Lutherans in Kerala: Mission Perspective Towards Subalterns and Their Socio-Religious and Secular Context

The book covers one hundred years of History of Lutherans in Kerala. The author has tried to trace the various factors which brought together different people groups into the Lutheran fold. He also analyzed historically how Lutheranism became a liberating force for the socially alienated people from their age old slumber. Christian Mission work in South India successfully created an ideological climate for the birth of several social justice and social emancipation movements. The whole society became more open to and aware of the needs of each other. In this background, Missouri Evangelical Lutheran India Mission (MELIM) entered into the Kerala scene as the latest Christian mission among the most backward people. Mission offered the possibility of secular salvation along with the Gospel. Lutheranism became a locus for the upward social mobility to the subalterns in Kerala. Lutherans in Kerala is one Church that has in its membership a large number of castes represented unlike many other mission agencies. By ignoring their caste and sub caste barriers an all embracing movement of different people group were possible in history. People from the bottom got identity and history. The hundred year's pilgrim journey as a unique subaltern solidarity, history of Lutherans in Kerala is remaining as unrecognized one. Attempts must be made to strengthen their shared/co-shared heritage to continue. This volume is intended to create a historical identity for the Christian Lutherans in Kerala.

Damodharan Christu Das is an ordined pastor of India Evangelical Lutheran Church, Trivandrum Synod. He earned B.Th. (1983) B.D. (1988); M.Th. (2001); and D.Th. (2015). After the ordination to the Office of the Holy Ministry on 17 August, 1986, he served as pastor in several Pastorates of Trivandrum Synod, Kerala. From 2002 to present he teaches History and Missions in Concordia Theological Seminary, Nagercoil. He has been serving as Principal since March, 2017 until present. Dr. Christu Das presented research papers in various regional and national seminars. He authored and translated several books in Malayalam and English. Many published articles. in national and international journals are to his credit. Professor Christu Das is married to Ida Mabel, and they are blessed with two sons.

Background of the Research

Lutheran Christians in Kerala is a Christian subaltern community having a century of unrecognized history. This re-reading is to trace the various factors which brought together different people groups into the Lutheran fold and to analyze historically how Lutheranism became a liberating force for the socially alienated people from their age old slumber and why the historians ignored their history for the past one century.

An Elaboration

Though a Christian Church existed in Kerala long before one was established in many sections of Europe, the rest of India had to wait for more centuries to hear the good news. It is clear that only after the coming of the Portuguese, Roman Catholic Christianity was introduced in South Travancore among the Parana community. The arrival of St. Francis Xavier in 1542 further progressed its growth in the South. The Protestant work in India is the result of Missionary activities of different protestant societies during the 18 and 19th centuries. German Lutherans were the first Protestant Missionaries to come to India (1706). The Danish Halle Mission that sent Bartholomew Ziegenbalg (1682- 1719) and his co-worker Henry Pluetschau (1677-1746) laid the foundations of the Protestant Church at Tranquebar on the East coast of South India. The first Protestant Christian in South Travancore, Maharasan Vedamanickam was baptized by a Lutheran Missionary and was also ordained as first Protestant pastor in South Travancore in the Lutheran order. The first Protestant Missionary to South Travancore was a German Lutheran, William Tobias Ringletaube (1770- 1816) who came with the help of the London Missionary Society (LMS). Until the arrival of the LMS Missionary called Charles Mead in South Travancore, the first Protestant community in Kerala remained in character Lutheran.

**Contents and Sample Pages**