Apostle Tomb, Coonan Cross Oath, Division and Rite, Early History, Early Reference, Medieval History, Syond of Diamper, Thomas the Apostle

Dear M.T. Antony, Yes, I agree that the majority …

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to consider the subscription options.

Follow us on Facebook, or Twitter, or Google +.

Comment posted Kerala Syrian Christian, Apostle in India, The tomb of the Apostle, Persian Church, Syond of Diamper – Coonan Cross Oath, Subsequent divisions and the Nasrani People by John Mathew.

Dear M.T. Antony,

Yes, I agree that the majority of what Ninan writes seems to be useless and wrong (e.g., the Jacobites being in Kerala from the 4th century), and I do agree that the anti-Oriental “Latin” faction of the Syro-Malabar have their own vested interests. And it goes without saying that I view Ninan as borderline retarded. I’ve not seen P.V. Mathew, but if Easo considers him as a venerable source, that can hardly be a ringing endorsement!

But, then again, there is Whitehouse, Burnell and Logan. The former may have been a rabid anti-Catholic, but he also seemed to want to support the St. Thomas story. So I doubt he has a vested interest in advancing Manichaeanism. Burnell seems to have been an honest archeologist (i.e., he believed in a possible Manichaean past for our people, but at the same time did not distort his reading of the Persian cross). And Logan just reported matters as he heard them; I don’t see any reason for him to advance the Manichaean angle either.

There’s a lot of mystery in our prehistory, not to mention the scant if not non-existant references to a body of Christians in Kerala by other Indian sources. Add to that the presence of Buddhism and Persian communities (Nestorian, or other), and general Indian philosophical open-mindedness. I don’t think we can definitively rule out Manichaeanism.