User:Meeravb/Christianity in Kerala

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Denominations[edit]

The 2011 Indian census found a total of 6,411,269 Christians in Kerala, with their various denominations as stated: Saint Thomas Christians (including multiple Catholic, Oriental Orthodox and Protestant bodies) constituted 70.73% of the Christians of Kerala, followed by Latin Catholics at 13.3%, Pentecostals at 4.3%, CSI at 4.5%, Dalit Christians at 2.6% and other Protestant groups (such as Lutheran, Calvinist and other charismatic churches) at 5.9%.

The Saint Thomas Christians (Nasrani) of Kerala primarily belong to the churches which use the East Syriac Rite (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and Chaldean Syrian Church) and West Syriac Rite (Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Mar Thoma Syrian Church, St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and the Malabar Independent Syrian Church). In 325 A.D., there was the first big immigration of families and clergy members that came under the leadership of Thomas of Cana, and then the second wave of people came in 823 A.D. when many Christians came to India from Persia and built a church and a town. This ultimately led to the initial division of Christians into two groups. One group married other Indians whereas the other group did not intermarry with other Indians and wanted to keep their bloodline pure as they considered themselves to be “direct lineal descendants of Thomas of Cana and his Syrian Colony” which is now known as the Knaynaya Catholic Church. The Church of South India belongs to the Anglican Communion and Saint Thomas Anglicans are theologically and liturgically similar to Anglicans elsewhere. Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians, like other Pentecostals, are riteless (nonliturgical). As of 2005, Saint Thomas Christians composed 12.5% of the total population of Kerala. Martha Mariam Malankara Suriani Catholica Simhasanapalli, Pattom, Trivandrum founded in 1950,Pattom,Trivandrum. The Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church and St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India are Oriental Protestant churches. The Salvation Army also maintains a presence in Kerala.^{[citation needed]}

In 2016, 61% of Christians in the state were Catholics, which includes the Eastern Catholics and Latin Catholic. Many Roman Catholic Churches were brought to India when the Portuguese landed in India in 1498 A.D led by Vasco de Gama with the intentions of trading and conquering territory. The Portuguese spread Christianity through encouraging their people to procreate with Indian women and then baptized their babies as well as using force at temples and mosques to force people to convert to Christianity. When the Portuguese met Syrian Christians, they tried to “Latinize” the Syrian Church which led to the split of the Syrian Church into Syro Malabar Roman Catholic Church and the ones who refused to be “Latinized” were called the Syro Malankara Church. The percentage of Catholics among Christians is the highest in Thrissur district.

Major Pentecostal denominations in Kerala include the India Pentecostal Church of God, Assemblies of God in India, Church of God (Full Gospel) in India, and The Pentecostal Mission

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References

“APOSTLE ‘DOUBTING THOMAS’ AND INDIA.” Early Church History, earlychurchhistory.org/martyrs/apostle-doubting-thomas-and-india/.

Bayley, Susan. Caste, Society, and Politics in India. New Cambridge, 1999.

Fuller, C.J. “Kerala Christians and the Caste System.” JSTOR, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2800388.pdf.

Johannes, Klijn Albertus Frederik. The Acts of Thomas. Brill, 1962.

Mallick, Sohan K. “The Context of India in 18th Century and the Malabar Syrian Christians.” Academia.edu, 31 Jan. 2016, www.academia.edu/21353017/The_context_of_India_in_18th_century_and_the_Malabar_Syrian_Christians.

Sen, Amritorupa. The surviving power of Brahmin privilege. National University of Singapore. SAGE