Focus July 2015

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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 Metropolitan’s 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 one’s 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, said–‘A 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 Bonhoeffer’s ‘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

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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 Metropolitan’s 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 one’s 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 believer’s 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

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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 God’s 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 God’s 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 one’s 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 one’s 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 God’s unconditional yet mysterious love as revealed in one’s life; recognizing every human being as one’s brother or sister; refusing to tolerate any kind of inequality and discrimination; basing one’s life on the fundamental principle that love of God and neighbor are inseparable; acknowledging that one can love God only IN and THROUGH one’s 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 one’s deep roots. In the hectic world of today, surrounded as we are with gadgets, drowned as we are in technology, coming home to one’s roots, to one’s true home deep within one self is indeed as challenging as it is life-transforming. Coming home to one’s 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 one’s 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 one’s roots cannot but bring us home to God’s unconditional,

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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 one’s 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 one’s 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 God’s 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”.

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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

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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.

Editor’s 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

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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.

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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.

Editor’s 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)

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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.

Editor’s 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

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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 work…the 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 grandfather’s 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.

Paul’s 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 Paul’s 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 isn’t 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 one’s 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 one’s self.” Self-surrender is the only remedy. I cannot go down any road on anything with

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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 can’t 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.”

Thorvaldsen’s 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 Master’s 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

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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 don’t 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.

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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

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cosmos. From this limited perspective the human’s 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 God’s plan for justice, peace and integrity of creation. Reading the signs of the times, awake, alert and affirm God’s 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 God’s 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 (MM’s 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 People’s 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

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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 Father’s 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 God’s 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 God’s 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).

Editor’s 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Editor’s 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.

He’s 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 children’s and young couple’s 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

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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 women’s 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. MTC’s 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 women’s 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 women’s 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 deacon’s 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 Church’s 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.

Editor’s 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 Achen’s 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 Achen’s 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 Achen’s 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 father’s 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 God’s 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 Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” 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 man’s 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 brother’s 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

Editor’s 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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