Dr. Pothana's Teaching

2. Indian Christian
theology has developed
within a culture wherein
a concern for the
inwardness of one's own
spiritual life and a
concern for the outward
development of the
nation were both living
issues. In
'contextualising' the
Gospel in India, Indian
Christians have naturally
been influenced by both
these concerns.

3. Introduction 1
Christian Theology is a discipline that seeks to reflect and
interpret God’s revelation in Jesus Christ
.....this message of truth is conveyed through symbols
----Christianity in India is as old as Christianity itself but .......
----the multi religious context challenges theology to reflect
on the meaning and message
-----based on Advaita, bhakti, various margas

4. Christianity in india is as old as christianity.
according to the traditions, st. thomas came to india
in 52 a.d.
--- This small Christian community lived its Christian
faith in the cultural and social milieu of its land and
thus their socio-cultural practices were similar to
people of other faith.
-----for them christianity was not a set of doctrines,
systems and abstract or speculative theological
thinking, but a ‘way of life’ (margam), lived in
concrete actual context.

5. The Christian community of Malabar in spite of
its ancient origin did not produce any theological
system.
---lack of any original source of St. Thomas
community; these sources were burned by the
Portuguese Bishops and missionaries
--- For thePortuguese missionaries, the only true
Church was the RomanCatholic Church, which,
for them, was the Latin Church alone.

6. Thomas Christians, it
has been viewed by
some that for them
Christianity was not a
set of doctrines, systems
and abstract or
speculative theological
thinking, but a ‘way of
life’ (margam), lived in
concrete actual context.

7. They lived a
profound
theology, rather
than created a
theological
system of
categories.

8. Eastern methodology of
doing theology by
means of hymns, poetry,
narrative, doxology and
prayers, in contrast to
the philosophical and
speculative theology of
the West, is widely
acknowledged and
appreciated today.

9. ---they were
“Hindu in
culture,
Christian in
religion and
Oriental in
worship

10. Among the views and
practices of St. Thomas
Christians as
condemned by the
Synod of Diamper in
1599, two points are
found to be very
significant with regard
to theology today.

11. 1. The first is the harmonious and positive relationship
of St. Thomas Christians with their brothers and
sisters of other faiths, especially with their Hindu
neighbors.
2. Secondly, the St. Thomas Christians strongly rejected
the view of the western missionaries that the Western
and Latin form of Christianity was the only true form of
Christianity and hence normative.

12. Latinization and Deculturation
Forced Latinization not only tragically divided the
Christian community, but also curtailed its creativity
and crushed its growth.
The Decrees of the Synod forbade the priests to have
normal human relationships with the people of other
faith, lest they lose their identity and be perverted by
the surrounding beliefs.
Instead of tolerance and co-existence of religions,
Latinization brought exclusion and divisions.
Through the process of Latinization the synod laid the
foundation of exclusive spirit and this continued to be
Christian response to people of other faiths for a long
period of time and even now we can see it.

13. Colonial Mission