News Digest

  
 ARCHBISHOP ANDREWS THAZHATH OF TRICHUR ALONG WITH ABP. EMERITUS JACOB THOOMKUZHY CONFERS
PONTIFICAL EQUESTRIAN ORDER OF SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT ON PROF. GEORGE MENACHERY

THRISSUR [Palayur] –  Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI  knighted Prof. George Menachery and the playwright C. L. Jose with The Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory the Great on Sunday March 9, at the ancient Palayur church during the Palayur Maha Theerthadanam in honour of St. Thomas the Apostle of Christ attended by more than 55000 faithful followed by the Eucharistic Celebration. While Mar Thazhath decorated Prof. Menachery with the official insignia of the Pontifical Order, the inscription of the Secretary of State was presented by Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy and a laudatory speech was made by Catholicos Mar Cleemis, Archbishop of Trivandrum. The investiture comes at the end of a yearlong celebration honoring the 70th birth anniversary or Sapthathi of Prof. George Menachery. Prof. Menachery made a suitable response.


 

 

Through the past, clearly

For George Menachery, exploring the history of Christians in India, particularly in Kerala, is a passion that
has grown with him. In a chat with K. A. Martin, he discusses some of the issues and instruments in his research.
 

THAT PEOPLE in India lack a sense of history is received wisdom. We are still not too sure of the age of Kalidasan or Ezhuthacchan. Neither do we know much of Alexander's India invasion from Indian sources.

Is this reason enough to believe that our predecessors missed the significance of their life and times? No, says George Menachery, a path-breaking researcher whose amateur interest in the history of Christians in India, particularly in Kerala, grew into a passion and set new standards of scholarship in the discipline.

He feels that it is because of a keen sense of history that our ancestors indulged in selective amnesia. They remembered and left to posterity only what they wanted to be remembered. The rest is (not) history. They now come in a baggage we call the `dark areas'.

Menachery had more interesting things to say and more cogent arguments to put forward on history as we sat across a table at St. Thomas Mount, Kakkanad, where he was instrumental in setting up a Christian museum.

Museums like the one at Kakkanad has been his prime weapon in an attempt to recreate the past as well as to keep alive the new generation's interest in its traditions.
So far, Menachery has had a free run setting up several museums across the State. The first was the Christian Cultural Museum in Thrissur in 1980. Later, he also set up a museum at Palayoor which has recently been expanded.

He had firmed up the idea of the museum as the carrier of a sense of history at the first World Malayalam Congress in 1977 in which he was in charge of the Christian stall at the Kanakakunnu palace premises. A. L. Basham was among the visitors who spent several hours at the stall, he recalls. Menachery is now busy giving the final touches to the third volume of `St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia', the first volume of which came out in 1973.

`Thomapaedia', as it has come to be called, was intended as a single volume on the history and culture of Christians in Kerala. As the work progressed, its scope was expanded as the materials available swelled. It would now be completed in four volumes with over 300 photographs.
He says that several doctoral theses have been written by students in various parts of the world relying mostly on Thomapaedia.
`The Nazranies', edited by him and the first volume of which is out is expected to run into three volumes. It will be a ready reckoner for any researcher.

More than three decades of research has brought him recognition and respect. It was none other than M. G. S. Narayanan who heaped praises on `Thomapaedia' when it was first published. Kerala History Congress has recently honoured Menachery with the Joseph Nedumkandam Award.
The scope of Menachery's historical research makes it impossible for us to cast him in any other role. That he retired as the head of the department of English at St. Thomas College, Thrissur, may be a quirk of a chance.

And, it is a measure of his success that even the church hierarchy which often seems a little too preoccupied with the present, fell to his ceaseless energy and keen mind as he endeavoured to provided a new perspective to research in church history. In the process, Menachery has carried the day and assured himself of a place in history.
 

Picture / Photo Gallery
Here are some Early Christian pictures and photos from Kerala India
 

WOOD WORK IN KERALA CHURCHES
By PROF. GEORGE MENACHERY


WOOD WORK IN KERALA CHURCHES

 

Kerala's forest wealth has been praised by local poets of the Sangham era (first centuries BCE / CE) and by foreign travellers from time immemorial. Perhaps the workmanship of Kerals's wood craftsmen excels wood carving found in almost every State of India and every country in the world, including African and Scandinavian countries. The teakwood of Kerala as well as such timbers as Rosewood, Irumul, Royal wood of Kerala forests have enjoyed world fame for many millennia.

The wood carvings of Malabar Churches are more abundant, more varied, and even often more artistic than similar works in other edifices…especially because even when the Hindu temples began to be influenced by the rock culture of mainland India the Churches mostly continued with their tradition of wood carving. The altars and altarpieces (reredos), Pushpakkoodus (rostra or pulpits), the ceilings and balconies, railings, statues, and Roopakkoodus … all display the highest achievements of the wood carver and the carpenter.
 

Here are some examples of woodcarving photographed by H.C.Q. Brownrigg of London- of the BACSA). These are from the Church at Kottarakkara.Mr. Brownrigg has taken a large number of photographs and slides dealing with the Kerala churches and has given a number of talks on the same. Read about the Kottarakkara church pictures in his own words:
 



 

Dear Professor Menachery,

It was a great pleasure for me to visit you in Ollur and see the Menachery family `mana'. Thank you also for showing me round St. Anthony's, which is one of my favourite Kerala churches. Lastly, thank you for `Glimpses of Nazraney Heritage', which I read on the journey home and found enjoyable and extremely informative on a number of subjects. I also read the book edited by Bosco Puthur, in which MGSN expands on his points about Nambudiri migration.



 

Enclosed are copies of the photographs which I took at the Mar Thoma church in Kottarakkara. ( I am rather proud to have found a church which you have not already visited ! ) What put me into it was a passage in the travel book written almost a hundred years ago by Mrs. E. Hatch in which she describes the church as being in a ruined condition but with fine carvings and beams. Since then it has twice been rebuilt, but one long beam is preserved in the porch. It has eight protruding blocks, of which four have figurative panels. I am not sure what the subjects are.



 

One looks as if it might be the Annunciation, while another looks like the Weighing of Souls on the Day of Judgment. Incidentally, is the motif underneath these carvings what, in Glimpses, you call an ` Indian Cross ' ? Have you any idea where it originates? It seems half way between being a cross and a more decorative motif like the lotus.



 

I did not see any sign of an inscription, but one would need to go up on a ladder to look properly. Perhaps it might be worth writing to the priest.

Lastly, in the churchyard there is a deepastambha but without any deepas! Is it just a cenotaph?



 

I hope to find an excuse to return to Kerala later this year or early next, when I hope we can meet again. Incidentally, a paper based on my talk at Changanasseri is supposed to be being published in the Journal of South Indian History. Since it was written as a talk illustrated with numerous slides I fear that it will be rather hard to understand when only illustrated with a small number of photographs. Have you heard anything about (the persons who organized that Seminar) They all seemed to disappear without trace!

With Best Wishes
H. C. Q. Brownrigg
 

THE ROCK CROSSES OF KERALA CHURCHES
By PROF. GEORGE MENACHERY


OLLOOR CHURCH CROSS

This is the pedestal of the stone cross in granite [rock] in front of the Ollur Church which is the oldest church in the Thrissur Corporation area. But the Ollur Church is less than 300 years old whereas there are more than a hundred churches which are 400 years or more old in Kerala. And there are dozens of exquisitely carved open air rock crosses or Nazraney Sthambams in front of many of these ancient Kerala Christian places of worship, e.g. at Kottekkad, Enammavu [now in the Trichur Archieparcal Residence, where it was shifted from the Lourdes Cathedral Christian Cultural Museum that was estd. in 1980 - discovered by this writer in 1980 at Enammavu from a mud deposit] Mapranam, Puthenchira, Parappukkara, Veliyanad, Kalpparambu [the last discovered by this writer in the mud deposits] Koratty, Angamaly [one each in front of the three churches - the Western church cross, 27ft. tall- has been exactly reproduced in front of the Kakkanad Mount St. Thomas St. Thomas Christian Museum], Kanjoor, Malayattoor, Udayanperur, Kuravilangad,Uzhavoor,Chungam,Kaduthuruthy [2 Nos.], Muttuchira, Kudamaloor, Niranam, Kothamangalam, Chengannur, Thumpamon, Chathannur, Changanacherry [the base of the second cross was discovered by this writer in the Changanacherry cemetery], and many other places.

These crosses have four members: the base with a socket often fixed on a huge pedestal (see pic), the huge monolithic shaft with cylinder-like projections at both ends, the arm with sockets above and below, and the capital which forms the fourth arm of the cross with a cylinder arrangement at the bottom. All these crosses rise from the lotus carved at the top of the base member termed the Pookkallu. Many of these crosses have exquisite carvings and sculptures esp. on the four sides of the pedestal, and in rare cases on the shaft as the Adam, Eve, and the Serpent on the Chengannur Obelisk Cross. Like the Egyptian Obelisks the cross is a ray of the sun - Horus or Christ.


PEDESTAL OF CHANGANCHERRY ROCK CROSS



 

PEDESTAL OF ANGAMALY ROCK CROSS
 

MALABAR CHRISTIANS OF ANCIENT DAYS
By PROF. GEORGE MENACHERY

[For YOUR EYES ONLY is a recently started LOL Series which would carry interesting pictures and illustrations which throw some useful light on St. Thomas Christian history, culture, customs, manners representing every church and denominations of Syrian Christians. Prof. George Menachery who is a renowned scholar with vast research experience in Thomas Christian traditions and history organizes this Series.]

 


MALABAR CHRISTIANS OF ANCIENT DAYS

 

The very costumes and ornaments of the Thomas Christians indicate - at least used to indicate until very recent times - their deep Spirituality and commitment to the Gospel message. What the Bible speaks of the deportment of women is fully satisfied in the dress of Syrian Christian women of Kerala; it is a costume where beauty meets modesty. Allow me to quote (the late) Mrs. K. M. Matthew from the 1973 St. Thomas Christian Encyclopedia: "The costumes they wear are worthy of special note which in many ways resemble those of the high caste Hindu women. A white cloth-length 51/2 yards by 12/2 yards [Mundu} is folded into a Pudava which is again folded into fan like pleats. This fan like arrangement, which is highly artistic completely, covers the back portion of the woman when she wears the cloth. ... The upper portion of the body including the belly and the arm is completely covered with the loose blouse-like Kuppayam or Chatta. Going to the church they cover themselves from head to foot with a nice white cloth, when only the face will be visible. This dress is fully in keeping with the modesty and nobility of the Syrian Christian women. Naturally this dress is not meant to kill, the whiteness representing purity and chastity."

Again this is what Dr. J. Kolengadan has to say in the same Encyclopedia: "...the fan like appendage behind render their dress highly modest as well as artistically elegant...As they went out to church they had a veil like outer garment, with gold brocade, reaching to the ground showing nothing but the face..." The costume of the Syrian Christian women of Kerala does what the Purdah does but without its ugliness, unhealthy anonymity and abuses. Unfortunately today one has to watch the obituary columns of Malayalam newspapers to come across this unique costume - cry, the beloved country. D. Ferroli has this on the costumes of the Syrian Christians: " The mundu [of men] is fastened round the waist and reaches down to the heels. A towel is thrown over the shoulders...". "Except those who kept celibacy and those who had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Thomas at Mylapore, all kept long hairs tied up in a bundle..."(Placid, Thomapedia, p.107>f,g.)

 


MALABAR CHRISTIAN COUPLE
 

 

                    

THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

On the

HISTORY OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA

AND

MIDDLE EAST

(13th – 16th  September , 2008 )

Venue: Hotel Century Park, Amman , Jordan. 

Hosted by

The International Centre for the Study of Christianity in India ( ICSCI)

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Jordan

and

The Ecumenical  Studies Centre, Amman.

The International Conference on Early Christianity

 

 

The International Conferences on Early Christianity 

        The objective of the International Conference on early Christianity series is to significantly advance our knowledge of the history of early churches in India and other Asian countries prior to the onslaught of European beginning in the 15th century AD. It also aims to bring into prominence the Asian roots of Christianity and to compile objective evidence from across the centuries for the origin and growth of this religion, beginning in the Middle East and spreading across Asia, through the ministry of apostles and the missionaries who succeeded them.

 

The First International Conference

       The First International Conference on the History of Early Christianity in India was held in New York in August 2005.  This conference marked a watershed in the study of the history of Christianity in India. For the first time in history historians and theologians from around the world gathered in one place, presenting learned papers and holding academic discussions on various aspects of the history of early Christianity on the Indian soil. These scholars and prominent observers from various countries assembled at the premises of the Concordia College, Bornxville, New York. The purpose of this conference was to provide concrete evidence for the presence of early Christianity on Indian soil and to investigate its impact on medieval and classical India prior to the advent of Vasco da Gama, whose epoch making visit inaugurated a new chapter in the cultural and political history of this great nation. This core objective was fully achieved through this significant international meet and it was a resounding success by any standard.

The Seed for the Second Conference 

        At the concluding session of this New York conference, the delegates and observers voted unanimously for holding such conferences on a regular basis, possibly every other year. The creation of an academic society was proposed, which has now taken shape as the International Centre for the Study of Christianity in India (ICSCI). It was also decided that the second conference could be held in India. The need for investigating the history of early Christianity on a wider Asian perspective was emphasized at subsequent committee meetings and the resolution was adopted to incorporate early Christianity in other parts of Asia as a sub-theme along with the main theme of early Christianity in India. This rationale behind this decision was a clear conviction that this conference would generate rich data helpful in the study of early Indian Christianity within its wider Asian context. This in turn would help our scholars to have a better understanding of Indian Christianity in relation to its history in the neighbouring countries as well. 

Early Christianity- An Asian Perspective 

      The history of early Christianity in India is surely not an isolated phenomenon; it is an integral part of the history of early Christianity in Asia. Consequently, it is imperative to study the history of early Christianity in the Indian soil with a wider Asian perspective. This would promote collaboration between historians of Christianity in different parts of Asia. This would further assist the overturning of the dominant myth that Christianity is a western religion transported by European Missionaries only after the 15th century AD.

     Historically speaking, early Christians in India had very close ties with those Christians in Syria and 'Persia', since this is regarded as the region from where Thomas came to India. It is appropriate here to mention that early Christianity of Asia comprised of the churches that were to the East of the Roman Empire in the early centuries of the Christian era.

     Christianity developed in various countries of Asia in the context of dialogue with the local cultures exerting mutual impact both on the local context as well as its own core concerns. Islam in western Asia, Hinduism in India, Buddhism in Thailand, India, China and Japan have been deeply influenced by early Christianity, especially by the East Syrian (Nestorian) Christianity through such dialogical process. All these factors constrain us to approach the history of early Christianity in the Indian soil with a wider Asian perspective. The Second Conference was very successfully conducted in Chennai in January 2007.

 

The achievements of the first two Conferences

·         The first two conferences were beneficial not only to scholars of Christianity and the academic community in general but also helped to enrich wider knowledge on the religious traditions of India, which is a significant component of the religious traditions of the globe.

 

·         The conferences have countered the pre-conceived notions of the historians and the laity alike that Christianity arrived on the shores of India only after the advent of European Missionaries. (after the 15 c. A.D).

 

·         They have served to establish with copious evidence the significant contributions of early Christianity in moulding Indian culture and thereby urging the necessity to re-write the cultural and religious history of India from a new point of view.

 

·         They have provided adequate materials for writing the history of early Christian Churches on the Indian soil since the arrival of St. Thomas from a new perspective.

 

·         They have enabled the elimination of the wrong notion that India is a country of the Hindus and that Christians are only a negligible minority who have contributed very little to the growth of the composite culture of this country.

 

·         They have also added a sense of pride and moral courage to the evangelists and missionaries who have been striving to preach the love of God among the Indians.

 

·         The Christians of India now have the pride to own their history from the 1st c.A.D and therefore they are the inheritors of the great traditions of this land.

 

·         The conferences have provided a common platform for Indian scholars and religious leaders of Christianity to assemble together with a sense of fellowship and community to study the antiquity of their Churches on their soil forgetting their denominational differences with an ecumenical spirit. 

The Theme of the Third Conference

            The ICSCI has decided to hold the Third Conference in Jordan in September 2008. At the Business Session of the Second Conference it was unanimously decided to study the interrelationship between early Christianity in India and the Middle East. India has had very close commercial and cultural ties with the countries of the Middle East for over two thousand years. The implications for these relations for the study of early Indian Christianity have not been adequately explored. The participants of the Second International Conference were of the opinion that the Third Conference held in Jordan could considerably widen out knowledge of India's relationships with the nations and the peoples of the Middle East. Therefore, the theme of the third conference was chosen as  'History of early Christianity in India and the Middle East'.

 

            The organizers from the ICSCI discussed this project in detail with their colleagues in the Middle East and specially with the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and the Ecumenical Studies Centre in Amman in June 2007. As a result, it is now decided to have the Conference with the above theme in Amman, the capital of Jordan. It has been decided to have a total of 80 research papers, 40 papers covering early Christianity in India and 40 papers dealing with early Christianity in the Middle East. It has also been decided to invite scholars of early Christianity from all over the world to participate and to present research papers on various aspects of this religion in India and the Middle East.

 

Our Partners of this Conference

          Our partners in this Conference are the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in Jordan and the Ecumenical Studies Centre (ESC) at Amman.

 

The Middle East Council of Churches

            Formed in 1947 at a Conference in Cyprus the MECC is organized along the lines of families of Churches rather than on the basis of individual Church membership. The three family of Churches – Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant/Episcopal- were the founding members of the MECC. During the annual Synods in 1988, the Catholic Churches of the regions-seven branches from different ethnic and cultural origins, accounting for about one-fifth of the Middle East Christians-decided to join the MECC. In 1990, virtually all the Middle East Christians were represented in the MECC.

            The first concern of the MECC is securing the continuity of the Christian presence in the land in which our Lord was born and lived, and which was sanctified by the blood of the apostles, saints and martyrs. International ecumenical relations for better mutual understanding and true solidarity are a priority of the MECC along with Christian unity. The MECC has maintained its Head Office in West Beirut, Lebanon, throughout the period of Lebanese civil wars and it has liaison offices on local and national levels in Cyprus, Egypt, Syria and Bahrain.

 

Ecumenical Studies Centre

            The ESC is an Oriental Arab devoted vision founded to address the ecumenical thought and heritage of the Middle East. It was officially recognized by the Ministry of Culture, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This is non-political-regional-denominational or tribal centre, characterized by its non-profit and independent judicial status.

            One of the main objectives of this centre is to set up a framework for the study of the state and trends of contemporary oriental thought, in addition to finding innovative and practical ways to revive the intellectual and social conscience of the problems and challenges facing this thought. This centre provides researchers and specialists in ecumenism with the necessary information for their studies and research.

 

Tentative Areas of deliberations

            The following are the areas proposed for the academic deliberations of the Third International conference. Delegates are invited to select any topic - either directly from the list or a related topic not explicitly stated in the list - and to submit the synopsis of their paper to the Organizing Committee well in advance. If the paper is approved the author should prepare to present the paper at the Conference.

 

Areas related to the Middle East

 

   1.  Early Christianity in the Middle East – An overview

    2.  Early Christianity in Persia

    3.  Early Christianity in Arabia.

    4.  Early Christianity in Turkestan

    5.  Early Christianity in Egypt

    6.  Early Christianity in Lebanon (Phoenicia)

    7.  Early Christianity in Jordan.

    8.  Early Christianity in Libya

    9.  Early Christianity in Sudan

   10.  Early Christianity in Cyprus

   11. Early Christianity in Iraq

   12. Early Christianity in Saudi Arabia

   13. Early Christianity in Antioch

   14. Early Christianity in Syria

   15. Early Christianity in Edessa

   16. Early Christianity in Qatar

   17. Early Christianity in Oman

   18. Early Christianity in Israel

   19. The Christian Missionaries from the Middle East to India.      

   20. Origin and development of oriental ecumenism and the contribution of

         Syrian, Persian, Arabian and Indian theologians to this area.

   21. The formation and the history of MECC .

   22. Various trends in inter-faith and inter-Church relations in the Middle East and India.

   23. The seven Churches of the Book of Revelation- New lights and points of interest on    

         these places now in Turkey

   24. Contributions of Cyril of Alexandria, the father of oriental orthodox Churches.

   25. Early encounter of Christianity with Zoroastrianism.

   26. Christian encounter with Gnosticism, Buddhism and Manichaeism.

   27. Contributions of Basil the great, the father of Eastern Monasticism.

   28. The theological writings and poems of Gregory of Nazianz

   29. The significance of the Homilies of John Christostom.

   30. Contributions of John Damascene, the Arab Theologian.

   31. Contributions of Mar Aba, the Persian Patriach.

   32. The writings of Barbaisan and the early Churches.

   33. The hymns of Eprem Syrus in Christian Liturgy.

   34. Eusebius, the father of Ecclesiastical history and his contributions to Church history.

   35. The recordings of Ptolmy, Marcopolo and Monto Carvino

   36. The council of Diamper and the emergence of Syrian Catholic and

   Syrian Orthodox Churches.

37.   Abraham Malpan and the emergence of the Marthoma Church

38.   Various denominations of Early Christianity in the Middle East

(There can be several papers on this theme)

   39. Documents about early Christianity in India available in the following sources.

                     Hebrew

                     Greek

                     Syriac

                     Arabic

                     Persian

                     Latin

                     Coptic  etc.,

 

    40. Evidences available in the Middle East countries about the spread of

          Christianity in India.

    41. The spread of Nestorian Churches in India from the Middle East

    42. The spread of Syrian Christianity in India from the Middle East.

 

Areas related to India

 

    43. Early Christianity in India and Sri Lanka – An overview.        

 44. Early Christians in South India .

    45. Early Christians in North India

    46. Early Christians in Kerala.

    47. Early Christians in Sri Lanka.

    48. Early Christianity and St. Thomas

49. Early Christianity and St. Bartholomew

    50. Early Christians and Sangam Tamil Society

    51. St. Thomas and the North Indian king Gondabarus.

    52. Christianity and Indian Theology.

    53. Thomas of Cana and the Syriac traditions

    54. Nestorians and Syrian Christians in India.

    55. Early Christianity in Sanskrit sources.

    56. Divisions and Denominations in Early Christianity.

    57. Early Christianity and Native Culture - An overview

    58. Buddhism and Christianity

    59. Christianity and the Bodhisatva

    60. Christ versus Krishna - concepts and mythmaking

.   61. Impact of Trinity in Hinduism

    62. Early Christianity and Islam

    63. Impact of Christianity in Indian devotional literature

    64. Marriage metaphor in Indian Literature.

    65. Early Christianity and the theme of suffering in Indian Literature.

    66. The theme of suffering in the literatures of central and South Asia.

    67. Impact of Christianity on Hindu Mythology.

    68. Christianity and Hindu Iconography

    69. Doctrine of salvation in Christianity and Saivism.

    70. Doctrine of salvation in Christianity and Vaishnavism.

    71. Mode of worship among the early Christians in India

    72. Liturgy and devotional literature in early Christianity

    73. Impact of Early Christianity in Indian life - An overview.

    74. Hindu Cultural Christianity.

    75. Christianity and Indian Political history

    76. Christianity and Indian Social history.

    77. Restoration of Early Indian Christian History.

    78. St. Thomas Christians in the Context of Indian Culture.

    79. Jecobite Syrian Orthodox Churches of India

    80. Modern creative works in Indian languages based on St. Thomas and

          Early Christianity.

.

Comparative Perspective

 

81.    Commercial contact between India and the Middle East.

82.    Ancient Jewish settlements in India.

83.    The spread of early Christianity from the Middle East to India from an

 Indian point of view.

84.    Apochrypha and early Christianity in India and the Middle East. 

85.    Early Christianity and Yavanar (Greeks – Romans-Jews-Syrians)  

86.    Foreign reports on Medieval Christianity in India.

87.    The second coming of Christ and the Maitreya Buddha

    88.  Common images in the Book of   Revelation and Sangam Literature

    89.  Bible Translation in Asia before the advent of European Missionaries.

    90.  Christianity and Mithraism

    91.  Christianity and Greek thoughts

    92.  Hebrew – Dravidian relationship.

    93.  Greek    - Dravidian relationship. 

    94.  Aramaic and the Dravidian languages.

    95.  Dravidian – Mediterranean relationship.

    96.  Coptic - Dravidian relationship.

    97.  Christianity and folk religions in India and the Middle East.

            (There can be several papers on this theme)

    98.  Christianity and sacrificial figures of deities

    99.  Bible and the Oriental images. 

   100. Oriental themes and expressions in the Bible

   101. Shared features of early Indian Christianity with the Oriental Christianity

            in other parts of Asia

   102. Contextualization in Early Christianity in Asia – A Comparative Perspective

   103. Royal patronage for Christianity in India and the Middle East.

   104. Indo- Middle East cultural relationship

.  105. Land and sea routes between India and the countries of the Middle East.

   106. Early Christianity and Port cities of India and Middle east.

107. Missionary methods adopted by the Churches in the early centuries-Conflict

           and confrontation with state and other religions.

   108. The silk road that extended from Persia to other Asian countries and

           the spread of early Christianity through this route.  

Execution of the Project 

        There shall be two main committees with a number of sub-committees to monitor and execute the project. Scholars from around the world who have made significant contributions in the above topics will be invited to present papers as delegates.

 

 International Organising Committee

     A Committee consisting of representatives from various countries and organisations all over the world will be constituted to offer guidelines and suggestions for the successful execution of the conference programmes. 

 Working Committee

    A Committee consisting of a few local representatives has been constituted to monitor and execute this project with the help of the various sub-committees constituted to look after the variety of tasks.

Conference Programme – Tentative 

      The programme shall continue for four days with an inaugural session, a valedictory session and eight academic sessions that will be divided into many more sub-sessions depending upon the number of papers.  There shall be three cultural programmes in the evenings. There shall be a post-conference tour to various Biblical sites in and around Jordan on 17th and 18th September. A special tour programme to the Holy Land is arranged separately on 19th and 20th for the interested participants. The seminar papers will be published in several volumes.     

Style- Sheet for Contributors.   

1.  The total number of pages of research papers may range from 15 to 45 depending     upon the  data  available and the nature of  interpretations required.

2.   Manuscripts should be submitted in duplicate. They must be typed or printed on one side only; double-spaced with sufficient margins on all sides to facilitate editing and styling. All notes should also be typed or printed double-spaced.

3.   Notes should be consecutively numbered and presented at the end of the paper.

4.   Lengthy quotations should start on a separate line and be indented; shorter quotations should run into the text with single quotation marks.

5.  Citations from archival sources must specify the archival location including the town         and country where an archive is located. In case of recorded oral material, the location of the recording should be specified. In other cases, the name and location of the oral informant should be clearly stated. For inscriptions, the title of the volume with publication details should be mentioned. For other details kindly follow the "M.L.A. Handbook for Writers of Research Paper". (fifth edition) or "Writing Research Papers – A guide" by James. D. Lister.

 

           For more information about the ICSCI and the Institute of Asian Studies write to Dr. John Samuel, Institute for Asian Studies                             
Chemmancherry, Sholinganallur                     
 

Chennai – 600 119. INDIA .     OR Dr. Daniel Chelliah,

12711  North Cliff Road,

 Bowie MD 20720

 USA.

               

.       Mr. George Hazou,

President, MECC, Jordan

     2.   The Rt. Rev. Archimandrit Prof. Dr.  Qais Sidiq,

President, Ecumenical Studies Centre,

Amman

 OR
Contact Prof. George Menachery 0091487 2352468   or 0091487 2354398  or 0091 9846033713 
 0r kunjethy@yahoo.com  or kunjethy13@gmail.com or through this site www.indianchristianity.com  

 

                        
                           A Note on  Early Christianity in India   

 The history of Christianity in India can be traced to the advent of St. Thomas soon after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. But this has been a subject of controversy for a long time because of   lack of documentary evidences.  Now, a great deal of evidence, both internal and external has been gathered to testify to the existence of  early Christianity in India from the advent of St. Thomas. 

Limitations in the Existing Data

          History in early India is different from history as conceived in Europe and other countries.  There were no pure historical documents in India with chronological details and whatever was available as ancient historical documents had more of fictional elements. Literature was the main source for reconstructing history. These were not meant to document facts. The author of the text interpreted facts in his own impressionistic way. As a result, there has been mythicization in  the "historical materials" and any attempt to demythicize  would lead to distortion of history. 

The Two Traditions

        There are two important views about the origin of Christianity in India ;  One is that Christianity came to India through the work of the apostles St. Thomas and St. Bartholomew.  The other view is that the merchants and the missionaries of East Syrian or Persian church brought Christianity to India.  The Indian tradition on the advent of St. Thomas to Malabar seems to be  very concrete,  supported  by many historical evidences.  The Acts of Judas Thomas written in Syriac by the Edezza circle in 3rd century A.D. seems to be the earliest record that speaks about this tradition.  In addition to this, a number of stray passages in the writings of Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, Rufinus of Aquileia, Socrates, Ephrem of Nisibis, Gregory Nizianzus, Ambrose and Jerome speak about the visit of St. Thomas to India. There are still some  who deny this claim.  St. Ephrem composed hymns glorifying St.Thomas whose relics were being venerated in a shrine at Edizza at a time when this great Syrian poet - theologian was living. Another work namely The Teaching of the Apostles in Syriac (Didascalia) also  speaks of the same tradition.  According to this work "India and all its own countries and those bordering on it even to the farther sea, receives the Apostles hand of the priest- hood from Judas Thomas, who was guide and ruler in the church  he built there".  

          There is another tradition which speaks at length about the advent of St. Bartholomew to India.  But we are yet to find adequate internal evidences although St. Jerome and Eusebius of Caesarea of the 4th century AD speak about this tradition.  These two writers refer to this tradition while speaking about the visit of Pantaenous to India in the 2nd century A.D. According to Eusebius , "Pantaenous is said to have gone among the Indians where a report is that  he discovered there the gospel according to St. Matthew among some who knew Christ ;  Bartholomew, one of the Apostles had preached to them and had left them the writings of St. Matthew in Hebrew letters. According to St. Jerome, Demetrius, Bishop of Alexandria, sent Pantaenous to India". But a few  scholars deny the advent of Bartholomew to India. According to them, Jerome would have mistaken Ethiopia for India.  But scholars like A.C. Perumalil and G.M. Moraes thought otherwise.  According to them, Bombay region on the Konkan coast, where an affluent Jewish community lived, may be the place referred to with regard to the visit of Bartholomew. Since the traditions about Bartholomew and St. Thomas intermingled, the references about Bartholomew might have been lost in course of time.  According to A.C. Perumalil, Bartholomew Christians continued as a separate community until the coming of the Portuguese and then merged with the Christians of Bombay. 

The Malabar Tradition

           The South Indian belief about St. Thomas is preserved in an oral tradition.  St. Thomas Christians who claim their Christian origin from St. Thomas also have kept this oral tradition. Historians consider the Coromandal tradition of St. Thomas as very ancient when compared to the Malabar tradition. This Malabar tradition about St. Thomas is a later tradition but it is strong and vital.  This tradition associates St. Thomas with definite places and specific families.  The Malabar tradition which associates St. Thomas with Palaiyur, Parur,  Kokkamangalam and  Niranam does not contradict with any other tradition.  

The Coromondal Tradition

          The Coromondal tradition centres on Mylapore where the tomb of the apostle is found.  Marcopolo, the Venetian traveler, visited the tomb in A.D.1295 and no rival tradition has contradicted this belief. It is said that the Christians of Malabar enjoyed peace during the early centuries and they were supported by Non-Christian rulers.  There is also a tradition that says that St. Thomas conferred priesthood on the members of certain families in Malabar. 

Syria, Persia , India

           Over a period of time, the early Christian community in India is believed to have suffered a decline.  It was constituted by groups of Christians who came from Persia and hence there was a  close link between Christianity in India and the early church of Persia.  The Chronicle of Seert, an important East Syrian document of the7th century AD makes a reference to a Bishop named David who evangelised the Indian people between 250 - 300 AD. Among the 325 Bishops who attended the Nicaean Council, one John of Persian, is mentioned who, according to the History of Gelasius, was the bishop of the whole of Persia and Greater India. 

The East Syrian Christians

       Many groups of East Syrian Christians are often mentioned as having migrated  to Malabar.  Among them one group is associated with Thomas of Cana (4th C. AD) and another with two saintly men Sapor and Potto (of 9th or 10th C. AD).  The Malabar tradition, as per the Portugese records, and the  local accounts,  distinguish Thomas, the Apostle from Thomas of Cana. For some reason or  the other, the East Syrian church was looked upon with suspicion by the Portugese in the 16th C. AD. and  some western missionaries. They accused the Thomas Christians of falling a prey to the heresy of Nestorianism. But the Thomas Christians deny this vehemently. 

Early Christianity in Tamilnadu 

              Christianity in  Tamilnadu during this period of early history was a very potent force and its ethics and other theological codes find powerful expression even in secular Tamil Classics like Tirukkural and Naladiyar.  Its impact is felt in the native worship and especially in the local religions like Saivism and Vaishnavism. It is obvious that India received a number of missionaries many of whom belonged to Asia and other parts of the world.  The Yavanar, probably people from Greece and Rome, spread the message of Christianity in the length and breadth of Indian soil. 

Impact on Indian Religious Traditions

          Thus we understand that Christianity was deeply rooted in the Indian ethos, thanks to the works of proselytism by men of eminence starting with St. Thomas.  But most of the ancient records have been lost or destroyed, and Christianity might have undergone a sea-change owing to  adversity and persecution.  It  left  strong impact on  the other religions of India ;  it was instrumental for the emergence of many number of Indian religions.  Its presence is felt in all religions of India in various forms. Its impact on the emergence of Mahayana Buddhism, especially in the conception of the Bodhisatva as well as the second coming of the Maitreya Buddha, is note worthy. Early Indian Christianity,  a part  of  ancient oriental Christianity, gave strength  and vigour to Indian culture and Indian  ethos in  multifarious ways.  The influence exerted by early Christianity on the  Indian ethos was indeed tremendous although its physical presence today is not very glamourous as it is shrouded by the misinterpretations and misrepresentations of the later historians of this country.   

Need for an Asian perspective

          We are sure that the reconstruction of the early Christianity in India will shed new light on the history of Indian Philosophy and Indian Culture in general and this will give new orientation and new perspective to our understanding of the classical and medieval culture and civilization. The so-called Hindu historians of our day failed to see the history of India as a whole since their approaches are partial and fragmentary giving stress only to Hinduism, neglecting the other forces instrumental for the building up of Indian culture.  What we need today is a holistic view of the Indian culture with objective assessment of the internal as well as external evidences and a balanced presentation of facts. 

 

Important Announcement
[The following is the text of a communication issued by the Chancellor of the  Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the
Syro Malabar Church. May we request all webmasters to kindly make the desired correction as early as possible]


 This is to bring your attention to the fact that the website www.thesyromalabarchurch.org  is no longer a site owned by the Syro-Malabar Church .  The official website of the Syro-Malabar Church now is www.smcim.org   Therefore, may I request you to make this correction regarding the link given in your website for the Syro-Malabar website.   I would be very grateful to you if you could make this correction immediately and send me a confirmation in our e-mail address smcim@smcim.org regarding implementation of the correction.  Thanking you and with prayerful regards,

Fr. Antony Kollannur, Chancellor
Major Archiepiscopal Curia
Mount St. Thomas, P.B. No. 3110
P.O. Kakkanad 682 030 Kochi

Sexual abuse not just a Catholic problem - Vatican

From a Reuters Message

Tuesday July 17, 06:50 PM


VATICAN CITY - Sexual abuse of children is not just a Catholic Church problem and other institutions should take steps to acknowledge and deal with such "wickedness" within their own ranks, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

The Vatican's chief spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, also said the record $660 million settlement between the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and victims of sexual abuse was an attempt to "close a painful chapter and look forward".

"The Church is above all clearly pained by the suffering of the victims and their families, by the deep wounds caused by the grave and inexcusable behaviour of some of its members," Lombardi said.

"It has decided to commit itself in every way to avoid a repetition of such wickedness," he said, adding that the Church now had a "a policy of prevention and creation of an ever more secure atmosphere for children and young people in all aspects of (its) pastoral programmes".

Lombardi reaffirmed a position taken by other Catholic Church leaders in the past -- that other organised religions and institutions should also deal with paedophilia as publicly as the Catholic Church has been forced to by various scandals.

"The problem of the abuse of childhood and its adequate protection certainly does not regard only the (Catholic) Church, but also many other institutions and it is right that these take the necessary decisions as well," he said.

Lombardi said the Church was aware of its educational responsibilities to youth and intended to be "a protagonist in the struggle against paedophilia", which he said was on the rise worldwide.


ABUSE DATING BACK TO THE 1940s

The Los Angeles decision involved 508 plaintiffs in cases dating back to the 1940s. The pre-trial settlement means Cardinal Roger Mahony will not have to testify in court.

The settlement reached on Saturday after 4 1/2 years of negotiations came before the first trial was due to begin on Monday.
Victims' attorneys would have called Mahony to testify about the church hierarchy's protection of abusive priests.

The Los Angeles settlement dwarfs other landmark payouts. The Archdiocese of Boston, where the U.S. scandal erupted in 2002, reached a 2003 deal for 550 people worth $85 million.

Boston's archbishop, Cardinal Bernard Law, was forced to resign in disgrace in December 2002.

Leaders of the U.S. Catholic Church were found to have moved priests who abused minors to new parishes instead of defrocking them or reporting them to authorities.

In his interview with Vatican Radio, Lombardi spoke of the "sacrifices" the settlement would impose on the archdiocese.

The settlement funds will come from the archdiocese selling real estate assets, including the archdiocese's headquarters, insurers and various Catholic religious orders.

Before his election as pope, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger went out on a limb to decry the "filth" in the Church.

Benedict, who was elected in 2005, has taken a tougher stand on sexual abuse in the Church than his predecessor. Last year he disciplined Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, the 86-year-old founder of the conservative Legionaries of Christ, who had been accused of sexually abusing boys decades ago.

WCC News
Upcoming events

08.08.07 - 14.08.07

Intra-Christian consultations on conversion and Christian self-understanding

Toulouse, France

Photo : Jenny Bolliger, EAPPI, janvier 2007.

Christians
from various denominations and theological traditions - the WCC constituency, the Roman Catholic Church, Evangelical and Pentecostal churches - will be meeting in Toulouse from 8-12 August to discuss ways “Towards an ethical approach to conversion – Christian witness in a multi-religious world”. This includes a self-critical appraisal of Christian missionary activities to date. The consultation on conversion is directly followed by three days of reflection on “Religious plurality and Christian self-understanding”.


The first consultation is part of the 2006 to 2009 process towards a code of conduct on conversion, for which the WCC and the Vatican are jointly responsible. The process is both enriched by and contributing to the parallel efforts of a WCC-initiated multifaith expert group “Thinking Together”.

The second meeting is dedicated to the fundamental challenge of how to articulate the appropriate theological questions in relating to other religions. In so doing, it follows up on a document on Christian self-understanding prepared for a 2005 Conference on World Mission and Evangelism.

Previous News
22.06.07 - 01.07.07

Bangalore, India

Young adults from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka will be meeting at the Fireflies Ashram in Bangalore to reflect on the role of religion and religious identity in a context of tension and communalism.

Introduction to the M.E.C.C.:Middle East Council of Churches

[The Third International Conference Seminar on Early Christianity in India and the Middle East is being held in Amman, Jordan in September 2008, 13th to 20th. The Middle East Council of Churches is actively collaborating in this effort with  The International Centre for the Study of Christianity in India ( ICSCI ) along with the Ecuminical Studies Centre at Jordan.  Our readers and scholars may be interested in knowing something about the MECCwe hope.]

The Middle East Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches relating itself to the main stream of the modern ecumenical movement, the same which gave birth to the World Council and other regional ecumenical councils throughout the world.

The first and most remarkable feature of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) is its setting. It was through the Middle East that Abraham, his children and grandchildren migrated. Here the ancient Hebrew tribes wandered; the judges, prophets, priests, kings, singers and sages who gave voice to scripture were nurtured here. And it was here that the Incarnation took place, and the redeeming ministry of Christ fulfilled. The Church was born in the Middle East, and here the early controversies played themselves out and the first divisions in the Church occurred. The people and churches which form the council are the direct heirs of all of that. And the vibrant ecumenical movement to which the council gives expression in this region is a profound healing process. A glimpse of the Tree of Life whose leaves are "for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:2) is somehow not so distant here.

The second feature is geo-political. Powerful forces swirl and eddy in this region. They break out from time to time in violence. Death, misery and exploitation are no strangers. Economic forces, ethnic movements, big power pressures, religious passions … they make for a heady mix of variables drawing in influences and interests from around the world, and predators abound. In the midst of this, for the past quarter century there has been the MECC, commited to witness and serve in Christ's name. The circumstances of human dysfunction place upon it an overwhelming burden. People in the Middle East have reason to be suspicious of those who say they want to do them good. Wolves in sheep's clothing have been plentiful. In a region overwhelmingly Muslim in complexion, it is remarkable that the council, an indigenous Christian agency, should retain the credibility rating it does. It has worked quietly and effectively as an agent of mercy and reconciliation in war-torn Lebanon; it has interceded in the delicate dialogue between the Palestinians and the world, preparing some of the more important pathways that led to the peace process; it was early on the scene in post-war Iraq; it initiated discussions within Arab society to engage both Muslims and Christians in the examination of what should go into building a just and peaceful