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| Indian Church History Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Indian Church History Association |
| Formation | 1960s |
| Type | Learned society |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Region served | India |
| Leader title | President |
Indian Church History Association is a scholarly society focused on the study of Christianity in India, church historians, ecclesiastical history, and related archival research. It brings together scholars from Calcutta University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Madras, University of Mumbai, and theological colleges such as Serampore College, United Theological College, Bangalore, and Fergusson College. The Association engages with primary sources in repositories like the National Archives of India, British Library, and diocesan archives in Goa, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
The Association emerged during debates among scholars influenced by work on Indology, Orientalism, missionary societies such as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, and the research agendas of institutions like Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine and Aligarh Muslim University. Founders included historians trained under figures linked to Cambridge University, Oxford University, and Leiden University, and reacted to postcolonial critiques exemplified by discussions following the Indian Independence Act 1947 and the intellectual currents of the 1960s. Early conferences featured papers on contacts between Portuguese India, the Dutch East India Company, and indigenous communities in Malabar, while archival collaborations involved collections from Vatican Secret Archives and the Archivio di Stato di Venezia.
The Association aims to promote interdisciplinary study bridging Christianity in India, South Asian Studies, Missiology, and Ecumenism. Objectives include encouraging research on figures such as Thomas the Apostle, Basil Mathews, William Carey, Robert de Nobili, and institutions like St. Thomas Christians, Syro-Malabar Church, and Church of South India. It seeks to foster engagement with archives at Trivandrum, Panaji, and missionary repositories of the Church Missionary Society, and to mentor doctoral candidates affiliated with Banaras Hindu University and Panjab University.
Governance typically comprises an elected President, Secretary, Treasurer, and an executive committee drawn from academics at University of Calcutta, Madras Christian College, St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, and seminaries such as Bishop's College, Kolkata. Regional units coordinate with diocesan bodies in Cochin, Mylapore, and Ranchi. Advisory boards have included emeriti from All Souls College, Oxford and visiting fellows from Harvard University, Yale University, and SOAS University of London.
The Association publishes a peer-reviewed journal and monograph series dealing with topics from mission history to liturgical developments among the Syrian Christians of Kerala and historiography influenced by scholars like K. M. Panikkar and Romila Thapar. Its publications analyze documents from the Jesuit Missions, correspondence of Cyril V. Lucas, and reports of the Society of Jesus. It maintains ties with presses such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and Orient Blackswan for edited volumes and critical editions of texts related to Thomas of Cana and colonial-era missionaries.
Annual conferences rotate among venues including St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, Madras Christian College, Chennai, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, and Pune. Thematically they have addressed interactions between Portuguese Goa and indigenous rites, the legacy of the Synod of Diamper, ecumenical movements linked to World Council of Churches, and comparative studies involving Buddhism in India and Hindu reform movements represented by figures like Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. Workshops draw archivists from the National Council of Churches in India and scholars from German Historical Institute, London.
Members include historians, theologians, archivists, and doctoral students affiliated with University of Delhi, Christ Church, Oxford, Princeton Theological Seminary, and theological faculties at University of Glasgow. Collaborative projects have been undertaken with the Vatican Secretariat of State, the British Council, and regional dioceses in Kerala and Karnataka. The Association has coordinated cataloguing projects with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and conservation initiatives with the National Museum Institute.
The Association has influenced curricula at seminaries such as United Theological College, Bangalore and public history initiatives in Goa, contributing to exhibitions at the Goa State Museum and policy discussions involving the Archaeological Survey of India. Its scholarship has reshaped understandings of conversion narratives, vernacular liturgies, and the socio-political roles of Christian communities during the British Raj and the Indian Independence Movement. Research outcomes have been cited in works by scholars affiliated with Princeton University, University of Chicago, and Columbia University.
The Association confers prizes for best doctoral dissertation and essay competitions, often honoring scholars whose work engages archives such as the Vatican Archives and collections of the Church Missionary Society. Recipients have included historians associated with Jadavpur University and Madurai Kamaraj University and have received fellowships from bodies like the Indian Council of Historical Research and the American Academy of Religion.
Category:History of Christianity in India Category:Learned societies of India