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Bishop Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah: A Life In Indigenisation
Author
A.R. Chelliah
Specifications
  • ISBN 13 : 9788184655827
  • year : 2016
  • language :
  • binding :
Description
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Christianity in India was accused by Indian national leaders and radical people of other faiths for not being truly Indian. Bishop Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah, the first Indian bishop, emerged into the forefront and initiated bold attempts to indigenise Christianity in India. Believing that indigenisation was not simply an adoption of a few indigenous terms or theological concepts, Azariah constantly struggled against Western missionary paternalism and prejudices in mission in India. Apart from indigenising mission and evangelism of the Indian church, Azariah also greatly contributed towards indigenising leadership, governance, worship and liturgy, and architecture in the Indian church. He also pioneered works for the union of churches in India. The book critiques the traditional approaches of evangelistic work from a missiological perspective in the light of Azariah's contributions to indigenisation and contextualization. It also invites the Indian church today to seriously and critically incorporate the message and practice of Azariah for continuing to involve in indigenising Indian Christianity.