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| Kerala, India |
Origins
According to their traditions, they claim that St Thomas (an Apostle of Christ) came to Kerala in 52 AD to evangelise. Locally, the St Thomas Christians are also known as Nasranis, derived from the Syriac word for Christians. St Thomas converted 32 Brahmin (priest/scholar) families to Christianity during his time there. The earliest document detailing St Thomas's trip to India was the Acts of Thomas written in circa 240 AD.
The church also grew bigger when Christians from Persia migrated to India during the 3rd Century (200s AD). This brought the St Thomas Christians to be in connection with the Church of the East.
In 1498 the Portuguese open a port in India, and attempted to bring the St Thomas Christians under the Roman Catholic Church. In 1795, some Indian regions became tributiaries to the British East Indian Company, allowing contact with the Anglican Church.
Theology
Historically, the St Thomas Christians adopted Nestorianism (the belief that Christ is both human and divine but not at the same time), use the Syriac Rite and practise seven sacrements (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Penance, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick).
However, some of these changed with the coming of the Western Christians. For instance, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is in full communion with Rome and maintains an Eastern liturgy. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is also aligned with Rome but influenced by the West Syriac tradition. The Mar Thoma Syrian Church is a reformed church with Protestant influences.
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| Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Singapore |
