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Christianity in IndiaA History

World Religions

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10.00%15.00%20.00%25.00%

Religions in India

80.50%

13.80%

2.30% 1.90% 1.50%

HinduismIslamChristianity SikhismBudhism, Jainism, others

Early Religions(A way of life)

Hinduism (80%): Earliest religion; “Hindu” = River Sindhu in Northwest India during 2nd millennium BCE by the inhabitants of the region.

Belief: Nature and hero worship. Later developed by Brahmin priests into a cult.

A Supreme God: qualities and forms represented by a multitude of deities.

Karma: Cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

Buddhism A state of impermanency

Siddartha Gautam Buddha: 6 Century BCE.

Nirvana (enlightenment): possible through practice and development of morality, meditation and wisdom.

Life is endless: we are reincarnated over and over in this suffering world.

Good and bad: impermanent; seeking for permanence of good and bad is cause of suffering.

Islam in IndiaSubmission to the will of God

Revelation: Islam was revealed over 1400 years ago in Mecca.

God: One God, Allah

Jesus, Abraham, Moses are prophets and Muhammad is the last prophet.

These are the five pillars; declaration of faith, praying five times a day, giving money to charity, fasting and a pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once).

Came: Arab merchants came to Malabar Coast in the 7th C AD. In the North India in the 12th C AD.

SikhismMonotheistic Religion

Founded: 16 Century by Guru Nanak, and based on his teaching and his 9 gurus who followed him.

Scripture: Guru Granth Sahib; A living guru

Belief: One God, no form no gender. Everyone has direct access to God. Living a good life by caring for others.

Gurudwara: Worship place or a temple.

Golden Temple at Amritsar in Punjab

History of Christianity (once only catholic)

1. From the earliest times down to the

advent of Portuguese

2. Modern missionary enterprise (Portuguese

arrival)

3. Contemporary Christianity and its Struggle

1. Early Church in India(Thomas Christians)

Story of St. Thomas: Came to India 52AD to spread the Gospel to the Jews of Kerala who came to India 562BCE after the destruction of the Temple.

Language & Liturgy: Syriac (a dialect of Aramaic) used by the Jews in India.

Mar Thoma (Church of Thomas): Thomas evangelized along Malabar Coast of Kerala in the South India. Along Periyar river, where Jewish colonies existed.

Martyrdom of St. Thomas: Chennai & buried at San Thome Cathedral.

San Thom Cathedral in Chennai

St. Thomas believed to have been buried here

4th C Missions

Christian Merchants: Flourishing trade with Central Asia, Mediterranean, and Middle East along Mountain passes in the North & Western and Eastern sea routes.

Travancore Manual: Thomas of Cana (a merchant & missionary): brought 400 Christians from Baghdad, Nineveh and Jerusalem in 345AD.

Colony of Syrian Christians: First recorded Christian Community in the South at Kondungallur.

Thus arrived Christianity in India in the 4th C AD for sure.

The earliest renovated existing Church in the South India: 52AD

Modern Missionary Enterprise(arrival of Catholicism)

The First Bishop of India: Jordanus Catalani (1320): French Dominican missionary in Gujarat & Quilon: Conversion take place.

Portuguese Mission 15C: Pope gives Asia to the care of King Afonso V in 1455 thus arrived Fransiscans, Dominicans, Jesuits, Augustinians etc.

Vasco da Gama: Missionaries arrived in Kerala along in 1498.

Pedro Álvares Cabral 1500: Arrived with 13 ships and 18 priests.

Diocese of Lisbon: Whole of the west was under the jurisdiction.

A Scar: Inquisição de Goa (1560-1812): To punish the recent converts who still followed their ancestral religion in secret. 16,202 persons were brought to trial.

Bom Jesus GoaSt. Francis Xavier Church

Protestant Mission1705

Lutherans: First protestant missionaries. Translated the bible to Tamil language then Hindustani etc.

18th C; protestant missionaries spread throughout the country.

19th C several Baptist American missionaries came into existence.

Catholicism TodayFlourishing yet Fading

Flourishing Church: Contribution towards education (both primary & higher), Social Justice, pastoral, spiritual etc.

Work among the “lower people of the society” (Caste System) is commendable. =my experience of caste system=

Social Justice for the poor: A voice to the voiceless. Church had to pay the price, ex. Fr. AT Thomas (killed)

Inter-religious dialogue: An important initiative to unite all religions.

Christians have been persecuted since its emergence but it has

been intensive in the last decade.Churches desecrated, Christians

killed brutally, burnt alive, priests murdered, nuns raped, villages

burnt, not allowed access to jobs etc.

Christians persecuted

Orissa: Christians were persecuted And had to flee the village

My Christian Experience

Family Prayer

RosaryLitany of our LadyPetition PrayersBible readingAngelusBlessing from elders

Family Prayer

Almost all religions do this, this is an integral part of Indians.

Catholics remain united through this form of prayer.

Children are taught to pray right at home.

Rosary is must for most Catholics.

Sunday Bible reflection: 7 steps of reading the Bible.

St. John de Brito 1647-1693: Beheaded in, IndiaHis work resulted in conversion of a king.

The king had to renounce all his wives.One of his wives caused the execution.

Robert De Nobili 1577-1656Learnt Tamil and adopted

Life of Brahmins to convert them.

Two Zealous Jesuits in India

Indian way of celebration

Hindu Fundamentalism

It is a small group of people createproblem. They try to instill hatred amongreligions for the fear of India becoming

a Christian or a Muslim nation.

The Tomb of St. Thomas in Chennai

17 Provinces, 1 Region, 4700 Jesuits.

Involved in; Education, Social work/Justice, Pastoral care,Spirituality, Inter religious dialogue, Medicine, Science,

Research, etc.

St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, India

Society of Jesus

Question Time

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Conclusion

Please Pray for the Religious Unity in India