Christianity in India:

(a) Christianity as a faith: Christianity is a monotheistic faith. Everything in it is related to the acts of mercy accomplished and inspired by Jesus. Christianity is a historical religion. It came out of Judaism. The belief of Christians is that God spoke directly and acted decisively in the life, death, and revival (resurrection) of Jesus, seen as the 'Christ'. Resurrection is a term that Christians use for the event or time when Jesus became alive again three days after his death. Jesus is seen as the chosen one of God. It is with Jesus that the history of Christianity takes its start.

(b) A brief history of Christianity: Having a history of more than two thousand years, Christianity has manifested a great variety of expressions in different parts of the world. It continues to be highly heterogeneous, for its adherents are more than a billion people in different countries. In spite of this diversity some of its principles are commonly held. Christianity believes that God has told human beings what is good for them. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists and He gives rewards to those who search for Him. One of the central beliefs of Christianity is that three things are everlasting; faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of all is 'love' for everything that exists in the universe. One should depend upon the Father of Jesus Christ, i.e, God, who is the source of all in this life and in the life to come.

(c) Arrival and spread of Christianity in India: (i) Christianity is of greater antiquity in India than in any other country in the world except Palestine. It is older in India than in Rome itself. Christianity came to India in two main movements, which are separated by a period of almost one thousand years.

(ii) The first movement occurred in the early centuries after Christ when Christian travellers, following the trade routes, settled along the coast of Kerala. They converted local people and established permanent groups of Christians there. The members of the various Churches of the Thomas Christians are convinced that the Apostle Thomas himself founded their church in its original form. There is reliable evidence that churches existed in India from the fourth century A. D. These churches maintained their distinctiveness by retaining Syriac as the language of worship and receiving their bishops from Mesopotamia These Christians are known as Syrian Christians.

(iii) The second movement began in the sixteenth century when Europeans gained. political control over trade centres and later, over the entire subcontinent. The Portuguese occupied Goa in 1510. They regarded commerce and conversion as intimately related. Missionaries, who were professionally dedicated to converting local people, carried out the second introduction of Christianity into India.

(iv) By the end of the sixteenth century, as a result of the special privileges for Christians, a great majority of the population had become. Christian, members of the Roman Catholic Church. With the help of the King of Denmark, the Protestants entered the field in 1706. Expansion began in 1858 when the British government took over rule from the East India Company. Today, Christians number about three percent of India's population.