Understanding Television and Christianity in Marthoma Homes, South India

Abstract

The focus of this article is on the interaction between television, religion and everyday practices of the Marthoma Christians in Kerala, South India. At the heart of this essay is an investigation of why television has been welcomed into Marthomite homes and how television viewing influences the domestic and religious practices of Marthoma families. For the Marthomites, the family is an important cradle of faith, where beliefs and religious practices are cultivated and sustained. Most of the Marthoma families interviewed accommodate television viewing into their beliefs and domestic religious practices, with some ease. In a multi-religious society religious programmes appear to amplify religious identity. While the first section offers a personal introduction and a brief outline of the research methodology employed, the second examines why cinema has been shunned among Marthomites while television has been welcomed. In the third section, the way in which television has impacted upon domestic space, domestic time and religious practices is considered. The conclusion outlines some possible ways in which Marthoma Christians in Kerala can respond to the changing faces of television in Southern India.