Travel Log: Christian
Origins & Witness in India - Summer 2006
Purpose
and Scope of the Workshop
Our purpose is to ask what it means to be
“church” in India. As we do this we are becoming more keenly
aware of how religious values can unite rather than divide
us. Covenantal relationships and bonds stretch beyond the
love for personal gain because they emphasize belonging. Thus
covenantal relationships, not commercial relationships, ensure
our continued survival.
Christianity
in India began at various points of which the following are
the most prominent:
•
Apostolic origin and witness of Christianity in Kerala and
Madras from the first century onwards;
•
Roman Catholic origin and witness of Christianity along the
Eastern coast of South India in 16th century and in the mainland
through the Jesuit Robert de Nobili and his Madurai Mission
in the temple city of Madurai from 1606 onwards.
•
Lutheran origin and witness of Christianity through the Royal
Danish-Halle Mission in Tranquebar from 1706 onwards; and
•
Baptist origin and witness of Christianity through William
Carey and his Baptist Missionary Society in Calcutta (1793)
and in Serampore from 1800 onwards
The middle of the twentieth century marks
the demise of the western colonial powers from India and simultaneously
the ecumenical founding of the Federation of Lutheran Churches
in India (1927), Church of South India (1947) and the Church
of North India (1970). These united churches exist along side
of the other denominational churches such as the Methodists,
and the Baptists. Recently, numerous Indian Instituted Churches
are founded, and they grow well. Theological institutions
such as the Serampore College in Calcutta (1818), United Theological
College in Bangalore (1910), Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram (since
1957 in Bangalore), together with the rich array of other
institutions, provide a place at which the diversity of Christian
expressions can be explored.
Acquaintance
with Christians and non-Christians in India can help the North
American students of theology to learn the meaning and nature
of the living interaction between the followers of Christianity,
Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam in India. This intercultural
learning will enrich their theological learning and witness
in a pluralistic and multireligious society. Additionally,
the 300th anniversary of the Protestant Churches in India
(1706–2006) gives an opportunity to study the transcontinental
heritage and prospect of the Protestant Christian mission.
During
our time in India, we are asking several questions, and seek
several answers:
What
are the different attempts and patterns to develop authentic
Christian theologies in India?
What
does it mean to be church in the context of a dominant culture
that seeks to identify the modern secular India with a “Hindu”
majority?
How
do Muslims and Buddhists, and adherents of other minority
religious and ideological persuasions relate to Christians?
How
do the processes of globalization and westernization affect
Indian society?
In
21st century, Christianity is global religion. Yet it is
predominantly found in the Southern Hemisphere. What are
the forms of Global Christianity practiced in India?
Simultaneously,
modern technology is shaped as much in Bangalore as in Boston.
As a result, how should we understand the meanings and significance
of a world community that is beyond the reach of Semitic
religions?
What
is the quest of Indian women in a patriarchal culture?
Last
updated on
July 19, 2006 12:36 PM
This travel log records the experiences
of a group of students and professors who are participating
in a workshop of the Boston Theological Institute
together with Andover Newton Theological School and
Ecumenical and Evangelical Partners in India. 