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I'm going to be working on a rather thorough report for my "World Religions" class. The topic I have chosen is "Placing Christianity in a Hindu Framework." Basically, I'm going to attempt for Hinduism what Augustine did for Plato and Aquinas for Aristotle.

I would like to research Indian Christianity, as well as Indian Catholicism particularly. Does anyone know where I can find a good book on the subject? I'm reading this book right now, Christianity: A Global History by David Chidester. In a chapter titled "Hindu Christians" he claims that, prior to the arrival of the Portugese, Indian Christians practiced a syncretic religion that combined Hinduism and Nestorian Christianity. These Christians not only assimilated Indian culture into their worship and rituals, but they even sacrificed at the shirne of the Hindu war goddess! Is there any truth to this?

Again, any print resources you could recommend would be appreciated.

Dear PaxTecvm,

I am unable to answer your question, but it does not sound like anything I have ever heard before. I am sure that you could find some isolated instance of this like you will find Europeans (and others) practicing some non-Christian religion side-by-side with Christianity, this does not change the nature of Christianity.

May I suggest "Catholic Eastern Churches: heritage and identity" Paul Palliath, editor. Mar Thoma Yogam: Rome, 1994? Of particular interest to you for this purpose would be part three "The Syro-Malabar Church and its Heritage." The information about the arrival of the Portuguese and their interaction with the local Christians seems to be covered fairly.

Tony

You can also find some information on the history of Syro-Malabaran Divine Office in Archimandrite Taft's book "The Liturgy of the Hours in the East and West."

An excellent background is found in A History of Christianity in Asia Vol. 1, by Samuel Hugh Moffett,Harper/San Francisco 1991. I wish that he would publish Vol. 2. Don

It has been published. You can back order it here:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=33656390&loc=106&sp=1

In Christ,
Anthony

Thanks Anthony! I loved the first one and it helped me understand a lot about the history of the Eastern Churches and why they are the way they are today. Can't wait to read the rest of the story! Don

Good luck, and when you are done, I would appreciate it greatly if I/we could read it. I've toyed around in the past with exploring this very subject formally, but I may end up making it a hobby of sorts (I am a bit of a nerd). Who knows? I'd like to read what you come up if you don't mind sharing it.

In the university library here, there are a couple of books that I would recommend, but right now I don't have titles or authors handy. I have to go there soon to return some books, so while I'm there, I will see what I can come up with.

I don't know anything about Chidester, so I cannot speak to his scholarship or research or anything like that. I have never heard the claim that Indian Christians assimilated Hinduism to such an extent that they were syncretistic; this is the first time I'm hearing it. I'd like to see where he gets this from.

Authentic Christianity in India (and by this I mean Eastern Christianity because, no offence to our Roman Catholic friends, Roman Catholicism in India is a foreign religion; I'm willing to argue that Eastern Catholicism in India is not) has incorporated a lot of Indian culture into the practice. Hence, it is not surprising to find Hindu oil lamps used in Orthodox and Catholic churches, or even Hindu style iconography in older Orthodox and Catholic churches. There are even some liturgical differences which distinguish the Indian Orthodox liturgy from the Syrian Orthodox liturgy from which the former came, although they are substantially identical to this day. But based on this I wouldn't say there is syncretism involved in the modern age. I doubt it existed in the early days, unless I see evidence to the contrary (that's how good a St. Thomas Christian I am). Part of the problem is that the historical/liturgical record for the greater part of Indian Church history (the first 1500 years or so) was destroyed by the Portuguese when they arrived, and so anything you come up with is theory at best unless there is sufficient evidence.