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FOCUS July 2015 Vol. 3 No: 3

M. M. Thomas, Late Rev. Dr. J. Russell

Chandran & Bishop Lesslie Newbigin - Page 11 & Page 13

Jesus, the Radical, Cover Photo By

Fr. Thomas Varghese, Enaacheriyil, Kerala

A Publication of Diaspora FOCUS

Contents

Dr. Stanley Jones, Recollection of a

Granddaughter, Dr. Anne Mathews-Younes, USA Page 14

Faith Radically Re-considered, Rev. K. V.

Mathew, Kottayam Page 16
Editorial, Radical Christianity - Page 3

My Lord, My God & The Golden Beams, Rev.

Dr. M. J. Joseph Kottayam Page 18 & Page 21

Synopsis of Metropolitans Pastoral

Letters, Sabha Tharaka April, May, June
th
2015 Happy 85 Birthday- Page 5

Radical Christianity, Rev. Abraham Kuruvilla,

Princeton Theological Seminary, NJ - Page 19

Core Christianity, Fr. Thomas

Punnapadam, SDM - Page 7
Gender Equality in the Sacred Place, Yesudas
M. Athyal, Boston Page 20

Garden of Eden and Consumer Behavior,

Rev. Dr. Valson Thampu, New Delhi - Page 9

Christ the Radical, Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas Page 22

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Editorial
Radical Christianity: A Radical Obedience to Jesus
The Harry Potter author, JK Rowling, at her Harvard
University commencement address in 2008 said that
There is an expiry date on blaming your parents
for steering you in the wrong direction; the
moment you are old enough to take the wheel,
responsibility lies with you. If we replace parents
with church or church leadership in the above
quotation, we will have the beginning of a working
definition for Christian radicalism. When we become
responsible individuals of a collective such as a
Christian community, we begin to radicalize our
thinking and action. This is moving away from a
blaming culture to do something creative about the
kingdom values set out before us by Jesus, the Christ.
It is about having a longing for fellowship, love, and
justice.

The most radical person who ever lived was Jesus

Christ; he turned the conventional thinking upside
down. The Sermon on the Mount is a manifesto of this
peaceful revolution for transforming a self-centered
human society to a loving and caring society. In the
Gospel of Matthew, a Pharisee tests Jesus with a
question:
Teacher,
which
is
the
greatest
commandment in the Law? Jesus replies, Love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with your entire mind. This is the first and
greatest commandment. And the second is like it:
Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments. Love is
the foundational virtue in Christians relationships with
God and with other Christians and non-Christians
alike.
Radical can also mean extreme, and Christians are
explicitly called to express an extreme, or radical love,
which following the example of Jesus on the Cross,
has at its core an authentic forgiveness that is to be

extended even to our enemies. Understanding that

love and forgiveness lie at the heart of Christian faith
helps to illuminate why Christians are asked to
respond to attacks against their faith not with violent
protests and murderous threats but by turning the
other cheek. For Christians, forgiving ones enemies
is not to agree with what they do, or to be deluded
into thinking they are nice people when they are not. It
means hating the sin but loving the sinner. In practical
sense, this slogan is not easy to live with; it is not easy
to separate a sinner from his or her sin, the act of
doing a wrong thing is associated with the person who
is committing it. Then the question is how to separate
sin from the sinner. Love does not diminish our total
rejection of those sinful acts. Therefore, there should
be a way of loving person without approving his or her
actions. In fact, Christians are called to hate the sin
precisely because we love the person. Our wounded
feeling for the sin deepens when we realize what it has
done to a person whom God loves, and it is a cross
that we are called upon to bear on behalf of the other.
There
is
a
significant
difference
between
fundamentalism and radicalism. Karen Armstrong
defines fundamentalism in her book, The Battle of
God, as embattled forms of spirituality, which have
emerged as a response to a perceived crisis - namely
the fear that modern and post-modern ideas will erode
or even eradicate their faith and morality. In
Christianity, the term fundamentalism is normally used
to refer to the conservative part of evangelical
Christianity; they view the Bible as the Word of God,
and free of error. However, following the Vatican II
initiatives in the 1960's, the term "fundamentalist"
started to be used to refer to Catholics who rejected
the changes, and wished to retain traditional beliefs,
Latin Mass, and practices. Thus it became a
commonly used word to describe the most
conservative groups within Christianity; this group is
very powerful and predominant in the United States.
Fundamentalists
often
aggressively
oppose
homosexuality,
same-sex
marriage,
physicianassisted euthanasia, stem cell research and so forth.
This editorial is not about 'aggressive Christian
fundamentalism of exclusion or pious separatist
attitudes. Radical obedience to Jesus and Christian
discipleship is the focus. There is a need to shake off
the comfortable, pious, and other worldly longing of
Christianity. Mother Teresa and such people were
trying to give witness to a radical form of Christianity
through their social concerns together with an intimate

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and constant relationship with the indwelling Christ.

Social reforms with Christ are the emphasis of
Christian radicalism. Dr. M.M. Thomas was a radical
Christian; we are celebrating his birth centenary this
year to thank God for his life and leadership. The
articles from Bishop Lesslie Newbigin and Russell
Chandran highlight his contributions to Christian
radicalism. Professor Ninan Koshy who passed away
recently was also a radical Christian thinker.

with the suffering and oppressed people of his times.

Bourgeoisie or elite way of searching for a comfortable
lifestyle at the exclusion of suffering millions is
incompatible to the Gospel teaching. Sri Aurobindo,
the mystic philosopher of India, saidA solitary
salvation leaving the world to its fate was felt as
almost distasteful. He went on to say, There can be
no paradise so long as a single man is in hell. This is
cut against the grain of the preaching of the prosperity
Gospel. Mar Thoma Christians have an urgent need to
appreciate the importance of radical Christianity in
developing a radical Christian lifestyle and mission.
Since we very much value liturgical worship and proud
of being a liturgical church, the challenge for us is to
lead a Eucharistic lifestyle by practicing Liturgy after
the Liturgy in everyday living. This is the cutting edge
of radical Christianity.
Reference:
1. Lord Griffiths, Lent talks-2015, Pilgrims Progress,
CT in NH Newsletter, April, 2015.
Editorial Board

Lord Griffiths in his Lent talks1 said that

Fundamentalism is inorganic and it is set in stone or
under concrete slabs with their inbuilt inflexibility and
rigidity. On the other hand, radicalism is organic and it
is a movement. There are various types of Christian
radicalism.
Dietrich
Bonhoeffers
religion-less
Christianity, and his emphasis on costly grace is an
important aspect of Christian radicalism. Pope John
XXIII and Vatican II are important, too, in this respect.
Radicalism is about going underneath, watering the
roots with Jesus teachings and transforming. It is just
possible that Pope Francis radical approach in having
a bias for the poor is based on the Liberation theology
developed in the Latin America in 1960s.
Radical Christianity deals with a diversity of
understandings that focus on the political, economic,
gender inequality, caste, racial, ethnic and other
tensions, which aim at the liberation of people from all
kinds of social problems. Dalit theologies in India,
Black theology, Feminist theology, Eco-spirituality are
all variations of radical Christianity. Dalit theology
emerged in the context of caste and socio-economic
discrimination against the tribal and Dalit people in
India and in the Indian churches. These are born out
the pains, struggles and oppression of people on the
margins of the society. Jesus Christ identified himself

Please remember that we need your constant prayer

and support to make our online ministry fruitful for the
glory of God. Please send the following URLs of this
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Disclaimer: Diaspora FOCUS is a non-profit organization
registered in United States, originally formed in late nineties
in London for the Diaspora Marthomites. It is an independent
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deemed as an endorsement of the view expressed therein by
Diaspora FOCUS. Thanks.
Contact: www.facebook.com/groups/mtfocus
E-Mail:mtfocusgroup@gmail.com

Focus wishes Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma

Metropolitan Thirumeni a happy and blessed 85th
birthday (June 27, 2015). May our Lord Jesus Christ
continue to keep Metropolitan Thirumeni in His
providence to continue the faith journey of the Mar
Thoma Church as envisioned by the reformers of the
Mar Thoma Church including Palakunnathu Abraham
Malpan and Kaithayil Geevarghese Malapn.
Editorial Board

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Synopsis of Metropolitans Pastoral Letters in the Sabha

Tharaka April, May & June 2015
April 2015:
People all over the world
are worried about the
terrorist activities by a
group of people in the name
of religion. It is high time
that
we
Christians
responded to the atrocities
committed
by
these
terrorists in Africa and
Middle East in a Christian
way. The places, which
were the centers of ancient
civilization is also being
destroyed in the name of
religion, which is painful.
Our civilization is famous for
religious tolerance and is a secular country where we
consider all religions with respect. Our constitution provides
the privilege to all people to believe or not to believe in God,
and to preach and practice what they believe without any
hindrances. All those activities, which prohibit the freedom
to preach and practice ones religion or not believing in any
religion or faith are signs and symptoms of religious
intolerance and moral degradation. All these activities must
be stopped immediately, and we as Christians have the
responsibility to change the mind of those who commit
these atrocities in the name of religion.
We are entering into a period of Passion Week during the
month of April. Those who received Jesus with joy and
celebrated when he entered Jerusalem, later cried out later
to crucify him. Jesus words, that you made my worshipping
place a place of thieves reminds those who make our
spiritual places to fulfill their selfish interests. Jesus might
have thought that the Jerusalem temple has turned itself into
a fruitless place similar to the fig tree with full of leaves
without fruits.
Work without faith and faith without any work could only be
for publicity. Jesus has fulfilled the task entrusted to him by
his Father only because of the faith that he had in his Father.
We can see both faith and work unite in our Lord.
Remember, Jesus was crucified on the day before the
Sabbath; the day Jews celebrate the Passover. The four
incidents happened on the day before are very important:
He 1) took, 2) blessed, 3) broke, and 4) gave the bread to his
disciples. Jesus and his disciples went to the Garden of
Gethsemane, where he prayed to his Father in heaven. We
see a Jesus getting back after receiving the answers to his
prayers so that he could face the challenges of his calling.
Remember, if we kneel down in the presence of God with
our prayers, we also could get up with answers for our
prayers. Jesus gave himself to the soldiers; the trial that took
place before Pilate was not justifiable, but staged. We show
the same attitude in our social activities; Pilate who had
thrown Jesus, who never committed any crime, to the crowd

in order to please Jews. When Jesus gave himself to the

soldiers, he has entrusted his soul to his Father by saying
everything finished. When we renounce the innocent
people in order to please others, we are following the same
hereditary pattern of Pilate. No one could stop the
resurrection of Jesus on the third day even though the
authorities sealed his tomb. Son though he was, he learned
obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey
him (Hebrew 5: 8-9). The resurrected Christ is the hope of
the church; the resurrected Christ is the cause for eternal
salvation to all who obey him. When everything falls apart in
our lives, we should not lose our hope, but believe that our
Lord will provide us with hope and will hold our hands and
make us to stand as his witnesses before all. Let us continue
with this hope in our life during this period when we
celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and may the Holy
Spirit strengthen us.
May 2015:
The humane values of the society are lost when we fail to
see others as equals who are created in the image of God.
The activities of religious fanatics and selfish political leaders
have paralyzed the minds of the people. In every trial and
tribulation, our Lord is more than enough to provide us with
his eternal comfort of hope. When the women approached
the tomb of Jesus, they were worried with the question, who
will remove the stone from the entrance? But when they
reached his tomb it was already removed. They witnessed
an open and empty tomb followed by the angel and finally
by the resurrected Lord himself. This reminds that when we
face trials and tribulations we should not run away, but face
the same with faith and hope in the Lord.
The leaders of various countries are discussing how they
can achieve progress.
On the basis of mere human
achievements no country will achieve real progress, but if
there is a God-driven change in our attitudes will certainly
lead us in to real progress. We need unity of purpose in the
midst of religious and political differences to achieve
meaningful and sustainable progress. The independence
struggle led by Gandhi is an example of this unity of purpose
in the midst of diversity. Many immoral things we see in our
state and the country is causing us immense pain.
When the World War II destroyed the hopes of people,
theologians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer came to the forefront as
spokespersons with new theological insights. During that
period from among us came forward Dr. M. M. Thomas, a
radical Christian theologian. We as a church are celebrating
his birth centenary during these months. Let these moments
may challenge us also to light the hope and stand for the
truth and freedom so that it may provide hope to others
around us.
In May we celebrate Labor Day, and we need to remember
that our workplaces should be the places where we can

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witness Jesus through our faith life. In John Chapter 21, we

can see the incident where Peter and other disciples, even
after witnessing the resurrected Christ, went back to their
old profession. In the midst of problems they thought they
could find a solution of their own, but failed in their attempt
to catch fish, even though it was their familiar work area.
When they depended on their own capacity and experience
they failed. When we also enter into any area of work
without seeking guidance and dependence on God, it will be
a failure too. When they listened to Jesus and in his
presence they found success. Jesus was able to create an
opportunity for Peter, who renounced him three times, to tell
him three times that he loves Jesus more than anyone else.
The essence of Jesus asking Peter was not that he loves
him more than anyone else but more than anything else.
The disciples still faced the question, what is next? Jesus
commanded them to be his witnesses. He not only gave
them the commandment but also provided them with the
Holy Spirit to receive and fulfill his commandment. When we
entrust all our abilities into the hands of Lord, we will
experience the presence of Holy Spirit in our lives. When we
celebrate the Pentecost Day, we see the presence of Trinity.
Father the God, Son the God, and Holy Spirit the God; in
this Trinity, we see God the Father in Christ and through
Christ. In the Son of God, we see the face of the perfect
man whom God created in his own image. We are able to
see this only when we receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus is man
and God, and we will be able to experience the creator God
in the Son of God and through the Holy Spirit.
June 2015:
We see natural calamities around the world including in
Nepal, which immerse us in tears and cause pains in our
minds. The heat wave occurred in Andhra Pradesh where
thousands of people died were also a tragic event, which
created fear in our minds. Scientists are of the opinion that
these natural calamities are the result of endangering the
earth and its resources. It is high time that we felt the need
to protect the earth created by God and its resources so that
these types of natural calamities may not happen in the
future. We need to remember that we will be safe only in the
hands of the creator who has authority over everything that
he created. In Psalm 8 we can see the care of God who
respects his creation and protects the same. When I
consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon
and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind
that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for
them? You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor (Psalm 8: 3-5).
When man began to use the earth and its resources for his
selfish motives without protecting it, he has made his own
image less important. Let us pray to God to forgive us the
sins we have committed knowingly or unknowingly, and
protect us with His mighty hands.
We celebrated the birth centenary of late Dr. M. M. Thomas
on May 15 . We as a church were able to involve in several
ecumenical areas recently and praise the Lord for giving us
the opportunities. We were also able to rejuvenate the
Communion of Churches in India (CCI). We also participated
th

in the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) meeting held in

Jakarta. It was a privilege to take part in the meeting of the
CCA, which consists of 101 denominations in Europe and
Africa where representatives from 17 regional councils
participated. It is an honor for our church that Dr. Mathews
George Chunakara has been elected as its executive
secretary. In the month of June, our Metropolitan is entering
into his 58 year in the service of the church. During the
month of February, Metropolitan has completed four
decades as Episcopa of the church. Metropolitan is also
completing 84 years of age on June 27 and entering into his
85 age. Metropolitan seeks every believers prayer so that
he can enter into the New Year with the hope that our Lord
will continue to strengthen him to continue the faith journey.
th

th

th

In June we think about the wisdom that comes from heaven,

which leads man to the purposes of God. We need to train
our children in the heavenly wisdom to lead a life pleasing to
God. When we receive the wisdom from above, then only we
will be able to realize the glory of God through his creation.
The book of Job contains several recourses revealing the
glory of God as creator. When Job was undergoing pains
and suffering he never rejected God, but he tried to
recognize the glory of God more than ever before. Listen to
this, Job; stop and consider Gods wonders. Do you know
how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash?
Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of
him who has perfect knowledge (Job 37: 14-16)? Job was
recognizing not only the glory of the nature but also the glory
of the creator. God speaks about Jordan River in Job 40: 23:
A raging river does not alarm it; it is secure, though the
Jordan should surge against its mouth. This same God is
the hope of man also. My ears had heard of you but now
my eyes have seen you (Job 42:5). The real life experience
of a believer is when he experiences the glory of God from
hearing to seeing.
In June we remember the calling and selection of the
Apostles Peter and Paul. Both Peter and Paul worshipped
God in truth and spirit and gave their lives being his
disciples. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the
sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his
glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of
Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God
rests on you (1 Peter 4:13-14). When we undertake
sufferings on behalf of Christ, we are traveling in the path of
true discipleship. During this journey the feeling of the Holy
Spirit dwelling within us is the courage we have. Let us
make Paul as our model who says: For when I preach the
gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe
to me if I do not preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16)! In
the past in our church, we use to ordain deacons and priests
during celebratory days of Apostles. May our Lord bless us
to continue the footsteps of Apostles to glorify him and to be
his witnesses.

Compiled & Translated by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

(An abridged version of Pastoral Letters from Sabha
Tharaka, the official publication of the Mar Thoma
Church)

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Core Christianity
Fr. Thomas Punnapadam, SDB
Since a couple of months, ghar wapsi has become a
household term in India. Etymologically it means
homecoming, a universally yearned for goal and
experience.
However in the context of the highly
politicized Hindu fundamentalist revival in India under the
Narendra Modi government, ghar wapsi has taken on a
dangerously sectarian meaning. This highly disturbing
movement is based on the irrational presumption of
radical Hindus that everyone born in India is Hindu.
Hence every Indian who does not profess the Hindu
religion must be brought back home to Hinduism through
a process of re-conversion. This is termed ghar vapsi,
homecoming. This is nothing but a subtle means to
transmute this spiritually rich and diverse country and the
birthplace of different religions into a Hindu religious
state. As everyone knows this has given rise not only to
fear and insecurity, but also rebellion and violent
opposition among all minority religious groups. Our
reactions to such situations need to be rational and
beneficial, not just emotional and violent.

No sane-thinking human being will subscribe to the

Hindutva claim that everyone born in India is a Hindu.
Nobody is born to a religion, to a set of religious
doctrines and practices. Every human being is born
existentially religious, in Gods image and likeness. By
birth every human being is a child of God belongs to the
one family of God. All institutional religions have the
same origin and goal, to nurture this religiosity, inborn
and inherent in every human being. In this scenario every
authentically religious person is challenged to come
home to the basic principles of ones own religion and
authentic ghar wapsi is an inner pilgrimage every truly
religious person and particularly every Christian, is
exhorted and challenged to undertake. It is a challenging
need than a threat to be eliminated.

The Gospels present to us a classical example of ghar

wapsi, the homecoming of the prodigal son (Lk. 15/1132).
The son who left home comes back after
squandering his share of the property. He comes home
to a most unexpected welcome from his father. The
generous loving father receives him back with no
questions or conditions and even orders a feast to
celebrate his homecoming. Thus for the first time the son
discovers who his father really is and how much his
father loves him. This is home coming pure and simple,
authentic and joy giving. Coming home to ones deep
roots; coming home to believe in and live by Gospel of
Jesus Christ in its unsullied purity; coming home to
discover the one real God who is the most
compassionate being. This is core Christianity, no less
the kernel of all true religions.
Jesus did not come to found another religion. He came to
reveal the Reign of God and invited us to enter it. This
implies: accepting God as a most compassionate Father;
surrendering to Gods unconditional yet mysterious love
as revealed in ones life; recognizing every human being
as ones brother or sister; refusing to tolerate any kind of
inequality and discrimination; basing ones life on the
fundamental principle that love of God and neighbor are
inseparable; acknowledging that one can love God only
IN and THROUGH ones most needy neighbor. This is
authentic
Christianity,
radical
Christianity;
core
Christianity, as lived out by the early and sincere
followers of Jesus. They were of one heart and soul,
really loved one another, shared all they had with the
more needy and there was not a needy person among
them (Acts 4: 32- 34). The thousands of Christian
denominations vying to increase their numbers leaves
everyone wondering as to who are the true followers of
Jesus Christ.
Radicalism means to return to ones deep roots. In the
hectic world of today, surrounded as we are with
gadgets, drowned as we are in technology, coming home
to ones roots, to ones true home deep within one self is
indeed as challenging as it is life-transforming. Coming
home to ones existential roots would effortlessly bring us
closer to one another, for we have common roots. Our
human needs and aspirations, fears and dreams are far
more similar than different. There is far more in all of us
that unite than divides. The closer one moves to ones
roots, the closer one moves to one another.
This would bring us to our roots in nature, it will enlighten
us with the wisdom to use nature as faithful stewards,
share its riches for the equal benefit of all. And most
importantly recognize nature as the diaphany of the
Supreme Being. This journey of coming home to ones
roots cannot but bring us home to Gods unconditional,

7 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

universal love, which are the origin, sustenance and goal

of human existence. This homecoming is indeed the root
of all religions, as also of Christianity. As Jesus
passionately proclaimed the Reign of God, he
courageously criticized and opposed very many religious
doctrines and rituals. He taught by his life that loving God
in ones neighbor is far more important than religious
rituals and babbling of prayer formulae. He courageously
deplored the inhumanity of many religious observances
and ultimately paid the price for this stance with his cruel
passion and ignominious death. But since he rose again,
we are assured that he leads us on the absolutely right
path.
The so-called radicalism of aggressive Hinduism is the
very antithesis of genuine homecoming. No one needs
to be forced to come home, at the point of a gun; even if
they do come home as a result, they would never feel at
home. One can truly come home only when one
discovers the home and is irresistibly drawn to it. As
Pope Francis has emphatically reminded us, Christianity
does not grow by aggressive proselytization but by
attracting new members. So every Christian, each and
every religious person, needs to come home to ones
religious roots, to the non-negotiables of every religion.
Jesus most insightfully summarized the innumerable laws
of rigid Judaism into just two. You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with your entire mind You shall love your neighbor as
yourself (Mt. 22/37-40; Mk 12/28-34; Lk 20/39-40). At
the last supper his final words were: A new
commandment I give you, Love one another as I have
loved you (Jn. 13/34; 15/ 12). True love is a verb not a
noun; true love is action, not just an emotion; genuine
love alone can empower us to humbly embrace the
diversity of faiths and have a peaceful rapport with those
who do not agree with us.
The story is told of a little puppy that ran out of the house
into streets when the door was left open. The little girl ran
after her beloved pet. Needless to say the puppy was far
ahead of her and she would never catch it. The wise
grandmother of the girl insisted she give up her futile chase
and come home. Most reluctantly she did, resigned to her
sad fate of losing her beloved puppy. Incredibly, the puppy
re-entered the house just a little after her. The moral of the
story is simple yet profound. Only those who are at home
can bring others home. The primary concern of religions and
religious people today should be radical witness not survival,
converting oneself, not others. Larger numbers at our
conventions and ritual worship may give us a superficial
sense of power and prestige, but does not prove our
authenticity; it may bring us social standing and political
clout but does not certify our faithfulness. Just because we
have sacramentalized the people does not mean we have
evangelized them. Religious leaders need to be far more
concerned about their lifestyles and attitudes, rather than
boast of visible and tangible achievements or merely
bemoan dwindling numbers. Fanciful churches, glamorous
and glittering religious services do not make any religion
authentic. A religion proves itself best by the quality of

quality of its followers than by the power and influence its

institutions wield. Integrity matters more than religious
affiliation. If Gods kingdom has to come, all human
kingdoms must go.

The right-wing Hindu extremists proclaim that Christians are

forcing mass-conversions with the allure of material benefits
for the economically backward in India. It cannot be denied
that there are a handful of hysterical preachers trying to add
numbers to their religious assemblies, with little or no
success. As some observers point out, Christianity has
failed In India. After having come into the country almost two
thousand years ago, Christianity is still a tiny minority, with
only a little over two percent of the population professing to
be followers of Jesus Christ. So the Hindu fanatics are blind
to reality and history; the irrational preachers are on a futile
path.
The radicalism of Christianity seems hardly existent in
practice, buried deep as it is within thousands of Christian
denominations, hairsplitting doctrines, deceptive rituals,
ego-boosting attitudes and narcissistic lifestyles. Religion,
the human bridge to the divine, the ultimate source of
human unity and harmony, has degenerated into the most
divisive force in the world. The closer the branches are to
the roots, the closer they are to each other. To the extent
every Christian comes home to the roots of Christianity as
revealed by Jesus in the Gospels, we shall attract sincere
individuals and overcome all aggressive ideologies and
violent suppressions. It is only by our love and unity that we
can prove to be true disciples.
Our home is the omnipresent God, the risen Jesus who fills
the whole universe with his presence (Eph. 4/10). Core
Christianity is the deep awareness that Jesus lives in us and
we live in him (Jn.6/56). The invitation of Jesus to each and
every one of us is simple and direct: Abide in me... as the
branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in me. He who abides in
me bears much fruit (Jn 15/4-10). The true home of every
Christian, every human being is the love of the Father,
revealed in Jesus Christ his son. The mystic Meister Eckhart
exhorts us to come home to deep awareness: Do not say
God is in my heart, but say I am in the heart of God.

8 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

Garden of Eden and Consumer Behavior

Revd. Dr. Valson Thampu, Delhi
Perhaps it does not occur to many that the Garden of Eden
was the first marketplace. I am not suggesting that God is
the Inventor of the Market. I am only submitting that
anything can be turned into a marketplace, depending on
the purpose and perspective brought to bear on it. We have
the power to turn a Garden into a Market. In conventional
language we call this the demonic instinct in us.
The Garden symbolizes resources. Resources are neutral.
They are neither good nor evil. Or, to put the same thing
differently, they are potentially both good and evil. It is this
ambivalence that puts the premium on human disposition
and stewardship. It affords, besides, the freedom to shape
the given as we would.
Now, a brief account of what happened in the Garden. Adam
and Eve are in the Garden (It is a curious, perhaps
significant, thing that Adam is a pale presence in the Garden
all through. It is as though he is not there at all; the reason
why most readers form the impression that Eve was alone in
the Garden.). It is a very symbolic image. That latent
symbolism will surface when we recall the fact that Eve was
a part of Adam. She was fashioned out of his rib. This is
important. Adam was conspicuous till this point. Eve was
only a possibility hidden deep within him. Now she has
emerged, he recedes to the background. This is the eternal
principle: when the hidden becomes manifest, the manifest
becomes hidden.
Two questions emerge at this stage. (a) Why is Eve
wandering about in the Garden? (b) What is Adam doing at
this time?
It is quite plausible to assume that Adam was pursuing the
task assigned to him: 'to till the land and to take care of the
Garden'. Eve was, very likely, gathering fruits (an analogue, if
you like, to doing the kitchen). She was, we may safely
assume, out on the mission to provide for the immediate
needs of both.
In the course of this, she is accosted by Satan in the form a
serpent. Why in the form of serpent? The serpent, of all
creatures, evokes deep, atavistic responses. The serpent is
a symbol, hence, of our deep inner drives. We call them,
inadequately, 'instincts' and 'impulses'. The serpent is a
symbol, thus, of what lurks in the dark domain of the
unconscious. But the unconscious has two dimensions: the
individual and the collective. The 'serpent' links the two. The
'hissing' of the serpent -a form of communication that is
below the level of the rationally cogent- is the link language
between the two.
With that the stage is set for consumerism, which is
assumed to be a post-Industrial Revolution phenomenon.
Modern consumerism, or what is referred to as the
'consumerist revolution,' may be dated thus historically. But
consumerism, as such, is as old as our species is.

Modern consumerist behavior is explained in terms of three

models: the instinctivist, the manipulative and the
Veblenesque. Eve in the Garden mirrors all of these; and
more.
1. The Instinctivist model
The core assumption in this model is that wants are inherent
in individuals and they wake up and become active when
circumstances become conducive. Consumerist behavior,
from this perspective, is explicable in terms of inherent
forces that, like bacterial pores, wake up when favorable
conditions are obtained. Seen in light of Eve and the Garden,
this process also has a touch of ambiguity about it. That
ambiguity relates to the nexus between 'need' and 'want'.
Prior to her being accosted by Satan in the form of a
serpent, she was only 'need-conscious'. The needs of Eve
and Adam could be met without eating the forbidden-fruit.
What pertains to 'needs' would not, by definition, be
'forbidden'. Eve is at this stage at a climactic point: that of
crossing over from the territory of need to the unchartered
wilderness of 'wants'. The Market would simply not exist if
this crossing over is not possible. Yet, this crossing-over (or
'transgression' in moralist terminology) will not happen, it
appears, by itself. There is nothing inherent in Eve's
instinctual apparatus that makes such an expedition
involuntary or automatic. What is obvious and native is the
instinct to meet one's needs. But this connects the person
to her ambient world. In doing so, it exposes her to the
possibility of something more than need accosting her,
making her vulnerable to a potential crossing-over.
2. The Manipulationist model
This model of explaining modern consumerist behavior puts
the spotlight on the creation of wants through manipulation.
The craze and craving for goods and services are induced in
consumers and they are compelled, as it were, to want them
by agencies external to them. From this point of view, it is
not the pre-existing, instinctive tendencies, but the contrived
cultural forces -in particular the advertising industry- that
drive consumer choices and behavior. This is sometimes
referred to as the 'hypodermic' model of consumer
manipulation. Messages that direct tastes and fashions especially pertaining to inessential goods- are 'injected' into
the consumer. Crazes pertaining to fashions are thus
'injected' addictions.
In the biblical idiom, this is the 'satanic' element. It is so
because this goes way beyond the impulses or instincts of
individuals. Consumer behavior, from this perspective,
cannot be explained adequately with reference to the
disposition, means or psychology of the consumer. There is
a collective element in relation to which the individual feels
atavistically vulnerable. The ease with which Satan prevails
over Eve is evocatively contemporary! This is 'evocative'
because the pull of this principle on the psyche of the

9 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

person far exceeds the objective means it employs. Now, if

you study advertisements you will come to the surprising
and embarrassing realization that there is nothing in each
one of them, per se, that should bring out any sea change in
consumer behavior. The 'effect' of advertisements on
consumers is far in excess of their textual, tonal or thought
power. They are strikingly similar to the very first
'advertisement' in recorded history, pronounced in the
Garden of Eden, addressing the Woman. What is so great
about the words, "If you eat this fruit you will be like God"?
Why should such a hypothetical, untested insinuation make
her tip over? This can be understood, if at all, in terms of the
infra-rational and supra-individual nature of the need-want
dynamic.
This insight will call into question the assumption that many
economists and market pundits push that consumer
behavior is 'rational' and utilitarian. The rational element is
understood as the motivation of the consumer to maximize
his advantage. One wonders what Eve understood from the
prospect of 'becoming like God'. What was the advantage, if
any, that she perceived in this? How was it in her interest to
covet this? Which particular 'need' was being addressed
here? To see this in perspective, let us imagine a different
scenario. Would Eve have fallen for the forbidden fruit if the
prospect held out to her for doing do was that of acquiring
the power to conquer hunger forever? Very likely not. So, at
this level it is not 'need' that is operative. It is something
else, something beyond.
What Satan does here is to attach an evocative 'symbolic'
meaning to an object. This fruit is no longer a fruit in the
conventional sense of the term; just as, say, a Rolex watch is
not just as watch, or a Rolls-Royce is much more than a car.
Such significations are superfluous vis-a-vis needs. The
need is to travel, not for a Rolls-Royce. A car or cycle will
do, if it is to meet one's need to reach a destination. But if
the destination is social prestige, only a Rolls-Royce will do.
3. The Veblenesque model
Derived from the writings of Thorstein Veblen (especially
The Theory of Leisure Class- an Economic Study of
Institutions) this model explains consumer behavior in terms
of the active part that the consumer plays in creating her
own wants. From this perspective what a person consumes
has profound socio-cultural and symbolic significance. The
consumer sees the consumption of certain goods and
services as markers of social status. This has either the
'bandwagon' effect (resulting in the individual's craving for
goods and services used by those who are above her on the
social ladder) or the 'snob' effect (resulting in her avoiding
goods and services used by those who are socially inferior).
The complexity of the biblical model is often glossed over.
We do not pay adequate attention, except for scholarly
purposes, to the obvious fact that Eve tempts herself,
besides being tempted by Satan. She takes up the simple
temptation proffered by Satan and elaborates it several fold.
So, she tempts herself as much as she is tempted by Satan.
Sure enough modern advertising is powerful and invasive.
Sure enough techniques subtle and sinister are used in this

art of seduction. But all of that does not explain fully why a
person should shift from needs to wants or from familiar
wants to dubious ones. The biblical model puts the spotlight
very plainly on this aspect of consumer behavior.
This is from where a ray of hope emanates. If we are
irresistibly tempted by the world out there, and its wiles and
resources have irresistible intrinsic power, the consumer is a
helpless plaything in the hands of the Almighty Market. If, on
the contrary, if the temptations proffered by the world needs
to be complemented by our tempting ourselves, we are not
as helpless as we often take ourselves to be. Satan's power
to tempt needs to be complemented with our willingness to
tempt ourselves. We cannot change Satan's nature or
habits. But, surely, we can control our responses. We can
refuse to be complicit. We can refuse to tempt ourselves.
This is obvious from the 'snob' model of consumer behavior
in which certain goods are rejected insofar as they are
associated with consumers of lower status. So, we can say
'no' to what the market offers, can't we, if we choose? The
decisive thing is that we must choose to do so. The good
news is that we can choose to do so.
This illumines the significance of Jesus' Temptations. He
said 'no' to them. He did not oblige the Salesman nor aid
and abet is marketing strategies. He remained steadfast on
needs. "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word
that comes from the mouth of God." The seed of our danger,
as we cope with this world of seductive consumerism, is that
we lack a clear, sufficient understanding of our "needs". So
long as we assume that we can live by "bread alone" we
shall never be safe from overpowering invasiveness of
market forces. The truth can now be stated simply. What is
decisive is not the power of advertising. What is decisive is
the power (or, alternatively, the poverty) of how we
understand our needs. Today there is an imperious need, as
never before, to equip ourselves with a spiritually holistic
and humanly realistic understanding of needs. To know what
we need is also to know what we do not need. On the
mountaintop of life, advertising agencies may show us "the
kingdoms of the world". But we don't need to go after them.
This and this alone, is our guarantee against getting lost in
the flourishing Vanity Fair in the Hyper-Market of the
globalized world.
Editors Note: Rev. Valson
Thampu is an Indian educator,
and Christian theologian, who
is the present Principal of St.
Stephen's College, University
of Delhi, Delhi, since 2008. He
is an ordained minister of
Church of North India and a
member
of
the
National
Minorities Commission in India
and
Delhi
Minorities
Commission. Thampu pursued
Ph.D. in theology from Sam
Higginbottom
Institute
of
Agriculture, Technology and Sciences. He can be reached on
his email id: vthampu@gmail.com

10 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

M. M. Thomas (1916-1996)
Great Disciple of Jesus Christ, a Radical Thinker, a Prophetic Theologian
Late Rev. Dr. J. Russell Chandran, Bangalore
In the passing away of Dr. M. M Thomas both the church and
the world have sustained a heavy loss. For my wife and I he
was a close friend of the family for many years, his death is a
personal loss to us. We saw him at the funeral service of the
Rev. Abraham Ayroorkuzhiyil on Sunday, December 1, 1996.
On the morning of Monday, December 4 we got the news
that MM had passed away the previous night on the train
which he had taken at Katpadi, returning to Thiruvalla after
his visit with his son Kurien Thomas at Vellore. We were
terribly shaken by the news. I was grateful that along with Mr.
& Mrs. G R Karat and Dr. Godwin Shiri, I was able to
participate in the brief Thanksgiving Service arranged at the
Christian Medical College Hospital Chapel at Vellore on the
afternoon of the 4th.
Early years:
My association with MM goes back to my student days at
Trivandrum.
We were college mates and while I did
Mathematics, he studied Chemistry and graduated in 1937.
Soon after graduation he accepted a teaching position at the
Ashram High School at Perumpavoor. During the college
days and also while at the Ashram High School he was
actively associated with the Youth Movement of the Mar
Thoma Church and the Student Christian Movement.
Thomas was a member of the Prayer Fellowship, which
regularly met at the Trivandrum Observatory HiII. He was
actively involved in the formation of the Youth Christian
Council of Action (YCCA). One of the objectives of the YCCA
was to be involved in action-oriented study of the economic,
social l and political and other issues of Indian society.
Debt to Mar Thoma heritage:
During the college days I had the privilege of visiting him in
his home and meeting his father and mother. They were
committed Christians, and members of the Mar Thoma
Church, with a strong "evangelical" background. MM, on
various occasions, acknowledged his indebtedness to the
liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Mar Thoma Church. In
1939 he wrote, "I know, I am what I am because of the Mar
Thoma Church": Commenting on an order of worship he had
prepared and used at a youth leaders' course at the
Ecumenical institute, Bossey, in 1947, he wrote in 1971,"In
fact I have often been surprised how much the liturgical
tradition of my church has become, through the years, an
integral part of my spirituality". His meditations even in the
early years had shown concern for the social and cosmic
dimensions of redemption. Writing in 1971 he acknowledged
the influence of Sadhu Mathai for this. He criticized my
preoccupation with interior devotional life and compared my
spirituality to butter, which would melt in the sun outside. And
that probably compelled me to try my hand (though I failed) at
building up at Trivandrum a home for waifs and strays as in
Alleppy. And I remember with gratitude that it started me on
my Christian social concern

Rejected by Church and Communists:

In 1941, when I was a student at the United Theological
College, he shifted to Bangalore to be with R. R. Keithahn
and to do some theological reading. He came under the
influence of Neo-Orthodox theology and Marxism. He applied
for ordination in the Mar Thoma Church and also for
membership in the Communist Party of India. Both the
applications were rejected. But this rejection did not affect his
commitment to the Gospel and his concern for social
revolution.
SCM, WSCF, WCC, CISRS, Action groups:
In 1943he organized the National Christian Youth Council
(NCYC} after leaving the YCCA because of an ideological rift
with K. K. Chandy. Two years later, in 1945- he accepted his
appointment as the 1st full time Youth Secretary of the Mar
Thoma Church. In 1947 he received an invitation from the
World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) to join their staff
in Geneva, which he accepted. This provided an opportunity
for wide ecumenical contacts and to have interaction with
many theologians and church leaders. His sharp insights
about the evangelical commitment to the Gospel and social
revolution were appreciated by many. For some time he
served as the Working Vice-Chairman of the Federation.
From 1953 to 1968 he was actively involved in the
ecumenical studies on Rapid Social Change, working closely
with Paul Abrecht of the WCC as the Asian Consultant.
During 1953-54 he spent a full academic year in theological
studies at the Union Theological Seminary, New York. In
1957 he became Associate Director of the Christian Institute
for Study of Religion and Society (CISRS) in Bangalore,
becoming a colleague of P. D. Devanandan, who was the
Director. With the death of Devanandan in 1962, he became
the Director of the CISRS which position he held till he retired
in 1976.
For many years he represented his church in the WCC
Assembly and in 1968, at the Uppsala Assembly of the WCC,
he was elected Chair Person of the Central Committee. I
remember Bishop Lesslie Newbigin greeting MMT as Mr.
Ecumenism. This position he held till the next assembly held
at Nairobi in 1975.In 1990 he was appointed as the governor
of Nagaland. He had to give up this position in April 1992. He
came to be known as the former Governor of Nagaland.
While holding office as Governor MM not only worshipped
regularly in one of the churches, , but preached in several
congregations, ignoring advice against it from the political
leadership at the Centre. MMT's prophetic witness included
the encouragement he gave to Social Action Groups, even
though he was himself not actively involved with any action
group. For many years he served as Chairman of the
Programme for Social Action (PSA), which is a kind of
network of action groups all over India. Another example of
his prophetic witness was his opposition to the emergency
declared by Indira Gandhi in 1975.

11 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

Concern for justice, radical Christian Commitment:

MM and I had the privilege of being together on various
occasions at ecumenical meetings in India and abroad,
dealing with theological and socio-political issues, at the
Committees, Consultations and Conferences related to the
East Asia Christian Conference and the World Council of
Churches. His contribution to the discussions had always
some freshness and sharpness of insight. Everyone
respected his radical Christian commitment, theological
insights and his concern for justice in socio-political affairs.
He was also known for a prophetic voice in the Church and in
society.
Influences:
During his early years he was attracted by the teachings or
Gandhi as well as Marx. But he was also critical of both from
a Christian theological perspective. He wanted to reinterpret
both Gandhianism and Marxism. In his theological formation,
apart from the evangelical tradition of his church, he had also
been greatly influenced by some of the well-known
theologians such as Nicholai Berdyaev, Karl Barth, Reinhold
Niebuhr and H Kraemer. His participation in the ecumenical
study and discussions of the concept of Responsible Society
also had a great impact on the shaping of his theology. The
secular dimension of his theology came from the influence of
not only Gandhi and Marx but also Nehru, MN Roy, Ashok
Mehta and J P Narayan.
Response to Asian revolution:
A great concern of MMT was the Christian role in the struggle
for justice and the social revolution. This was brought out in
his interpretation of the "Asian Revolution". His comments on
the discussions of the Asian situation at the Bangkok
conference (1956) are significant. "The ideology of
nationalism had been very powerful in shaping Asia in the
recent past and with events in China, Communism had
acquired more power. Although the majority of church
leaders present were thinking of how the ideological conflicts
would affect the church's life and evangelistic mission ,
there were some who recognized the Christian imperative to
respond to the forces in the political realm with a concern
for the human dignity of peoples." He has also pointed out
that at the Whitby meeting of the WSCF where he had to
draft a statement on "the Church in social and Political Life"
the Christian response to the revolutionary ferment was very
much in his mind.
Salvation as humanization:
An important theological contribution of MMT is his
interpretation of salvation as humanization. While
emphasizing the Christological foundation for our salvation,
he was also aware of the struggle for full humanity and
interpreted salvation as humanization. Both the crucified
Christ and the Risen Christ were integral to his Christology
and soteriology. Both the confession of Jesus Christ and the
affirmation of salvation are to be made in the context of the
struggle for human dignity. He spoke of a "new humanism
and a "new socialism. For him theology and anthropology
are inter-related in Jesus Christ. In a paper wrote on Ethics

(1969) he wrote, Christian Ethics is rooted in its (the gospel

of Jesus Christ) theology of salvation.
Another concept promoted by MMT is that of spirituality for
combat. Heilke T Wolters has pointed out that this concept
was not original with MMT, but borrowed from David Jenkins.
Whatever the origin of the concept, in its use by MMT it
received fresh depth of meaning. MMT understood spirituality
not in terms of some traditional, existentialist, pietistic or
mystic spirituality but a spirituality of involvement in the
struggles of people for justice and human dignity. In an article
entitled Religion and the Revolt of the Oppressed he wrote,
"Human spirituality is integrally related to the sense of human
selfhood, in which it knows itself to be participating in the
necessities of nature and transcending nature in a historical
destiny and transforming nature in relation to that destiny."
Mission in context of religious, cultural pluralism:
In his theological and social thought he was aware of the
context of religious and cultural pluralism and stressed the
importance of dialogue with people of other faiths as welI as
ideologies. He was so confident of his own faith commitment
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ that he was willing to make the
confession of Jesus Christ also as a subject for dialogue with
others. In that context he spoke of risking Christ for the sake
of Christ.
During his governorship of Nagaland, as a consequence of
his acquaintance with Naga Church and Naga culture, he
reflected on the issue of tradition and modernization in a
lecture on "Nagas Toward AD 2000. Among other things he
said, "The situation should provide tremendous spiritual
motivation for development and progress if the tension
between individualism, tribalism, ethnic Naga nationalism and
the composite Indian nationalism is kept in a democratic
ethos of dialogue, balancing autonomy, mutual responsibility
in justice and ordered peace. This path of responsible
reconciliation of several self-identities seems to be the only
creative path for a people awakened to self-identity at various
levels. This, of course, is the democratic path.
A major contribution of MMT to theological and social
thought was through his writings, books as well as articles.
The bibliography of his writings given by Heilke T Wolters in
his book on MMT runs to 77 pages. Worthy of -special
mention among his writings are ' The Acknowledged Christ of
the Indian Renaissance (1970) and My Ecumenical Journey
(1990).
MMT will ever be remembered as a great disciple of Jesus
Christ, a radical thinker, a theologian with a prophetic voice
that challenged both the church and society. Thanks are to
God or MMT, his life and witness.

Editors Note: The Rev Dr. J. R. Chandran, a leading

Indian theologian, was a former principal of the United
Theological College, Bangalore and president of
Christian Union of India. He was called to eternity in
September 2000. May his soul rest in peace. (RIP)

12 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

M.M. Thomas: A leader in

Thought and Practice, One
Among the Outstanding
Figures of His Time.
Bishop Lesslie Newbigin, England
The death of Dr. M. M. Thomas near the end of 1996
brings to its close a Iife, which must be reckoned one
of the most significant in the life of the church in the
20th century. For almost six decades 'MM', as we all
loved to call him, developed a theological position on
the moving frontiers between Christian theology,
political and social ethics. First, during the struggle for
independence, then in the new tasks of nation building,
and then in the battle for social justice. He was a leader
in thought and practice, acknowledged as among the
outstanding figures of his time. His long period of
leadership in the World Council of Churches first in the
development - along with Paul Abrecht- of the worldwide programmer of study and action in areas of rapid
social change, and then as the very active chairman of
the Central Committee of the WCC, he was the most
influential figure in n this field.
What I remember most about him is his great integrity.
He was the same person with the same priorities
whether he was the governor of the state or humble
worker among the poorest in his native Kerala. He
could spend long periods in the West, with its affluent
lifestyle, and yet be totally uncorrupted. He could be a
formidable critic of the church and yet his commitment
to Christ was the deepest source of all that he did,
wrote, said, and was.
It was my greatest privilege to enjoy his friendship,
both personal and theological for almost the whole
period of his active Christian life, at least from 1940
onwards. We were often engaged in discussion in
which I was challenged by his vision and he in turn
treated my views with great respect. I treasure this long
experience of theological inter- action by which I
believe both parties are enriched. I suppose that the
main issue in our discussions was about the relation of
the church as a visible (and very sinful) institution to
God's total purpose of salvation for the whole world. I
thought he was sometimes too optimistic about
humanity as a whole and too pessimistic about the
church. He, no doubt with good reason, thought that a
bishop was bound to be too optimistic about the
church! What was never in doubt, and what made our
friendship so rich and deep, was his total commitment
to Christ as Lord and Savior, and to the reality of
Christ's work on the cross as the decisive moment in
all history. He never went along with the strong
currents, which were sweeping many Christian

theologians in the direction a monism which would

deny this uniqueness.
I thank God for this great and good man, and offer my
deep sympathy to all who are bereaved by his passing.
Editors Note: Lesslie Newbegin was a former bishop of the
CSI diocese of Madras. A well-known mission theologian, he
later became the General Secretary of the International
Missionary Conference.

Life of Dr. M. M. Thomas, a Radical Christian

1916 May 15: Birth;

1921 1931 School Education: Melukara Girls School (till 4th
standard) & St. Thomas High School, Kozhencherry
1931-35: Degree education at Science College,
Thiruvananthapuram: Gold Medal for good conduct; Passes
BA Chemistry with first class
1935-37: Teacher, Ashramam High School, Perumbavoor
1937: At Christava Ashramam, Alappuzha and Manganam
(Kottayam)
1938: Balabhavan, Thiruvananthapuram: Working among
street children
1939: Youth Christian Council of Action; protest against the
construction of the statue of Sir. C.P. Ramaswami Ayer
1941: With Dr. Kheytan at Bangalore, along with A.K. Thampi.
Reading and study
1942-44: Active member of Youth Christian Council of Action.
Staying at Christava Ashramam, Manganam, along with A.K.
Thampi and E.V. Mathew

13 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

Dr. Stanley Jones: Recollection of a Granddaughter

Dr. Anne Mathews-Younes, USA

(Part-2)

[Present day dialogues with non-Christian faiths have

been heralded as something new, and they are surely
important. E. STANLEY JONES held these conversations
80 years ago. It was from these experiences that he
wrote his first book, The Christ of the Indian Road in
1925. Part-1 of this article appeared in FOCUS, April
2015, Vol., No.2]
Out of the experience of public speaking and the round
table conferences, my grandfather felt the need of a
spiritual base a retreat for spiritual refreshment, where
there could be in depth study and reflection in the
company of a close knit group where he could live within
a method of corporate Christian discipline for effective
Christian living. He wanted to be accountable to others. A
part of his motivation for accountability to a fellowship is
as follows; he wrote: I knew that I was to be a missionary
and an evangelist but saw that many evangelists after a
few years of fruitfulness end up quoting themselves and
using phrases of sermons that may have been effective,
but now are merely slick, like a coin from constant usage.
The danger is that lacking a close knit fellowship to
discipline them, they (the evangelists) become dogmatic,
cocksure, and wordy they are telling others what to do
but no one tells them what to do.
He believed that this group experience should be in a
familiar Indian context (and such a model was available in
Hinduism) for he felt strongly that the Christian faith as a
universal faith, benefits from using indigenous forms to
express its message and so used the term Ashram to
express this group fellowship. In Sanskrit the word
Ashram means a place of withdrawal from the everyday
world of our work or it can mean a place or experience of
the intensification of workthe hardest work of all
PRAYER. Jones baptized the word Ashram and took it
over for Christian purposes with Jesus Christ as the guru
or teacher. Guru means dispeller of darkness.
The first Ashram, before WW II, was in the lower
Himalayas during the hot months. It was called a
vacation with God. A full time Ashram was also in
Lucknow, but during the war that had to be closed.
Since the British considered my grandfather an
undesirable alien in India during the war years, his return
to the States in the early 1940s provided an occasion to
deny him a reentry visa for the duration.
The Christian Ashram movement took hold in India and
when Jones was stranded in the United States during
World War II he transplanted the Christian Ashram to the
United States and Canada, where it has become a strong
spiritual growth ministry. A Christian Ashram inspires the
transformation of persons to be followers of Christ and

thereby discover, renew and deepen relationships with

God, ourselves & others.
Out of the Ashram experience and my grandfathers
concern for the whole person came his interest in the
psychiatric field. With my background in mental health, I
am particularly interested in how sophisticated he was in
that area. He was convinced that psychiatry needed to
care for the whole person and that Christianity had a lot
to offer those efforts. In 1950, he founded a major
psychiatric center in India, which continues to this day
and exemplifies the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. This
was a new venture for medical work in India at that time
did not include psychiatry.
Thinking about Jones interest in mental health reminds
me about how significant the necessity of self-surrender
was to Jones.
He asserted that the Christian faith
demands of us as its deepest demand self-surrender.
Pauls letter to the Galatians expresses it thusly. I have
been crucified with Christ; the life I now live is not my life,
but the life, which Christ lives in me; and my present
bodily life is lived by faith in the Son of God who loved
me and sacrificed himself for me. Jones resonates with
Pauls comments as he states emphatically, once
crucified with Christ that is surrendered to him, you in
fact can live and have meaning and purpose in your life.
If you are not crucified with Christ voluntarily and with set
purpose then you will be crucified on the cross of your
own contradictions and your own conflicts. It isnt a
question of if you would rather be crucified or not. You
will be crucified. However, if you accept being crucified
with Christ, through self-surrender, you can now focus on
a new center, which has been cleansed, and you can
cultivate yourself around that surrendered-self.
With self-surrender, Christ asks us to take the one thing
that we own (the self) and give it back to God. In
surrendering the self, we may naturally fear that nothing
will be left. We wonder according to Jones, about how
we are to live without the self, which gives us identity,
value, and worth in this world. The response sounds
paradoxical for it is the total surrender of ones life that
one finds true meaning and joy in life. The surrenderedself no longer accommodates itself to the pattern and
values of this world for it has been liberated from the
demands of the world and placed in the hands of Jesus.
The self is now free.
Jones wrote: It is possible to cross the seas and leave
your home and your friends and give up your salary and
everything else and yet not give up the final thing the
surrender of ones self. Self-surrender is the only
remedy. I cannot go down any road on anything with

14 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

anybody who has problems without running straight into

the necessity of self-surrender. All else is marginal; this
is central. I only have one remedy, for I find only one
disease self at the center; self-trying to be God.
Jones recalls the experience of viewing this magnificent
statue. As I walked up the cathedral aisle to see the
wonderful statue I was almost overcome with awe. But
as I walked along, my Danish friend whispered, You will
not be able to see his face unless you kneel at his feet.
It was true, for Christ was standing with outstretched
arms but looking down. I knelt at his feet, and only then
was his face looking into mine. You cant really see
Christ until you surrender to Him. Those who start afar
off, surveying Him, never really survey Him, never really
see his face, and so bend the knee. Be conquered by
him. Surrender yourself.

Thorvaldsens Statue of Christ

Dr. Anne Mathews-Younes is
currently working for the Federal
Government as a psychologist in
the Department of Health and
Human Services Center for
Mental Health Services.
She is
the granddaughter of Dr. Stanley
Jones. Dr. Mathews-Younes was
initially trained as an occupational
therapist. She later received her
doctorate in Counselling and
Consulting
Psychology
from
Harvard University and is a
licensed psychologist. Dr. Mathews-Younes has also
completed a Masters Degree in Theological Studies at
Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., as well
as a Doctoral Degree in Ministry from that same seminary.
Both of her theology degree theses focused on the life,
mission and theology of her late grandfather E. Stanley
Jones with whom she travelled extensively through India
and Africa. Dr. Mathews-Younes is the President of the E.
Stanley
Jones
Foundation
(www.estanleyjonesfoundation.com) and has served as the
Vice President of the United Christian Ashram Board, a
spiritual retreat organization founded by E. Stanley Jones.
Her book, Living Upon The Way: Selected Sermons of E.
Stanley Jones on Surrender was published in 2008. Anne
can be reached at amathews1@verizon.net

Professor Ninan Koshy:

A Great Radical Ecumenist
Professor Dr. Ninan Koshy, who has died in Trivandrum,
Kerala, India on 4 March, shortly after his 81st birthday, was
a radical Christian thinker and a great ecumenist. Prof.
Koshy joined the WCC staff as Executive Secretary of the
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA),
and served as its Director from 1981 to 1991. He has left an
indelible mark on the wider ecumenical movement with his
incisive analyses of global issues and his theological insights
on the churches responsibility to witness for truth, justice
and peace in a deeply troubled world.
He graduated from S. B. College Changanassery, and was
active in the Student Christian Movement (SCM) and
became its general secretary (1968 to 1973). He then joined
World Student Christian Federation (WSCF). In 1973 he
joined the staff of the Ecumenical Christian Centre,
Whitefield, Bangalore and served first as its Associate
Director and then as Director-in-Charge. Then - on the
recommendation of his mentor M.M. Thomas he was
invited to join the staff of the WCC.
In the WCC he assumed responsibility for the program on
militarization and the armaments race organizing a series of
international ecumenical consultations that broke new
ground, for example in identifying militarization as an
underlying cause of war and conflict. He was also involved in
the nuclear disarmament issues. He and Dr. Paul Abrecht
edited a significant book on the challenge of nuclear
disarmament under the title, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE
(1983). He engaged personally in initiatives aimed at
peaceful resolution of conflicts in different parts of the world.
Revd. Dr. M J Joseph added the following comment: Dr.
Ninan Koshy has carried a voice of dissent in his search for
the truth. Like M. M. Thomas, he was an exponent of
prophetic ecumenism. He had leftist leanings in his
understanding of socio-political and economic issues. He
used to oppose "the Empire idea" of political sovereignty in
the world today. Dr. Koshy has left the legacy of a theology
of combat in his speeches and writings for God's glory. Let
him find a place in the 44th chapter of the Book of Sibylline
Oracles.
Ninan Koshy was a compelling speaker whose astute
analyses of international affairs were helpful. He was a gifted
and prolific writer, in both English and Malayalam. At the
request of the Christian Conference of Asia he edited the
two-volume work, A History of the Ecumenical Movement in
Asia, published in 2004. His written production in books,
newspapers, and periodical journals was prodigious and
appeared regularly and right up to the day he died. Indian
Christians and the worldwide ecumenical movement to
which Ninan Koshy devoted so much of his life have lost a
radical Christian and a great champion of justice and human
rights. We offer our condolences to his wife and his
daughters. We give thanks to God for the life and ministry of
Ninan Koshy.

The Editorial Board

15 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

Faith Radically Reconsidered

Rev. K.V. Mathew, Kottayam
Traditionally, Christianity exists on faith handed down by
forefathers of the church. Radical thinking is not normally
encouraged. If such approach is helpful to make faith
relevant and contemporary it must be promoted. It should
never be taken as a threat to Christian faith and therefore
be suppressed.

The human is capable of realizing his own

identity. He stands in between God and the
cosmos relating self with the supreme self and
with the cosmos. The human is Homo sapiens in
the Latin West and Manu in the Sanskrit East.
Male and female is the human capable of relating
to God and the cosmos a sort of pontiff in the
universe.

Unfortunately Christian faith is becoming irrelevant and

outmoded in the secular world. Many believers raised
fundamental questions regarding faith matters. It is
therefore necessary to develop new faith perspectives.
Here we are following a Trinitarian approach, not in the
traditional pattern, to make faith meaningful in our day.
I. God- The Fundamental Source of Energy.
How do we know God? Every human is endowed with
faculties to think, and that is the psychic faculty of faithseeking modem. Sometimes we reach the tether end of
life, where we look for light to guide us. As we pass
through such situations, we are compelled to operate the
God given faculty of faith-seeking modem. We do that
because we have been taught that God would answer the
seeking mind. As we operate the faith modem, we receive
the faith that is the stay and strength to trust in life.
God the object/subject of our faith is a verbal virtual
reality. We dont understand God anthropomorphic or
theriomorphic anymore. God is revealed to us as a result
of a kreatorial (verbal) act, which we may virtually
experience. Long ago in the 4th century CE the church
fathers confessed God apophatically i.e. a kind of virtual
knowledge. Now the scientific worldview upholds the
truth that the visible universe is the sum total of energy
interacting as forces in its embryonic formation.
The Hebrew words YHWH and El do not represent the
static. It stands forever as an active energy energizing the
cosmic life. Eheh asher eheh in Ex 3:14 rendered in
Greek Ego eimi has created the entire confusion
concerning the life sustaining God as a personal being
like the human. This concept perhaps led to the worship
of God as a male deity (in O.T.).
No aspersion is cast on to the biblical record. Its writers
were strictly guided by their worldview. Our worldview is
different. We think radically to make faith relevant today.
God of Jesus is God with us- Emmanuel in spirit the everenergizing power. The risen Jesus in experience is the
proof of his resurrection.
I.

The Human- a Theo-cosmic Agent.

The right relationship with God and the universe is the

state of righteousness. Abraham the father of major
Semitic religions is perhaps the first one who said Amen
to this state of righteousness (Gen.15:6). So with human
and by human we understand both God and he universe.
Instead of the expression universe Paulos Mar Gregorios
used the word humiverse because we understand God
and the world through this theo-cosmic agent, the
human.
Jesus of Nazareth may also be addressed as the theocosmic pontiff as he understands God and the world. By
the freedom embedded in us we may abuse this great
responsibility and declare ourselves as god, thereby
usurping the divine power and authority of God the
creator. Responsible human maintains a responsible
relation with God and the cosmos.
II.

A Cosmos Alive.

This is the 3rd in the Trinitarian faith perspective. The Bible

begins with God and the universe and the human in it. In
course of biblical history God-man-world became the
order. In Jn. 3:16 the Greek word cosmos is rendered as
the world, thus reducing the significance of the spacious

16 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

cosmos. From this limited perspective the humans

position was held high in creation. In the bible human and
his salvation became the major theme, ignoring the eco
concerns.
Now our theo-cosmic perspective has been broadened.
We think in light of our worldview. Philosophers may
begin with hypothesis, scientists with assumptions,
atheist with faith perspectives. Briefly speaking the
human is pursuing their efforts with their innate rational
psychic faculties. Cosmic mysteries are slowly revealed
to the humankind. No more the human is the center of the
universe. He may be the most intelligent, conscious
being. Inert creations may not be conscious as we know.
They may be alive by the energy constantly working
within them to be. But we are aware of the other, cosmic
as well as the source of our being alive. Formerly we
thought of chaos and darkness as nothing. But now
nothing is dark matter and negative energy. Thus all
things alive, visible and invisible are an integral part of a
macrocosmic reality.
Human as part of the cosmic reality have thinking
faculties. Does this not suggest that the universe too has
an intelligent mind? Since we are thinking creatures, it is
quite natural for us to assume the presence of a
responsive cosmic consciousness. Otherwise our faith
has no meaning. Two problems: What is the religious
relevance of our faith? How do we make Christianity
meaningful?
Firstly, religion is an inevitable social fabric of faith,
supposed to contain the spiritual energy we share with
God. Ritualistic religion has become a fossilized
manifestation of faith, which virtually has become
compulsive addiction to the believers. Renewal or
reformation is not possible in such a state.
Secondly, how do we then make faith effective? The
world should see in us, the praxis-face energized by the
spirit manifested in Jesus Christ. This is possible only
through renewal, rethinking in new ways. The spirit of
God is a constant energy, which is still alive and available
to the faithful. Those who respond positively to the
righteousness of God stated above would initiate Gods
plan for justice, peace and integrity of creation. Reading
the signs of the times, awake, alert and affirm Gods
righteousness while we are alive in spirit. As and when we
are disconnected from the source of energy, we become
extinct the light of life shines no more and we become
part of the phenomenal dark negative energy. Therefore
awake, alert and affirm the ways of Gods righteousness
while we are still alive.

Life of Dr. M. M. Thomas, a Radical

Christian (Contd. from Page 13)
1944-45: SCM activities; Editor of the Student Outlook

1945: Marriage with Ms. Elizabeth Thomas (Pennamma)

1944-47: First term General Secretary, Mar Thoma Yuvajana
Sakhyam
1947-50: Secretary, World Student Christian Federation, Geneva;
organizing the World Christian Youth Conference at Oslo (August
1947); participation in the making of the book on church and society
published in connection with the WCC inaugural Assembly at
Amsterdam.
1948 December: Leadership Conference of WSCF at Candy, Sri
Lanka
1949: Conference of Asian Church Leaders, Bangkok
1949-52: WSCF Vice Chairperson from Asia and also serving as its
part-time Secretary
1952: International Youth Christian Conference at Kottayam, Kerala;
publishing the book, Adhunika Bharathathile Rashtreeya
Chinthagathikal; Secretary of Committee for Literature on Social
Concerns; WCC Central Committee at Lucknow, India.
1953-54: Reading & Study at Union Theological Seminary, NY
1954: WCC Assembly at Evanston
1957: Associate Director, CISRS; Editor of its journal, Religion and
Society
1959: Secretary of the Committee on Social Transformation,
nominated by East Asia Christian Conference; begins the Asian
journal, Church and Society
1961: WCC Assembly, New Delhi
1961-68: Chairperson, Commission to Study Church& Society
1962-76: CISRS Director
1966: Chairperson, Third World Conference towards the formation
of a Christian Social Ethics, Geneva.
1966-67: Visiting Professor, Union Theological Seminary, NY
1968-75: Chairperson, WCC Central Committee (elected in Uppsala
and continued until Nairobi WCC (1968-1975); Editor, Guardian
Weekly, Madras
1969: Pennamma (MMs wife) passes away at her 51st year.
1972-73: William Patton Fellow, Selly Oak College
1975-77: Activism and writing against the Emergency Rule, India
1976: Chairperson, Kerala Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)
1977-1995: Writing and publishing of Bible reflections and
interpretations in Malayalam for CLS, Tiruvalla.
1979-89: Visiting professorship at Bochum University, Germany
(1979), Princeton Seminary, USA (1980, 1982-88), Ann Dover
Newton, Boston (1981), Southern Methodist University (1989)
1990-92: Governor of Nagaland
1996 December 3: Called to eternity

17 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

Jesus the Radical: My Lord and My God

(A spiritual dialogue for self- discovery)
Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam
Should I speak frankly and plainly about Jesus, my Lord and
my God?
Jesus answered: Yes, I have no problem; but the religious
elite will not tolerate you!
They will drag you on the Face book!
Be bold and courageous to stand for truth.
You may search for my genealogy in the Web ID of holy
irregularity,
But remember that in a few days your website will be
hacked!
Be bold and courageous!
Jesus said: I went to the Jerusalem temple with my
parents at the age of twelve
I stayed back without the knowledge of my parents and
kinsfolk
After three days my parents and relatives found me among
the teachers of the temple
Sitting among them, listening to them, and asking those
questions?
My mother was indignant and quietly said, Son, why have
you treated us so?
He replied softly: Did you not know that I must be in my
Fathers house?
The Scribes who knew about the incident said: He was
really a rebellious boy
But the boy Jesus replied: be bold and courageous and
stand for truth.
A worshipper commented: Did you hear his sermon in the
synagogue at Nazareth?
He read a passage from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue
worship
He went on to interpret the Holy Scriptures with his own
hermeneutics
He did not seek permission to preach on that day
He even referred to a widow of Zarephath and also made
mention of a Syrian leper in his sermon
He had set aside the worship order and made mention of a
woman and a leper
He must be put out of our synagogue and our city .
But Jesus was bold and courageous!
A journalist wrote in the Jerusalem journal: He moved in
the company of men and women,
He stayed in the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary at
Bethany.
Why did this Jewish Rabbi stay in such a home?
A member of the Sanhedrin said: I was told that he had
women disciples as well who financially supported his
mission tours.
He had no hesitation to stay for two days in a Samaritan
village
He even ate their food!
Was he really a religious Jew?
Truly he was irreligious! The crowed passed the judgment.
But Jesus was bold and courageous.
The Jewish Guild remarked:
He had no regard of Sabbath laws

He even allowed his disciples to break the Sabbath by

plucking ears of corn
He healed the sick on Sabbath
He even permitted his disciples to eat without ceremonial
washing.
He taught his disciples to follow the unorthodox food laws.
He had even declared Gods provisions are clean,
And said: whatever goes into a man from outside cannot
defile him
Jesus was bold and courageous.
A Jewish biographer wrote in the Temple diary: Jesus had
no compliments for the big temple built with precious stones
He even reprimanded his disciples when they appreciated it.
He paid tributes to the poor widow in the temple
He had no words of appreciation for the rich there!
Jesus was bold and courageous.
He ate the Passover meal with his disciples
He violated the customs of the day.
He allowed a woman of Bethany to anoint his head with
costly oil
Truly he had no regard for the pointless critique on behalf of
poor.
Jesus was bold and courageous.
His attitude to money was indeed strange,
He even asked the rich young man to sell his assets and
follow him.
He could have annexed his property first to his estate for a
charitable cause of his own.
Instead he said: purity is first; charity is second!
A Gospel writer wrote:
On the road to Golgotha, he was invoking God
He had no fear before his judges
He kept silence before Pilate, and answered in silence!
He went to the Gallows as Gods will and faced death
daringly
God of all Grace raised him up from the dead with a divine
protest.
St. Paul, the apostle of Christ to the Gentiles, assured the
fate
And reward of the radical followers of Jesus as:
You are treated as imposters, and yet are true;
As unknown, and yet are well known;
As dying, and see they are alive;
As punished, and yet not killed;
As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
As poor, yet making many rich;
As having nothing, and yet possessing everything
(2 Cor.6: 8-10).
Editors Note: Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph,
former professor of New Testament and
Principal of the Mar Thoma Theological
Seminary,
Kottayam
and
former
Principal of the Indian School of
Ecumenical
Theology
(ISET)
and
Director of the Ecumenical Christian
Centre, (ECC) Bangalore.

18 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

Radical Christianity
Rev. Abraham Kuruvilla, Princeton Theological seminary
Radical can be understood as an adjective that is used to
describe something. In the theological realm this adjective
assumed a new meaning post 1951. This newness of meaning
began with the Nietzschean slogan God is dead. As is evident
from the slogan, it is radical in itself. It was a time after the two
world wars and the sharpness of such a slogan was natural and
obvious. The slogan meant the absence of God. All these
proponents perpetuated the idea that the Christian era as we
know it, had ended. Today also, this is what we have to ask. Is
Christianity alive? To answer this question we have to enquire
what makes Christianity alive, different, or radical.
1

When we say radical it means that it cuts through the very

heart of a system of thought. In this sense the declaration of
the Bible that the Word became flesh, is radical. This
proclamation cut through the prevalent belief that God cannot
become human, and God cannot suffer. It covered the nature
and the work of God, i.e., who God is, and what God does. In
this sense radical means something that is extreme. However,
the term extreme means that it is negative for some and
positive for some. There is no middle or neutral ground. To say
that Christianity is radical means that there is a positivity as well
as a negativity in Christianity. We would normally assume that
the negativity has to do with those who do not believe in Jesus
as against the positivity for those who believe in Jesus.
However, the negativity has also to do with those who believe in
Jesus. It has to do with our practical living. It has to do with the
Church failing to act when it is required of her.
2

To say God is dead seems like a negative statement at first.

But on a closer look we will understand the statement points to
the absence of God. The absence of God points to the failure of
effective Christian witnessing. It points to the assumption that
Jesus whom we worship makes no difference in our life. This
lack of qualitative difference in our life leads to lack of making a
difference in society. This in turn points to what we believe in,
and how we put the belief into practice. As such it points to a
need of correction in our witness. So such a negative statement
that seems inherently negative at first leads to a positive
correction in our lives. It is a self-criticism aimed at corrective
measure. This is the essence of radical Christianity.
Such an essence is reflected in 1 Peter. The believers of this
letter were a diaspora community. During the time this letter
was written, Christians were held in suspicion. Thus, living in
holiness was a positive resistance towards total assimilation to
the Roman culture. One aspect of radical Christianity is to live in

Some of the other notable characters who fueled this adjective

were Gabriel Vahanian, Paul Tillich, William Hamilton, Thomas J.
J. Altizer For further reading see Gabriel Vahanian, The Death of
God: The Culture of Our Post-Christian Era (George Braziller Inc,
1961); Paul Tillich, The Protestant Era, trans, James L. Adams
(The University of Chicago Press, 1948); William Hamilton, The
New Essence of Christianity (Association Press, 1948); Thomas
J. J. Altizer, Oriental Mysticism and Biblical Eschatology (The
Westminster Press, 1961).
John Charles Cooper, Radical Christianity and its Sources
(Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1968), 19.
1

holiness. In 1 Peter, Jesus is the source through whom God has

drawn near to humans (cf. 1:3ff.). Amidst a Roman culture this
was a radical affirmation. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us and helps
us to be established and sustained in the realm of holiness. The
Holy Spirit helps us to live a new way of life that should
become the inherent quality of the children of God. It is not just
in the erasing of our sins, that we become holy, but it is in the
very purpose to grow in the image of God that we are holy. To
grow in the image of God was another radical truth that
Christianity introduced in the prevalent culture. Our witnessing
is constituted of growing in the image of God. In 1 Peter, we see
a personal, corporate/Familial and the communal holiness.
Personal holiness deals with getting rid of all the former vices
i.e., malice, guile, insincerity, envy, slander (2:1), desires of the
flesh (2:11), evil (3:9), sin (4:1), licentiousness, passions,
drunkenness, revels, carousing, lawless idolatry (4:3).
Familial holiness consists in maintaining holiness in the
household (2:11-3:12). Communal holiness consists of
stewardship, hospitality and humility towards others in love (4:711 and 5:1-7). The terms conduct you and honorably (2:12) are
related verb and modifier. Phobia can denote fear either in the
negative sense or in the positive sense. It is a negative sense as
in the case of Israel in the OT who obeyed the Law because of
fear, or in the positive sense, as in the case of believers in the
NT who obeyed the Law because of love imparted through the
Holy Spirit. For believers, fear changes to awe. This is the
radical aspect that Gospel brought as opposed to the Law in
the OT. There is no longer fear, but awe, which is a divine fear
grounded in love and reverence for God. This should be
converted into the ethics of the believer.
Thus, sin as a radical problem meets its match in the radical
solution, i.e., salvific witness. This radical solution had a radical
way, i.e., in and through Jesus who was fully human and fully
divine. The Bible is the radical text of this radical Christianity,
which advocates holiness. Thus, holiness has a passive an
active and an apocalyptic dimension. It is passive in the
sense that we are elected by God, active in the sense that we
have to be obedient and apocalyptic in the sense that, by being
holy, we are participating in the Messianic Kingdom. Let us
witness radically.
Editors Note: Rev. Abraham Kuruvilla is
born and brought up in Mumbai, India.
He was ordained in 2007. He has
ministered in various parishes in Kerala,
and Bangalore over the past 8 years.
Hes served with the Mar Thoma
Yuvajana
Sakhyam
as
Assistant
Secretary during which time he was
involved with youth ministry outside
Kerala. He is also involved in childrens
and young couples ministry. He is an
itinerant multilingual preacher, and author of a devotional book
titled Encounters. He is currently doing his Masters in Doctrinal
Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He can be
contacted at E-mail: aby158@gmail.com

19 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 1 5

The Mar Thoma Church: Gender Equality in the Sacred Space

Jesudas M. Athyal, Boston
This article discusses the wider implications of a major
milestone in womens participation in the Mar Thoma
Church (MTC). The denomination is part of the ancient
Indian Church that traces its origin to the missionary work
of Saint Thomas in south India during the first century AD.
Today hundreds of congregations of MTC exist in the
diaspora all over the world. The Church, while accepting
at the theological level the full participation of women in
all realms, has so far been reluctant to take administrative
steps to include women in the pastoral ministry of the
Church. MTCs response to the Lima Document of
1982 entitled Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry by the
Commission on Faith and Order, stated: the Mar
Thoma Church presently has barriers due to custom,
culture, tradition on allowing women to share in the
ordained ministry of the church. It is earnestly hoped that
these will break down as men develop greater
consciousness of the change of times and women
become willing and open to new challenges that God is
opening before them.

regular Holy Communion service in a parish church of

MTC, as the very entry of women in the sacred space of
the high altar was considered taboo. The event of
January 4, therefore, marked a major step in the
participation of women in the ministry of the church.
While the question of womens participation in all realms
of the church seems to be a settled matter in most
mainline Protestant churches, this continues to be
debated vigorously in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox
churches. Like the churches of Indian origin, the Catholic
and Orthodox churches too do not ordain women as
priests, though they follow a less rigid approach with
regard to the presence of women at the high altar. Both
the traditions have a long history of women serving as
acolytes and, in certain cases, as deacons. According to
the Catholic scholar Phyllis Zagano, women as deacons
is not a concept for the future but for the present, for
today. Pope Francis too has emphasized that
understanding womens participation in the Church
cannot be limited to the acolyte, to the president of
Caritas [and] the catechist. Instead, what is needed
today, according to him, is a more profound theology of
women. The Orthodox churches in many parts of the
world, till a few centuries ago, had the practice of female
deacons though, for a number of reasons, it fell into
disuse. The practice, however, has neither been
abolished by canon or a council nor completely
disappeared.
The
Inter-Orthodox
Theological
Consultation that met in Rhodes, Greece in 1988 noted
that deaconess were ordained within the sanctuary during
the Divine Liturgy with two prayers: she received the
orarion (the deacons stole) and received Holy
Communion at the altar. The consultation affirmed the
need to revive the practice of women deacons.

Anitha Oommen at the high altar along with the chief

celebrant, Bishop Theodosius, and others
Under the reform movement initiated by Dr. Geevarghese
Mar Theodosius, the current bishop of the Mar Thoma
Churchs Diocese of North America and Europe, the Rev.
Sam Panicker, the Vicar of the Carmel Mar Thoma
Church (Hudson, MA) assigned Ms. Anitha Oommen, a
member of the congregation, to be the Deacon for the
Holy Communion service on Sunday, January 4, 2015.
This was, perhaps, the first time that a woman served as
the deacon (atmaya sishrushakan / lay minister) for the

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Anitha along with the bishop and clergy

Even though the notion that women are inferior to men is
a deeply rooted tradition in many parts of the world,
modernization and secularization have challenged to a
certain degree the patriarchal structures of the West. The
waves of change have influenced the traditional
patriarchal structures of India as well, but religion there
seems to be the last bastion of male dominance. On the
one hand, under the impact of modernization and
urbanization, many Indian women have moved out of the
house and into the professional space. Women today
enjoy an equal status with men in most areas of the
secular life. The religious structures, however, is where
the age-old traditions are reinforced and solidified. Even
the Indians in the West, who lead highly successful and
professional lives in the secular world, are seen to fall
back on tradition translated here as casteist and
patriarchal values in the religious sphere. As George
Zachariah put it, the association between Patriarchy and
Casteism based on notions of purity and pollution has
influenced the doctrines and the ecclesial practices of the
Indian churches. [See the Keynote Address presented at
the seminar of the American Academy of Religion in
Chennai (India) on the theme, Identity and Social
Distinctions among Indian Christians, at Home and in the
Diaspora: Some Theological Reflections," on July 19,
2014 (unpublished).]
What happened on January 4 was historic, at least as far
as the Indian churches are concerned. The church in the
diaspora has managed to pose a challenge, howsoever
insignificant, to the age-old stranglehold of patriarchal
supremacy in the churches of Indian origin. If the
resistance of the Indian churches to gender equality in the
sacred space is rooted more in the religious tradition of
purity and pollution than in the reformed Christian values,
does it also follow that the churches in the diaspora, that
are at the intersection between the Eastern and Western
values, can provide the favorable ground for a feminist
reinterpretation of Christian ministry? Questions remain,
but an important step in gender equality in the sacred
space has been attempted and achieved. Though much
remains to be accomplished, this, truly, is a moment for
celebration and thanksgiving.
Editors Note: Jesudas Athyal is a
Visiting Researcher at the Boston
University School of Theology and a
member of the Mar Thoma Church; he
represents the Church in the Inter-faith
Commission of the National Council of
Churches. This article was originally
published
in
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/religionnow/2015/03/the-marthoma-church-gender-equality-in-the-sacredspace/#ixzz3V9ExjbbS

Golden Jubilee of the Ordination of Rev. Dr.

M. J. Joseph and The Golden Beams
The Mar Thoma Church is grateful
to God for the ministry of Revd. Dr.
M. J. Joseph, for his ministry of the
past fifty years. The readers
of
this journal and it is editorial board
are very grateful to Achen for his
encouragement and inspirational
writings. Achen helped our church
in many ways in its growth as a
former principal of the Mar Thoma
Theological College, Kottayam,
Director of the Ecumenical Christian
Centre at Bangalore, the chairman
of the Ecological Commission, editor of the Sabha Tharaka,
work with the retired clergy and many other ventures. How can
one man achieve so much in a lifetime is a question that may
come to our mind, the simple and only answer is Achens
complete dedication to the cause of His master and savior,
Jesus Christ. Friends from all parts of the world have gathered
at Valiyakavu, Ranni, Kerala, on June 28, 2015 to celebrate the
Golden Jubilee of his ordination and for releasing the Festschrift
volume, The Golden Beams. Many dignitaries spoke during
the public meeting including Rt. Revd. Geevarghese Mar
Athanasius, Professor P. J. Kurien (Deputy Chairman of the
Raya Sabha), former Indian Supreme Court Justice K. T.
Thomas and Dr. Mathews Chunakara. (CCA General Secretary)
The Golden Beams is a splendid Festschrift volume brought
out to thank God for the ministry of Revd. Dr. M.J. Joseph. It is
interesting to look at the list of dignitaries who have contributed
to this volume and their amazing insights on Achens
transparent life. He has a very special reverence to Nature,
which he has expressed many times through his poetical
expressions. He has God-given talents to diffuse into the lives
of his friends and live within them; it is an amazing ability to
cross walls and boundaries without an effort.
Dr. P. J.
Alexander wrote: "When I look around today and see a jostling
array of red belts, tired and retired, I wish we had the large
heartedness to recognize Achens merit unique and
considerable achievements all round, and intrinsic finesse as
exemplified in his job performance everywhere even if seniority
did not help his claims. Achen has stoically accepted the stark
neglect, without trying to push his claim with his usual grace."
Achen has faithfully accepted the motto of the church, Lighted
to Lighten; he reflected the Light that fell on him from a very
young age. This book tells the story of how Achen became a
blessing for the church and for many others in the ecumenical
and eco-spiritual arenas. A gift is not a gift if it is not shared.
Achen happily shared his gifts and blessings generously. The
Golden Beams is a true record on how to do the servant
ministry as a disciple of the Triune God. We recommend this
book to our readers. The editors of the book Prof. Dr. P.
Jagadish Gandhi and Very Rev. Cherian Thomas deserve
special appreciation also. We pray to God for Achen and his
family for their good health and happiness.
This book is published by CSS, Tiruvalla, Kerala Price: Rupees
300 / $25) E-mail: csspublications@dataone.in

The Editorial Board

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Christ the Radical

Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas
Jesus Christ was an extraordinary Jew and lived an ordinary
life, selected ordinary people as His disciples, but His words
and actions were radical. His teachings were not acceptable
to the Jewish sects, authorities and the elite priesthood. He
followed his fathers trade as a carpenter, lived and worked
like others in Nazareth until the age of thirty. He was different
from other Messiahs who came before and after Him. Jesus
was different from exorcists and healers and He healed the
blind, deaf, mute, and paralytic out of compassion and by
forgiving their sins, which others could not do because no
one had the power to forgive sin except the Triune God. He
told the people to sell everything and then follow Him. He
never said, just set apart only a tithe of what they have. Our
churches have become market places where you see
sacraments, festivals, pulpit calls for tithe offerings;
collection boxes are placed for pledge drive for building
multimillion Dollar structures. They also offer privileges to the
wealthy such as plaques with their names or beloved ones
names placed at the entrance to the rooms or building.
Christ the radial did not make any offer to enhance the
public image of wealthy donors; He did not have many rich
donors except the costly perfumes used at Bethany on two
occasions for anointing him (Mark 14: 3-8: John 12:3) and
Joseph of Aremathea offering Him a resting place. He simply
asked rich people to sell everything, take up the cross and
follow Him. Churches now ask us to donate abundantly to
the multimillion-dollar projects and in return offer to help
enhance our public image. Most of us fall in to this trap and
forget about the mission of Christ, to love our neighbor,
which is the essence of radical Christianity of Jesus. The
pledge offerings have become the central part of our
worship. Hymns, Psalms, prayers, sermons and the readings
have been side tracked for these pledge offerings. When you
pay more and more you get respect in the market place and
also prominent seats in multimillion sanctuaries. Jesus never
built any sanctuary. He transformed people into holy
temples, Be holy because I am holy (I Peter 1: 16). St. Paul
wrote to Romans, Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of
Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy
and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship
(Romans 12: 1).
It seems that some shallow-mined church people with the
enhanced images of them always create a barrier around
church hierarchies, not to be contaminated by ordinary
people. The disciples wanted to protect Jesus from the
approach of the blind Bartimaeus, but Jesus asked the
disciples to call him and Bartimaeus received his eyesight
(Mark 10:46-52).
Jesus the radical always had few ordinary fishermen, a tax
collector and poor and simple-minded wandering crowd with
Him. The church has degraded to such a state that
successive leaders took turn to plundering and despoiling it
to achieve their ambitions. It seems that a special attraction

exists in our parishes between the religious hierarchy and

wealthy members, which necessitates the religious leaders
to maintain a close relationship with wealthy. They distance
themselves from the poor, and the less fortunate so called
ordinary people.
Religious leaders who want to control the wealthy parishes
appoint their kinsmen as priests in such places, where they
are often welcomed and received like kings.
But, remember, Jesus the radical was never received at any
place or by any crowd like a king, except during His entry
into Jerusalem, for which He paid with His life on the cross.
We often forget the truth that the church is the body of
Christ and believers are untied with Him and entrusted to
fulfill His mission in this world. Jesus the radical selected
only a few ordinary fishermen as His disciples. He did not
choose wealthy, but warned wealthy that it will be difficult for
them to enter into heaven. The rich man who approached
Him and asked how to enter into the kingdom of God had to
leave with disappointment, since he was told to sell all that
he had and then follow Jesus.

David Platt in his book Taking Back Your Faith From

American Dream Radical after discussing about
underground churches in Asia and elsewhere, he criticized
the faith of the people and said, Instead of traveling for
miles by foot or bike to gather for worship, we had arrived in
millions of dollars worth vehicles. Dressed in our fine
clothes, we sat down in our cushioned chairs; many had
come because this was their normal routine. Some had
come simply to check out the new pastor. But none had
come at the risk of their lives. He continued in his book,
That afternoon, crowds filled the parking lot of our
sprawling multimillion dollar church campus. Moms, Dads,
and their kids jumped on inflatable games. Plans are being
discussed for using the adjacent open land to build state of
art recreation fields and facilities to support more events like
this. He concluded with this observation, We were settling
for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves
when the central message of Christianity is actually about

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abandoning ourselves.
The wealthy, who give from their abundance (not like the
widow who gave from her nothingness) look for chances to
dine with the church leaders, get chances for photo sessions
with them and publish the same in social media again to
enhance their image. The radical Jesus did not dine with the
wealthy except couple of occasions with intent to transform
them as His disciples. Jesus dined with His disciples after
His resurrection in the morning when disciples were able to
catch lot of fish after listening and obeying His words. They
tried the whole night with all of their expertise, but failed to
catch any fish. But with Jesus intervention they were able
to catch more than what they bargained for. (Luke 21: 1-14).
Reza Aslan, in his book Zealot summarized about Jesus
lasike this: This book is an attempt to reclaim, as much as
possible, the Jesus of history, the Jesus before Christianity;
the politically conscious Jewish revolutionary who, two
thousand years ago, walked across the Galilean countryside,
gathering followers for a messianic movement with the goal
of establishing the Kingdom of God but whose mission failed
when, after provocative entry into Jerusalem and a brazen
attack on the Temple, he was arrested and executed by
Rome for the crime of sedition. The church lost its
radicalism breathed in to the Apostles by Jesus to go and
make disciples of all nations.

enraged to the very notion of paying taxes to Rome. Jesus

asked them to show him a coin and then said, looking at the
engraved picture of Caesar, give to Caesar what is Caesars
and to God what is Gods. His radical attitude was evident
when He entered the Jerusalem temple for cleansing the
place. The actions of Jesus were about questioning the
aristocratic priesthood who made the house of prayer a den
of thieves.
Jesus was a true zealot (one with zealous ideas) when he
uttered: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you
will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will
laugh (Luke 6:20-21). But woe to you who are rich, for you
have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well
fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep (Luke 6:24-25). He was really
talking like a radical when He said: Do not think that I came
to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace,
but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and
a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law; and a mans enemies will be the
members of his household (Mathew 10: 34-36).
The Gentile woman mistakenly thought that Jesus came only
for the Jews when He said to her, "It is not right to take the
children's bread and toss it to their dogs" (Mathew 15:26).
Some such Gospel texts might suggest that Israel was all
that mattered to Jesus and His mission was solely to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mathew 15:24). There are
other reasons and interpretations for this and similar texts.
But Jesus mission was to save the whole mankind and
establish the kingdom of God.
John the Baptist was another radical of Jesus period, which
can be seen from his words and actions especially when he
challenged the Jews about the judgment to come, when he
warned that ax is laid at the root of the tree, when he said to
the wealthy that one who have two tunics must share with
who has none; to the tax collectors not to exact more than
asked you to collect; to the soldiers do not intimidate, do not
blackmail, and be content with your wages. But he too had
to sacrifice his life when he questioned Antipas, who married
his brothers wife, we again see a radical John the Baptist.

Many Jews in the first century Palestine preserved their

zealous ideals and were willing to resort extreme acts of
violence if necessary, not just against Romans, but against
their fellow Jews and such zealous people are called
Zealots. Jesus was in fact a zealot from the poor peasant
community of Nazareth, who rebelled against the priestly
aristocracy and wealthy people. But His zealous ideas were
not to commit violent acts, but a peaceful approach. This
approach of Jesus was evident when he was asked, is it
lawful to pay the tribute to Caesar or not? Jews were

Jesus selected ordinary people as His disciples and asked

them to leave their nets, homes, and families and to take the
cross. His call was radical in nature to ordinary people to do
extraordinary things for God. We also are missionaries,
apostles sent to neighboring towns and villages to preach
independently and without supervision to be vehicles of
radical zeal of Jesus Christ. But we lost the zeal of radical
Jesus and we turned as comfortable Christians preferring to
worship Him only in our sanctuaries on Sunday mornings.
Our leaders and religious establishments are full of people
who like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be
greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most
important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor
at banquets. (Luke 20:46)
According to David Platt, we are giving in to the dangerous

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temptation to take the Jesus of the Bible into a version of

Jesus we are more comfortable with. We are molding Jesus
into our image. He is beginning to look a lot like us because,
after all, that is whom we are most comfortable with.
Apostles had the zeal and went all around the places and we
believe St. Thomas came to Kerala, India, and established
churches, thus we believe we are followers of him. St.
Thomas believed to have been killed by a Hindu fanatic with
a lance struck through his chest. All other Apostles were
martyred except St. John, who died of natural causes. David
continues to write: Christ calls us to come and die for Him
and Bonhoeffer aptly titled his book Cost of Discipleship.
Christians shrink back from self-denying faith and settle into
self-indulging faith. Fundamentally, the gospel is the
revelation of who God is, who we are, and how we can be
reconciled to him. We already have a fairly high view of our
morality, so when we add a superstitious prayer, a
subsequent dose of church attendance, and obedience to
some of the Bible, we feel pretty sure that we will be all right
in the end. Our attempt to reduce gospel to a shrinkwrapped presentation that persuades someone to say or
pray the right things back to us no longer seems
appropriate. Gospel demands and enables us to turn from
our sin, to take up our cross, to die to ourselves, and to
follow Jesus.

running when he was caught and hung on the cross. This is

not the radical Christianity, preached and practiced by
Jesus. But when the Holy Spirit came upon the twelve, they
became radical Christians and spread the gospel without
any fear and became martyrs for Him. This is what actually
radical Christianity taught by Jesus. We fail to follow Christ
and His disciples. We have watered down His teachings only
taking part in the Holy Communion, but failed to make
disciples by showing Christ in our lives.
We are good inside the sanctuaries, but not outside of its
walls, and not in our community. We are cultural Christians,
isolating ourselves from others on the basis of race, religion
and sexual orientation. We are isolating ourselves from the
world around us, where we are commissioned to go and
make disciples. We sit back on cushioned pews in
multimillion dollars buildings, relax, go back in high-end cars
of its class to our multimillion-dollar homes and return next
Sunday in the best linens we have to impress other fellow
believes. Only a church with less fanfare will feel the pain of
others. An abundant church will not think in radical ways to
be with the poor outside its walls. Our faith has downgraded
to the level of only offering prayers for the poor or sending a
few dollars with much publicity as we can to the poor. This is
not radical Christianity and it has lost the zeal of Jesus Christ
and His disciples. Unless and until we turn around, repent
and follow Jesus and His zealous teachings, we will continue
to be pew filling Christians.
Jesus ministry was not single dimensional, it is has many
dimensions and layers, and layers of new understanding
bonded together in unconditional love; it was far beyond
anything any other rabbi taught and it was quite unique. In
no uncertain way for listeners of all ages and times he said,
I am the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6). Not only
was His teaching radical, it was also central to his lifestyle; it
was not a textbook ministry, it was a lived out pragmatic
ministry. He published his short manifesto in the Sermon on
the Mount and it was indeed His teachings about the
kingdom of God. He said, You have heard that it was said,
love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love
your enemies and pray for those who prosecute you, that
you may be sons of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5: 4344). One of the important things that He has done for us is to
open our understanding to the amazing fact that we are sons
and daughters of our heavenly Father, the one and only
Triune God. Therefore, He has given us the freedom to Call
God, Our Father in heaven, and the key to the citizenship of
His kingdom. It is an upside down kingdom with
revolutionary ideas, the currency of this kingdom is
unconditional love, purchased with a self-giving costly grace.

We have downgraded ourselves as simply pew filling

Christians on Sunday mornings and we are the most
comfortable Christians in the world having multimillion dollar
sanctuaries to worship the Lord, who never even had a place
of his own to sleep during his three and half years of
ministry. We are like His disciples when they were sleeping
while He was kneeling down and praying to His Father; they
abandoned Him at the crucial time of the day; they were

Editors Note: Lal Varghese, Esq., is a lawyer

by profession and is mainly practicing in U.
S Immigration law for more than 20 years in
Dallas. He is the legal counsel and member
of the Legal Affairs Committee of the
Diocese of North America & Europe of the
Mar Thoma Church. He can be reached at
E-Mail: attylal@aol.com, Telephone: (972)
788-0777 (O), (972) 788-1555 (Direct)

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