a contextual missiology of the spirit - eTheses Repository ...

attempts have been made to explore Christian affinity with Indian nationalism. 14
Thomas George’s study shows that a series of indigenous Christian movements
were on the rise during the Indian struggle for freedom, and these movements
helped to build an ‘Indian Christian self-awareness.’ Subsequently, there took
place a new relation to national culture, and Indian Christians began to function in
the social and political life of the nation. 15 According to R.S. Sugirtharajah, the
1857 revolt was ‘a turning point also in Indian Christian theological reflection’ as
there were several attempts to oppose the colonial theology. Even after
independence, the nationalist spirit was prevalent among the Indian theologians.
The theological writings of M.M. Thomas, E.V. Mathew and Paul Devanandan
are cited by Sugirtharajah to show that Indian theologians were helping to build
the nation through their theological writings. 16 Although Christianity spread to
many places through the work of western missionaries, it was the indigenous
Christian movements who initiated nationalist feelings and the idea of an Indian
indigenous church. George argues that today the story is different, and the
Christian message is taken all over India by indigenous Christian missionaries. 17
Although no specific attempt is made to understand the contribution of
Pentecostals in the freedom struggle, their nationalist attitude is very clear in the
14 For example, K.T. Paul, The British Connection with India (London, 1928); K.T. Paul, Indian
Nationalism (London, 1928); Thomas George, Christian Indians and Indian Nationalism, 1885-
1950: An Interpretation in Historical and Theological Perspectives (Frankfurt: Verlang Peter D.
Lang, 1979); Teresa Albuquerque, ‘The Role of the Christians in the National Struggle for
Freedom,’ in The Role of Minorities in Freedom Struggle, ed. Asgher Ali Engineer (Delhi: Ajanta
Publications, 1986), 158-72; D. Arthur Jeyakumar, ‘Christians and the National Movement in
India, 1885-1947,’ in Nationalism and Hindutva, 91-102. J. Kuruvachira, ‘Christian Particiaption
in India’s Struggle for Independence,’ Mission Today 8, no. 4 (2006): 355-69
15 George, Christian Indians, 12. This does not mean that all Indian Christians alike participated in
the National Movement. However, an important fact is that Christians failed to make a visible
representation in the Movement.
16 R.S. Sugirtharaja, ‘Afterward Cultures, Texts and Margins: A Hermeneutical Odyssey,’ in
Voices from the Margin: Interpreting the Bible in the Third World, new ed. R.S. Sugirtharaja
(Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1995), 470.
17 George, Christian Indians, 13.
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