Class work

A page reflection about Roberto de Nobili

Cross Cultural Mission and Evangelism

At

Jubilee Memorial Bible College

Urappakkam, Chennai

On
21th July 2021
Submitted to: -Mr. Ebin Mathew Ninan
Submitted by: - Vipin Vinoy (BTh-2nd year)
 A page reflection about Roberto de Nobili
This article expresses about Roberto de Nobili (1577-1656). Roberto de Nobili was a young
Italian missionary, his organization sent him to work as a missionary in India for two years.
During his missionary work in India, he introduced new missionary strategies on high caste
Indians, but his innovations and missiological issues facing many problems today also. He was
born high family in Rome in 1577, when he was seventeen he said to his family to intent to join
the Jesuit order and to become a Roberto de Nobili to India, but his family opposite his desire to
go to India. But he took an adamant decision to go to India, at last, ignoring his family allow him
to join the Jesuit order and go as a missionary in India In 1604 he arrived in India, Roberto
missionary work in India was not easy in the initial days in that days he faced many challenges to
do ministry work in India. Then his organization sent him to Fishery Coast to minster among the
paravas.In these times he works hard in the community of paravas and his evangelism through he
gained many people from the community of paravas. Roberto observed that the Paravas people
adopted their dress code and names due to Portuguese evangelism. During his first seven months
with the paravas community, he took the time to learn their language as well as their culture, and
then while he was doing good evangelism in this community, his superior asked him to move
from there to Madurai.
When he does evangelism in Madurai he learns many things. He learns why paravas community
does not accept Madurai's mission was confined to outcaste Paravas and Portuguese. Roberto
talks with the schoolmaster and understands all the things, that time he understands the mistakes
and all the things. With the help of his Hindu schoolmaster, Roberto also came to understand
how the caste system was the basis of Indian society and culture. Also, he understood why
Hindus avoided contact with the Portuguese except for trading purposes. When he understood all
things he determined to stay away from himself from people and customs which might identify
him as a Parangi. With hard work of he since 1560, and for nearly twelve years he had worked
virtually alone to establish a Christian base in Madura.
Roberto de Nobilis had strong decisions and reasons but his organization did not approve of
those decisions but he went ahead with those beliefs and decisions. Later his colleague and
organization did not accept Roberto's decisions. Roberto stays in accommodation to Hindu life,
these all things his organization does not accept. Roberto's first Hindu convert was the Sudra
schoolmaster. He stays in Hinduism he adopted different missionary methods. His friend Father
Gonçalo strongly Opposite de Nobile’s accommodations and all things. But Roberto's activities
continue to grow day by day in Madura. Last his organization condemned his activities as not in
the right way.