Abstract
For centuries, various denominations of Christian missionaries have contributed in a larger way towards the spread of Christianity among the people of Indian sub-continent. Each Church had its own principles of preaching the word of God and undertook welfare activities in and around the mission-stations. From establishing schools to providing medical aids, the Christian missionaries were involved in constant perseverance to improve the ‘indigenous’ societies not only in terms of amenities and opportunities, but also in spiritual aspects. Despite conversion being the prime motive, every Mission prepared ground on which their undertakings found meanings and made an impact over people’s lives. These endeavours, combining missiological and theological discourses, brought hope and success to the missionaries, and in our case study, the Basel Mission added to the history of the Christian Mission while operating in the coastal and hilly districts of Kerala during the 19th and the 20th centuries. Predominantly following the trait of Pietism, the Basel Mission emphasised practical matters more than doctrine, which was evident in the Mission activities among the Thiyyas and the Badagas of Malabar and Nilgiris, respectively. Along with addressing issues like the caste system and spreading education in the ‘backward’ regions, the most remarkable contribution of the Basel Mission established the ‘prototype’ of industries which was part of the ‘praxis practice’ model. It aimed at self-sufficiency and provided a livelihood for a number of people who otherwise had no honourable means of subsistence. Moreover, conversion in Kerala was a combination of ‘self-transformation’ and active participation which resulted in ‘enculturation’ and inception of ‘modernity’ in the region. Finally, this article shows that works of the Basel Mission weaved together its theological and missiological ideologies which determined its exclusivity as a Church denomination.
Highlights
Introduction of fly shuttleIncreases productivity of weaver from 50 to 200 percent depending on the width of cloth AdoptedUse of frame loomsWeaving cloth of greater weft in comparison with pit loom
This article shows that works of the Basel Mission weaved together its theological and missiological ideologies which determined its exclusivity as a Keywords: Basel Mission; Christianity; conversion; industries; South India; untouchable; tribe
The intermingling of theology, mission, and history has been a dominant feature in the history of Christian conversion movement
Summary
Christianity in India, over the many centuries of its presence, has a deep connection with the Indian culture and is no means a mere survivor of European colonialism and foreign missions (Shah and Carpenter 2018). This resulted in the establishment of a number of Churches and the organization of mission movements in this region At the beginning of the 19th century, Kerala remained as three distinct political and administrative entities These were the Princely States of Travancore and Cochin, which operated with relative independence under the suzerainty of the English East India Company, and the newly created. 17th century, Robert de Nobili, after being inspired by St. Thomas, followed a policy of accommodation which allowed a large number of people from various backgrounds (in terms of religion and sect) to be a part of the Christian community The Asian roots of the Church lay deeper than the traditions, and the Malabar Christians formed themselves into a distinct religious group That their contributions as agents of ‘an aggressive cultural imperialism’ and that their contributions were meant to
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