Nov 11, 2008 Article by Alex Sharp | 0 comments

Christian India: A Two Thousand Year Old Tradition

Several days ago I had a fascinating conversation with a gentlemen who was totally unaware that India is, in fact, has one of the world’s oldest populations of Christians. I made a point of talking about this with a few other people, all of whom were similarly surprised by this information.

While one of the most famous names in modern Christianity, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (better known as Mother Teresa of Calcutta), ministered to the poor and needy of India, many are still shocked to hear that Christianity, Roman Catholicism in particular, has been a part of Indian culture since at least the 3rd century. In fact, even the most conservative estimates of Christianity’s arrival in India predate the conversions of many European countries. According to a 2001 census, Christianity is the religion of 24 million Indians, ranking it the third largest religion in the country. Roman Catholicism accounts for the lion’s share of those Christians.

I suppose it is not all that shocking that most western Christians are unaware of India’s amazingly diverse cultural heritage. History class in the United States is particularly skewed towards the past exploits of European nations. While this is undeniably important in understanding the history of our own country, it does severely limit our knowledge of the east, and the wondrous expanse of Indian culture. So let us take a moment to look at Christianity in India.

Indian tradition holds that Christianity arrived in somewhere around 50 AD with the appearance of the Apostle Thomas (also known as Doubting Thomas, or Thomas Didymus). He is reputed to have established several churches in modern day Kerala, converting many Indians. He was ultimately martyred, though the exact details of the account vary. A book known as The Acts of Thomas (which most Christian traditions view aspseudepigraphical), covering Thomas’ time in India, relates that King Misdaeus Vasudeva I was angry with the Apostle for evangelizing his wives. The King ordered Thomas to be killed, and the martyr was stabbed to death by spears.

While this is a beautiful tale, most secular and Christian historians believe that Christianity came to India around the 3rd century. At the time there were extensively traveled trade routes passing through India, so it is easy to see how Middle-Eastern religions, especially those with a strong evangelical bend, could arrive in major cities and trading posts. This is also the notable case of Thomas of Cana, a merchant and missionary, reputed to have brought several dozen Christian families from the Middle East to Kodungallur around 345 AD. Many historians believe that confusion between the names of the Apostle Thomas and Thomas of Cana might explain the Christian Indian origin story. Scholars believe the Acts of Thomas was probably written around the same time as Thomas of Cana’s arrival, giving some credence to this theory.

Regardless of how exactly Christianity came to India, it is clear that a thriving Christian movement existed in the land when European missionaries began arriving in the late Middle Ages. French and Portuguese Catholics created many new converts and strengthened the legitimacy of the Roman Catholic religious hierarchy. The most famous of these missionaries is undoubtedly St. Francis Xavier, recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as having converted by people to Christianity than anyone since St. Paul. He drastically expanded the Christian base in India, and his body is interred at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa.

While there has been some violence between Indian Christians, Muslims and Hindus, it is decidedly minimal, quite unlike the terrible religious conflicts which have plagued Europe. In fact the most violent bout of conflict involving Christians was, sadly, brought on by the Catholic Church. The Goa Inquisition, which primarily targeted converts to Catholicism, was the office of Portuguese Jesuits and became famous in Europe for its terrible cruelty. This sad chapter in Catholic history only highlights the benevolence of the local Indian population, showing that the native inhabitants of India are mostly open to and tolerant of differing religious traditions.

Aside from a strong Catholic tradition, India is home to two Major Archiepiscopal churches in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, the Syro-Malabar Church and Malankara Syrian Church, and several Protestant traditions. This sizable minority of Christians also hold considerable political and social sway. There have been several politically powerful Christians in India, including the current Defense Minister, A.K. Antony. There is every indication that the Christian community in India is thriving, and will remain a religious and social force for good in Indian culture. Christians in the west should look at India and take note of this ancient Christian tradition and celebrate it fully. These stalwart people deserve full recognition of their place in the Christian world view.