Christianity in India

1. Christianity in India
David Garcia de Castro
TY2
In this PowerPoint presentation I will explain the
impact of Christianity in the Indian culture. This religion is the
third largest Indian religion, which constitutes only the 2.3% of
Indian population.

2. • History of Christianity in
India
According to the Indian
traditions, the apostle St
Thomas arrived at
Kodungallur, he established 7
churches.
In the early Christian Roman
Empire the Romans used to carry
the gospels with them. After the
destruction of the First Temple
of Salomon a lot of converted
Jews travelled to India.
Vasco de Gama in 1512
spread really for first time
Christianity in India. The
Portuguese colonies had an
intense influence. As well as
the missionary travels of
Saint Francis Xavier

3. •Demographics 90%-80%
India consists of eight
ecclesiastical provinces, seven
in the peninsula and one of
them in Ceylon:
It’s curios the case of Kerala in the state of
Nagaland where 90% of the population is
Christian. The Baptist Church is
approximately the 80% of Naga
population.
Only 7.7% belong to Hinduism.
The curious thing is that is an Indian
states where peace and quietness reigns in
a community of three different cultures.
20%-35%
1%-5%

4. • Contrast customes
Pesaha Appam is an
unleavened Passover
bread made from rice.
Religion is very important for
Indian people. India is one of
the countries with the greater
church attendance. Christmas is
their greatest festivity, due to the
influence of the British Raj
there. Good Friday is as well a
national day.
Christian weddings conform to
the traditional white wedding,
however it is common that in the
south brides wear the traditional
Indian sari.
It is rare to Indian Christians to
wear the Bidi, a bright dot of red
colour applied in the centre of
the forehead.
Traditional Indian sari, strongly associated
with Hindu culture.

5. • Quick spreading
Christianity is growing quickly in
India in the current times.
Especially among middle and
upper class and young people.
According to Hindu and Indian
tradition society is divided into four castes:
-Brahamin (priests and masters).
-Kshatriya (politicians).
-Vaishya (merchants, craftsmen and peasants).
-Shudra (slaves, servants and labour people).
However there is a last group out of the
traditional organisation: Dalit regarded as
untouchable, they’re as impure as dogs
according with tradition, and their only
admitted job is to clean faeces. (During the
time of the British Raj there used to be even a
caste of invisibles that only could leave their
houses at night, if not they were killed by
starvation.
Therefore there is a massive
number of conversions from Dalit people
to Christianity (as well as to Islam and
Buddhism).
There is a massively
popular Christian
movement in India called
Jesus Youth. Apparently
it looks very attractive,
even further in Qatar or
Arabia. The organisation
even finances films in
Bollywood.

6. • Hindu-Christian
Conflict
Historically Hindus and
Christians have lived in relative
peace until the arrival of
colonists. Many indigenous
cultures were converted to
Christianity in South India and
North-East Asia (which was a
badly new for Hindus).
After the murder of Swami
Lakshmanananda a Hindu monk and a
highly revered spiritual leader and the death
of four others the tensions flamed between
the two communities.
The Anti-Christian violence is especially clear in the state of
Odisha. The acts of violence include arson of churches,
converting Christians back to Hinduism by force and threats of
physical violence, distribution of threatening literature, burning
of Bibles, murder o priests, etc...

7. Christian child
prisioned in a
dungeon.
• Muslim-
Christian Conflict Historically the relationship
between Christians and Muslims
has been turbulent. During 16th,
17th and 18th centuries,
Christians were systematically
persecuted in a few Muslim-ruled
kingdoms in India.
For instance the
hostile Tippu Sultan,
reputed for been
anti-Christian. Tippu
ordered the
destruction of 27
Catholic churches, all
intricately carved
with statues
depicting various
saints.
In modern times, Muslims in India who convert
to Christianity are often subjected to harassment,
intimidation, and attacks by Muslims. In Jammu and
Kashmir, the only Indian state with a Muslim majority, a
Christian convert and missionary named Bashir Tantray was
killed, allegedly by militant Islamists in 2006.

8. • Christian missionary
work
Extremely well
known is the case of
Mother Teresa of
Calcutta. A country
reigned by an extreme
poverty, she fought against
poverty and in her own
way against caste system.
She received the Nobel
Peace Prize in 1979.
The utmost of the missionary work in
India has been done and is been doing
by both Catholic and Anglican
churches. Most of the missions has
been held by Portugal and France.