Protestant Origins in India: Tamil Evangelical Christians 1706-1835

D. Dennis Hudson

Nov 2020 · Routledge

About this ebook

Protestant Christianity was established as a religion of India when in 1706 missionaries from the the German Evangelical Church sponsored by the King of Denmark landed at the Danish factory in Tamil-speaking Tranquebar. An indigenous congregation soon developed, with worship and catechising in Tamil and Portuguese. This book explores the manner in which people of various castes and of various religions responded to the Lutheran mission and congregation. It investigates the manner in which Tamils themselves understood the Evangelical religion as they spread it beyond Tranquebar. It then turns to the early career of Vedanayagam Sastri (1774-1864). He responded vigorously to efforts by 'new missionaries' to change the language, liturgy, and social custom that had guided Tamil Protestants for over a century. His actions and writings reveal an indigenous form of faith, and a 'theology of pluralism', that countered the Reformed and Enlightenment ideas about Christian life that the 'new missionaries' expressed and sought to enforce. Reflections on the intellectual impact of colonial Europe on those early Protestant Christians of India conclude the study.

About the author

Hudson has taught the history of religions in India at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, since 1970, where he now holds the chair in world religions. Living, teaching, and studying in Tamil-speaking India led him into a lifelong investigation of India's various religions and their interactions, with special focus on Tamil culture over the past two millennia.