MM Thomas - Life, Legacy and Theology

THEOLOGY OF MADATHILPARAMPIL MAMMEN THOMAS
CTC Bulletin http://www.cca.org.hk/resources/ctc/ctc01-04/ctc0104i.htm
NEED OF A DALIT THEOLOGY
by James Massey
Christian Conference of Asia
96 Pak Tin Village Area 2, Mei Tin Road, Shatin NT
Hong Kong SAR, CHINA
“The question about theology is equally closely related both to the Church and the Dalits.
After all, what is theology? According to M.M. Thomas, "Living theology is the manner in
which a church confesses its faith and establishes its historical existence in dialogue with
its own environment." Here the phrase which needs consideration is ‘own environment.’
Now what is the environment in which the Indian Church lives? One answer to this
question is that it is a multi-faith or a pluralistic environment. This is the reality to which up
till now Indian Christians and others, as thinkers and converts, have tried to respond.
Certain responses to this reality have given birth to a theology currently known as ‘Indian
Christian theology’, which, however, is not really relevant to the living situations of the
majority of the people.
To speak in terms of the traditional categories, Indian Christian Theology, following the
Brahmanic tradition, has trodden the jnana marga, the bhakti marga, and the Karma
marga. In Brahmabandhav Upadhyaya, we have a brilliant theologian who attempts a
synthesis of Sankara’s Advita Vedanta and Christian Theology. In Bishop A.J.
Appasamy, we had a bhakti margi theologian, who tried to synthesise Ramanuja’s
Vishistha Advaita with Christian theology. In M.M. Thomas we see a theologian… who
laid the foundation for a more active theological involvement in India-the Karma marga. In
Chenchiah we find an attempt to sysnthesise Christian theology with Sir. Aurobindo’s
‘Integral Yoga.’
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