Apostolate of St. Thomas in India traces the history of the missionary works of St. Thomas and the origins of Christianity in the subcontinent. It delves into the genesis of the St. Thomas Christians, a community whose various works including their historical documents in Syriac and Malayalam were destroyed by the Portuguese colonizers at the Synod of Diamper (1599) fearing their heretical contents. The chapters here revisit these themes from different perspectives, examining a variety of archaeological and literary sources and using tools of historical research and a multi-disciplinary methodology to question the existing overarching historical narratives about the St. Thomas Christians. This allows readers to retrieve a history that was previously erased as well as understand the alterity of the community’s past outside of the convention created by the Euro-centric ‘myth of historicity’.

The volume is a reservoir for scholars working on the origin of Christianity in South Asia in general and for those looking for a nuanced understanding of the origin of St. Thomas Christians in particular.

CONTENTS

List of Illustrations

Foreword by Mar Raphael Thattil

Preface by Mar Tony Neelankavil

Message by Cardinal George Mar Alencherry

Introduction by Pius Malekandathil

1. North-West India: Historical Setting by Pius Malekandathil
2. Apostolate of St. Thomas in Ancient North-West India by James Kurikilamkatt
3. St. Thomas and South India: Socio-Economic and Political Milieu by Pius Malekandathil
4. Local Accounts and Narratives on the Apostolate and Martyrdom of St. Thomas in South India by Francis Thonippara and James Kurikilamkatt
5. ‘Seven Churches’ Established by St. Thomas the Apostle in South India by James Kurikilamkatt
6. The Tomb of St. Thomas in Mylapore: An Archaeological Study by Jenee Peter
7. Tomb of St. Thomas in Mylapore: An Analysis of Historical Writings over the Centuries by Pius Malekandathil
8. The Apostle Thomas in India: An Analysis of Syriac and Arabic Sources by Herman Teule
9. Early Christian Literature on the Indian Mission of St. Thomas by James Puliurumpil
10. St. Thomas the Apostle in the Ancient Christian Songs of Kerala by Byju Mathew Mukalel
11. Indian Apostolate of St. Thomas in the Official Prayers of the Church by Pauly Maniyattu
12. Portuguese Accounts on the South Indian Apostolate of St. Thomas by K.S. Mathew
13. Indian Apostolate of St. Thomas in the Reports of the Bishops and Papal Documents by Sinto Chittilappilly
14. Apostolate of St. Thomas and Cultural Representations and Practices by Pius Malekandathil

Conclusion

Notes on Editors and Contributors

Bibliography

Index