MM Thomas - Life, Legacy and Theology
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THEOLOGY OF MADATHILPARAMPIL MA<strong>MM</strong>EN THOMAS<br />
Jesus the Christ: the ONLY Way to God <strong>and</strong> to Human Flourishing<br />
M. <strong>Thomas</strong> Thangaraj<br />
Professor Thangaraj has published various articles in Tamil, English <strong>and</strong> U.S. periodicals <strong>and</strong> has<br />
written Christian hymns in Tamil for use in churches in India. His current research focuses on<br />
Indian Christian theological responses to religious pluralism <strong>and</strong> on constructing a systematic<br />
theology from a global perspective.<br />
Ecclesiological Dimension:<br />
The role of the institutional church in the divine scheme of human well-being is an<br />
important dimension of this core-issue. If the church, as it now exists, is an integral part of<br />
the divine economy, then exclusivist claims about Christ will lead to particular<br />
underst<strong>and</strong>ings of mission as evangelism <strong>and</strong> church growth. Wesley Ariarajah’s<br />
discussion of religion in bipolar categories of established/prophetic or<br />
movement/institution has raised some important issues to be looked at in detail. There is<br />
yet another dimension to this discussion too. Even if Christ is the only way, it does not<br />
necessarily follow that we need to have a church like the one we have now. On the other<br />
h<strong>and</strong>, if Christ’s claim to exclusivity does not include a vision of a community of faith like<br />
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