ANCIENT FUTURES (OIP)

Book Details:

• Publisher: DSR Book Distributors

• Author: Helena Norberg-Hodge

• Language: English

• Binding: Paperback

• ISBN: 9780195631968

• Pages: 204

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches

About The Book:

"Christianity in Kerala" by Helena Norberg-Hodge offers an insightful exploration of the unique cultural and historical context of Christianity in Kerala, India. The book delves into the origins of Christianity in the region, believed to have arrived with St. Thomas the Apostle in AD 52, and examines its complex relationship with the dominant Hindu culture.

The author analyzes the interplay of time, space, architecture, and the body in shaping the practice of Christianity within Kerala, particularly focusing on the influence of Syrian Christianity, which has been deeply impacted by Middle Eastern churches. The text explores the historical tensions and schisms within Syrian Christianity, particularly the quarrel between Orthodox and Jacobite Syrians over ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the late 19th century, leading to legal disputes.

Additionally, the book addresses the significance of life-cycle rituals such as marriage, birth, and death, which hold profound moral and theological meanings in the Syrian Christian community. Norberg-Hodge uses a combination of historical and personal perspectives to shed light on the ongoing complexities and transformations in the religious and cultural life of Syrian Christians in Kerala.