Origin of India’s St. Thomas Christians: A Historiographical Critique (review)

Origin of India's St. Thomas Christians: A Historiographical Critique. By Benedict Vadakkekara. (Delhi: Media House. 1995. Pp. xii, 509. $30.00.)

This book is the result of extraordinary labor by the author. He makes reference to all the archival and published sources available on the topic. In itself the topic should not be controversial, but in the hands of fanatic Latinists and avid believers of the Saint Thomas tradition in the Malabar it became just that. The Latinists reject outright the tradition that Saint Thomas the Apostle founded the church in Malabar as historically unfounded while the Malabarites accept it without question. Both sides argue for their causes, not for historical accuracy. The author makes it his task to find the historical truth. For this he employs some of the well-worn tools of historiography.

The first thing the author does is to establish the identity of the Saint Thomas Christians. This is important as Christians in several regions of the Middle East and Asia claim to be descendants of the people converted by Thomas the Apostle in the first century. Even in Malabar itself there are groups who attribute their evangelization to Thomas as they are descendants of people from regions other than India which, by their tradition, were beneficiaries of Thomas' apostleship. Vadakkekara narrowly defines Saint Thomas Christians of India as those who are descendants of the first-century converts to Christianity who received their baptism in Malabar. The author further narrows the definition to include only those who follow the "Law of Thomas," the customs and traditions sanctioned by the Apostle himself; those who used the Syriac language in their liturgy; those who maintained the exclusivity of the caste regulations handed down from their Hindu ancestors with regard to etiquette, pollution and purification, meals, and marriages. He also narrows down the list of names designating, exclusively and without doubt or ambiguity, this Christian community of Malabar. They are "Mar Thoma Christians," "Nasrani Mappilas," "Christians of the Serra," "Syrian Christians," and "Chaldeans." Further Vadakkekara identifies the present-day Christian communities in Malabar who are offshoots of the original community the Apostle Thomas founded. They are the two churches in communion with the papacy, the Syro-Malaaar and Syro-Malankara churches, and the six churches which are outside the obedience of Rome, namely, the Syrian Orthodox, the Independent Syrian Church of Malankara, the Mar Thomite Church, Saint Thomas Evangelical Church of India, the Church of South India, and the Church of the East.

Next the author discusses briefly the available sources that might provide historical validity to the tradition that Saint Thomas the Apostle founded the church in Malabar. The first among these is the tradition itself that is composed of the belief that Thomas founded this church and the religious, ritualistic, and liturgical "experiences" and "expressions" that sprang from this tradition. Second among the sources is the physical presence of the tomb of Saint Thomas in Mylapore, near Madras, and the many facts, historical and otherwise, associated with it. The third source is the Acta Thomae, an apocryphal work written in Syriac, reportedly during Thomas' own lifetime, which contain references to his apostolic work in India, aside from descriptions of his travels and other activities, all of which became part of the folklore and tradition of Malabar Christians.

The author, then, analyzes the evidentiary value of these sources and weighs their significance in proving or disproving the historicity of Thomas' apostleship in India. In support of the tradition he marshals the following arguments: One, the tradition itself is so unique, consistent through centuries, unanimous among various groups in the region, clearly stated and understood by the people, and the facts of the story are quite probable considering the geography of the Malabar and its history of trade with the Middle East. Two, Thomas' tomb in Mylapore, the relics (physical remains) that were discovered in it, and the clear...