : Arguments and Supportive Evidences :
i. Tradition of Indian Christians :
a. Lack of Contemporary Documents
b. Mythification of Name "Thomas"
c. Acta Thomae as Basis of Tradition
d. Migration of Tradition
e. Inconsistencies and Incompatibilities in Tradition
f. Establishment by Nestorians
g. Foundation by Manicheans
h. Missionaries on Trail of Traders

ii. Tomb of Apostle Thomas at Mylapore :
a. Lack of Contemporary Documents
b. Inconsistencies in Accounts
c. Rival Claimants for Tomb
d. "Discovery" of Tomb

iii. Gondopharnes, Acta Thomae and Church Tradition :
a. Lack of Contemporary Evidence
b. Unreliability of Acta Thomae
c. Ambiguity of "India"

Conclusion

Chap. III : HISTORIOGRAPHICAL Critique ON ORIGIN OF INDIAN CHRISTIANITY
1. Evaluation of Sources :
i. Lack of Contemporary Written Sources
ii. Examination of Tradition's Contents :
a. Tradition as Concrete Reality
b. Individuality of Tradition
c. Identity of Apostle Thomas

iii. Tomb of Apostle Thomas at Mylapore :
a. Tomb as Concrete Reality
b. Tomb of Apostle Thomas in Tradition
c. Relics of Apostle Thomas

iv. Acta Thomae and Ecclesiastical Tradition :
a. Convergence of Evidences
b. Liturgical References

v. Evaluation : "Physical Possibility"

2. Physical Possibility and Historical Actuality :
i. Viability Structures of Early Indian Christianity :
a. Social Structure :
(i). Archdeacon
(ii). Local Assembly
(iii). General Assembly

b. Religious Structure :
(i). Metropolitan
(ii). Local Clergy

ii. Indian Christians and East Syriac Church
iii. Indian Christians and Other Churches
iv. Indian Christians and their Compatriots

Conclusion

List of Bibliography

1. Documentary Sources
2. Studies

Introduction

Indian Christianity is often presented as a mosaic of diverse cultic, doctrinal and cultural tesserae embedded in the land's socio-cultural reality following the footmarks of European traders and colonialists. But in actual fact the seed of Indian Christianity had already taken root in the country centuries before westerners secured their foothold here. It was indeed a flourishing Christian community of native Indians whom the Portuguese encountered on the Malabar Coast at the dawn of the 16th century. As a social entity, these Christians then formed a single body. But from the middle of the following century, owing to historical circumstances, this ancient Church began to get fragmented, subsequently merging into various international ecclesial fellowships. Thus most of today's Christian denominations in India have in them a sprinkling of this ancient Malabar Christianity. Apart from this mixing of some elements of the Malabar Church into the various fellowships in India, tens of thousands of others have migrated to the urban and industrial centres of their country because of the better prospects of employment they offer, hi this way, the ancient Christianity of Malabar is now getting transformed into a quasi national reality.

Furthermore since the middle of the 16th century scores of Malabar Christians have been collaborating with overseas Church personnel in spreading the Gospel across India. Latterly they have become trail-blazers in founding and building up thousands of Christian fellowships across the length and breadth of their land. They have also been contributing much towards national advancement. The fruit of their dedication to nation-building is best seen in the areas of education, health care and social development. Because of their institutional visibility the Indian Christians are very much in the mainstream of national life. Its denominational divisions notwithstanding, Christianity in India has the appearance of one national body. Though it is yet to fully melt into one ecclesial body of Jesus disciples, it is interlinked both historically and spiritually with the ancient Christianity of Malabar.

A. Origin of Christianity in India :
When one speaks of the origin of Christianity in India one actually refers to the establishment of that pristine Indian Christian community which has through the vicissitudes of history got spiritually and historically fused into today's various Christian fellowships. In other words, today's Indian Christianity has its roots deep in the ancient Christianity of Malabar. This early Christian community, which is native to Malabar, is known in historiography as Christians of St Thomas precisely because of its communal belief that its origin goes directly back to Apostle Thomas1.

Practically every manual of ecclesiastical history devotes some space to discussing the genesis of Christianity in India particularly when dwelling upon the diffusion of the Gospel in the early centuries. While Jesus' disciples faithfully carried out their Master's instruction "to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation" (Mk 16,15), the early Church did not keep track of most of the activities of the first evangelisers. Thus the story of the origin of many of the ancient Churches is shrouded in the mists of time. "Of the labours of the other apostles, ie, all, excepting Peter and Paul, very little is known for certain".

Perhaps no other Christian community has received as varied and discrepant an explanation of its origin as these Indian Christians have. As a matter of fact a turbid state of ambivalence and dubiousness prevails in historiography as regards the origin of Christianity in India. The offered explanations of its origin are so divergent and irreconcilable that some regretfully fight shy of beginning the history of Christianity in India with its foundation.

Some have gone to the extent of posing the question of whether it has been in the design of things that the exact identity of the peoples evangelised by Apostle Thomas should remain as a dubiety. After all, was not the Apostle himself initially sceptical about the report of the Lord's resurrection?4. The Gospel, however, vouches for the fact that Thomas did not forever persist in his incredulity (Jn 20,28). This appears to augur well for the student, who ventures upon an investigation into the origin of Christianity in India.

Review

"...A fairly large and contending historiography has emerged about the origin of Christianity in India. The author has critically and carefully analysed this literature, bringing out in the process not only the nuances of the existing historiography but also providing insight into the St. Thomas tradition." - Dr. K.N. Panikkar

"This book is a rigorously scientific analysis of the various positions that historians have taken on the question of origin of the Indian Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle." - Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil Major Archbishop

"The book is comprehensive and authoritative on the topic, is a valuable addition to these critical studies, providing fresh insight and answers to some of the questions raised." - Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana Apostolic Nuncio

"The author observes that the line of difference between physical possibility and the historical actuality gives way for the reason that the tradition does not exist in abstract but as the very constituting element that equips the community by giving it identity consciousness." - Bishop Joseph Mar Barnabas Mar Thomas Syrian Church of Malabar

"What is most refreshing about Dr. Benedict's new book is its greater attention for the everyday life of early Indian Christians and their lived space." - Dr. Scaria Zacharia Professor, Sree Sankaracharya University, Kalady, Kerala.