Christianity is India's third-largest religion after Hinduism and Islam, with approximately 27.8 million followers, constituting 2.3 percent of India's population (2011 census).[2]According to the tradition of Indian Christians, the Christian faith was introduced to India through Thomas the Apostle, who is said to have reached the Malabar Coast (Kerala) in 52 AD.[3][4][5][6] According to another tradition Bartholomew the Apostle is credited with simultaneously introducing Christianity along the Konkan Coast.[7] There is a general scholarly consensus that Christian communities were firmly established in the Malabar Coast (Kerala) of India by the 6th century AD,[8] which were communities who used Syriac liturgies. Starting from European colonisations from 15th century several Western Christian communities like Latin Rite Catholics and Protestants were created in different parts of the country. Christians in India Nasrani cross.jpg Saint Thomas Christian cross Total population 31,850,000 (2011)[1] Regions with significant populations Majority in Nagaland at 90%, Mizoram at 90% and Meghalaya at 83%. Plurality in Manipur at 41.3% and Arunachal Pradesh at 35%. Significant populations in Goa at 25%, Kerala at 18.28% and Tamil Nadu at 6.2%. Religions Mostly Protestant & Catholic; minority of Orthodox and others.[1] Languages Malayalam, English, Tamil, Hindi, Bodo, Khasi, Karbi, Mizo, Rabha, Mushing, Naga, Kuki, Garo, Hmar, Bengali, Nepali, Assamese, Odia, Gujarati, Kokborok, Konkani, Kannada, Telugu and various Indian languages Learn more This article's lead section may be too long for the length of the article. Christians in India are members of different church denominations though some are also non-denominational. The state of Kerala is home to the Saint Thomas Christian community, an ancient body of Christians who according to tradition trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century.[6] They are now divided into several different churches and traditions. There are East Syriac Rite denominations: the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and the Chaldean Syrian Church. There are West Syriac Rite denominations: the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church , the Mar Thoma Syrian Church, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, and the Malabar Independent Syrian Church. Saint Thomas Anglicans are members of the Church of South India (C.S.I.).[9][10][11] Roman Rite Catholicism was introduced to India by the Portuguese, Italian Capuchins and Irish Jesuits from the 16th century onwards, under the influence of its allied empires, resulting in the establishment of communities such as the Bettiah Christians of Bihar.[12][13] Many Christian schools, hospitals and primary care centres originated through the Roman Catholic missions brought by the trade of these countries. The Church of North India and Church of South India are united Protestant Churches that were established as a result of evangelism and ecumenism by Anglicans, Methodists, and other Protestants in India who flourished in colonial India.[14] The CNI and CSI hold to a mixed polity with episcopal, presbyterian and congregational elements,[15][16][17] and are ecclesiastical provinces of the Anglican Communion, as well as members of the World Methodist Council and World Communion of Reformed Churches.[18][19][20] Further Protestantism was later spread to India by the efforts of North American, British, German, and independent non-denominational missionaries who preached the gospel to evangelise Indians; many Christian missionaries suffered from militant persecution and were martyred. Major denominations include non-Conformist reformed churches like Pentecostals, Baptists, Evangelicals, Methodist, Presbyterians, Mennonites, and Lutherans. There is also rising presence of Charismatic and Neo-Charismatic Movements across the nation. During the 18th century, Protestant Christian missionaries campaigned towards the social reforms, notably by campaigning for the abolition of Sati (ritual self-immolation of widows), suppressing human sacrifices (particularly by tribals and Thuggees), taking measures in passing the Prevention Act, 1870 against female infanticide, and revolutionized educational system[21] Under the British Indian Empire, they had a key influence in drafting certain aspects of the Indian penal code by imposing specific Biblical prohibitions with offences related to marriages, adultery (which was at variance with Indian polygamous society of that time), as well as the controversial sodomy laws. They produced translations of the Bible in Indian languages including Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi-Urdu etc.[22] The first known translation of Christian Scripture in an Indian language was done to Konkani in 1667 AD by Ignacio Arcamone, an Italian Jesuit.[23][24][25][26] Christians were active in the Indian National Congress and wider Indian independence movement, being collectively represented

• published: 01 Apr 2021
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