Christianity in India
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{{Indian christianity}}
'''[[Christianity]]''' is '''[[India]]'s''' third-largest [[religion]], following [[Hinduism]] and [[Islam]].<ref name="census"/> [[Abrahamic religions]] on the whole date back about 2500 years with the arrival of [[Judaism]],<ref>Katz, Nathan; & Goldberg, Ellen S; (1993) The Last Jews of Cochin: Jewish Identity in Hindu India, Foreword by Daniel J. Elazar Columbia, SC, Univ. of South Carolina Press. ISBN 0-87249-847-6</ref> followed by arrival of Christianity around 2000 years ago.<ref>[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0044-9202(1979)11%3A1%3C80%3ARAMISI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Z Israel J. Ross. Ritual and Music in South India: Syrian Christian Liturgical Music in Kerala. Asian Music, Vol. 11, No. 1 (1979), pp. 80-98]</ref>
Christianity came to India in two main periods, the first Century missionary activity linked to the Apostle [[Thomas the Apostle|Thomas]] by legend, and the [[Western culture|Western]] missionary activities from 1500 to 1975.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://old.mbconf.ca/mb/mbh3509/christin.htm
|title=Christianity in India
|author=
|publisher=M.B. Herald, Vol. 35, No. 9
|accessdate=2008-03-13}}</ref> [[Vasco da Gama]], seeking [[India]], discovered a sea route to [[India]] by circumnavigating the [[Cape of Good Hope]]<ref>[http://www.lib.umich.edu/area/sasia/dagama.htm '''Vasco da Gama collection''' on University of Michigan]</ref> which caused a major influence on both the histories of [[Europe]].<ref>[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0030-8684(195411)23%3A4%3C407%3AAAWDAS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-N K. M. Panikkar. Asia and Western Dominance: A Survey of the Vasco Da Gama Epoch of Asian History, 1498-1945 The Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 23, No. 4 (Nov., 1954), pp. 407-408]</ref>
The total number of Christians in India as per Census in 2001 are 24,080,016 or 2.34% of the population.<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Social_and_cultural/Religion.aspx CensusIndia 2001]</ref> There are three main regional concentrations of Christian population, namely in [[South India]], on the [[Konkan Coast]], and among [[Adivasi|tribal people]] in [[East India|East]], [[Central India|Central]], and [[North-East India]]. The states of [[Kerala]] and [[Tamil Nadu]] in [[South India]] and [[Arunachal Pradesh]] in [[North-East India]] account for 60% of India's total Christian population.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}
==Early Christianity in India==
{{main|Malankara Church|Saint Thomas Christians}}
[[Image:Thomasstamp.jpg|thumb|120px|left|St.Thomas]]
According to local legend, the dawn of [[Christianity]] in [[India]] dates back to [[52 AD]], with the arrival of [[Thomas (Apostle)|Saint Thomas]] to [[Kodungallur]] in [[Kerala]] and the establishment of the [[Seven Churches of Saint Thomas|Seven Churches]].<ref name="missick">Stephen Andrew Missick.[http://www.jaas.org/edocs/v14n2/missick.pdf Mar Thoma: The Apostolic Foundation of the Assyrian Church and the Christians of St. Thomas in India.] Journal of Assyrian Academic studies.</ref> As a carpenter, he offered to build a palace for the [[Indo-Parthian Kingdom|Indo-Parthian]] King [[Gondophares]],<ref>[http://betula.ccs.bbk.ac.uk:8686/corpdev/events/past_lectures/matthews/tom_shippey Tom Shippey. Bibliophobia: Hatred of the Book in the Middle Ages]</ref> later converting his daughter and her newly-wed groom,<ref>[http://www.stnina.org/journal/art/1.4.2 Susan Ashbrook Harvey. Women in the Syrian Tradition. The St. Nina Quarterly]</ref> before returning to [[Mylapore]], [[Chennai]] in [[72 AD]].
It is believed that he had attained [[martyrdom]] here.<ref name="missick"/> <ref name="neill">Stephen Neill. A History of Christianity in India: The Beginnings to AD 1707 ISBN 0521548853</ref> The [[Syrian Malabar Nasrani]] tradition goes back to the very beginnings of 1st century Christian thought and the seven churches that were established by St. Thomas among the natives and the [[Jew]]ish diaspora in Kerala. According to the Acts of Thomas, the Malabari Jews were the first Christians converted by Thomas in India, who had settled in Kerala since the time of [[Solomon|King Solomon]] of [[Israel]].
According to historians, St. Thomas who was himself a [[Jew]] by birth, evangelizing in [[Kerala]] and [[Tamil Nadu]], the Apostle is believed to have been martyred at [[St. Thomas Mount]] in [[Chennai]] and buried on the site of [[San Thome Cathedral Basilica|San Thome Cathedral]]. Members of the [[Syro-Malabar Church]], an eastern rite of the Catholic Church, adopted the [[Syriac language|Syriac]] liturgy dating from an unknown period before the 4th Century. In the 4th century, the Apostle’s relics were taken to [[Edessa, Greece|Edessa]] at the instance of the Bishop of Edessa. The Christian community founded by St Thomas has since developed into a number of churches during the [[Portuguese empire|Portuguese]] persecution, including [[Syriac Christianity|Syriac-rite]] churches in communion with the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], [[Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch|Antiochian Orthodox churches]], and [[Assyrian Church of the East|Nestorian churches]].
==Medieval Period==
[[Image:Nasrani menorah.JPG|thumb|left|The ''[[Nasrani Menorah]]'', the symbol of the [[Syrian Malabar Nasrani]] Christian community in [[South India]].]]
The [[Syrian Malabar Nasrani]] community was further strengthened by various [[Persian people|Persian]] immigrant settlers. The community was Christian-Jewish [[Knanaya]] colonies of third century, [[Manichaeanism]] followers and the Babylonian Christians settlers of 4th Century, the 7th Century Syrian settlement of Mar Sabor Easo and Proth, and the immigrant Persian Christians from successive centuries. The [[Kerala]] Syrian Church was in communion with Syrian Church and was belived to be under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians and the Patriarch of Babylonian till the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] arrival in the late 15th century. [[Bishops]] came from [[Syria]]. They seem to have maintained their identity for a long time in the first few centuries and later amalgamated into one patronized community known differently as [[Nasrani]], [[Malankara Christians]], [[Syrian Christians]].
The archaeological excavations at [[Pattanam]] show that the ancient port town of [[Muziris]] was in modern Kerala. The [[Periplus of the Erythraean Sea]] calls it of “leading importance” describing it: [[Muziris]], of the same kingdom, abounds in ships sent there with cargoes from [[Arabia]],it is located on a river, distant from Tyndis by river and sea five hundred stadia, and up the river from the shore twenty stadia.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
The South Indian epic of [[Manimekalai]] (written between 2nd and 3rd century CE) mentions the [[Nasrani]] people by the name Essanis referring to one of the early Christian-Jewish sect within the [[Nasranis]] called [[Essenes]]. The embassy of Alfred in 833 CE described the Nestorian Syrian Christians as being prosperous and enjoying high status in the Malabar coast. [[Marco Polo]] also mentioned the Nasranis and their ancient church in the Malabar coast in his writings [[Il Milione]].
==Early Modern Period==
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:NadamelChurch.jpg|260px|thumb|left|The [[Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church]] St. Mary's Church in [[Ernakulam]], [[Kerala]] which was originally built in 16th century]] -->
In the early modern periods, the [[French people|French]] missionaries were the first Europeans to touch Indian shores. The French missionary [[Jordanus|Jordanus Catalani]] arrived in [[Surat]] in 1320. After his ministry in [[Gujarat]] he reached [[Kollam|Quilon]] in 1323. He not only revived Christianity but also brought thousands to the Christian fold. The first Bishop of Quilon was received with great jubilation by the faithful of Quilon. He brought a message of good wishes from the Holy Father to the local rulers. As the first bishop in India , he was also entrusted with the spiritual nourishment of the Christian community in [[Kozhikode|Calicut]] , [[Mangalore]], [[Thane]] and [[Bharuch|Broach]] (north of [[Thane]]).<ref name="JOR">{{cite web
|url= http://www.quilondiocese.org/former%20prelates%20of%20diocese.htm
|title= THE GREATE PRELATES WHO SHAPED THE HISTORY OF DIOCESE OF QUILON |accessdate= 2008-01-17
|publisher= Quilon Diocese}}</ref>
[[Portugal|Portuguese]] missionaries had reached the [[Malabar Coast]] in the late [[15th century]], made contact with the [[Saint Thomas Christians|St Thomas Christians]] in [[Kerala]] and sought to introduce the [[Latin liturgical rites|Latin Rite]] among them. Since the priests for St Thomas Christians were served by the [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Christian Churches]], they were following Eastern Christian practices at that time. Throughout this period, foreign missionaries also made many new converts to Christianity. This led to the formation of the Latin Catholics in Kerala. Latin Catholics in Kerala today comprises the St Thomas Christians who accepted Latin Rite, found mostly in central Kerala, and the Christians converted by Portuguese influence and other missionary work, found mainly in the southern parts of Kerala.
[[Image:Se cathedral goa.jpg|260px|thumb|The [[Se Cathedral|Sé Cathedral of Santa Catarina]] is a [[cathedral]] dedicated to [[Catherine of Alexandria]], located in [[Old Goa]]]]
With the [[Papal bull]] ''[[Romanus Pontifex]]'' the patronage for the propagation of the Christian faith in Asia was given to the Portuguese. The Portuguese colonial government in [[Goa]] supported the mission in India with incentives for baptized Christians. They offered rice donations for the poor, good positions in the Portuguese colonies for the middle class and military support for local rulers<ref name="Daus">{{cite book
| last =Daus| first =Ronald | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Die Erfindung des Kolonialismus | publisher =Peter Hammer Verlag | date= 1983 | location =Wuppertal/Germany| pages =p.61-66 | url = | doi = | id =ISBN 3-87294-202-6}}</ref>.Early Roman Catholic missionaries, particularly the Portuguese, led by the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] [[Saint|St]] [[Francis Xavier]] ([[1506]]-[[1552|52)]], expanded from their bases on the west coast making many converts. Portuguese missionaries wanted to convert the population of Goa. As a result of Portuguese incentives many converted Indians were [[Opportunism|opportunistic]] ''Rice Christians'', who even practiced their old religion<ref name="Daus" />. This was seen as a threat to the immaculateness of the Christian belief. [[Francis Xavier|St. Francis Xavier]], in a 1545 letter to [[John III of Portugal]], requested an [[Inquisition]] be installed in Goa. However, it was not installed until eight years after Francis Xavier's death. Modern-day Goa has a substantial [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] population; around 30% of the population is Roman Catholic. The undecayed body of Saint Francis Xavier is still on public view in a glass coffin at the ''[[Basilica of Bom Jesus]]'' in [[Goa]].
[[Image:St. Aloyscus Church Mangalore.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The [[St Aloysius Chapel]] in [[Mangalore]]]]
Mangalore is one more significant region on the west coast which has a huge population of [[Christianity]]. In 1321, the [[French people|French]] Dominican friar [[Jordanus|Jordanus Catalani]] of Severac (in south-western [[France]]) landed in a place called [[Bhatkal]] near Mangalore and established a missionary station there. Many locals were converted to [[Christianity]] by [[Jordanus]]. .<ref name="JOR"/> However like the other tracts in India, the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] were unable to establish their presence in Mangalore due to the valiant [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagara]] ruler Krishnadevraya and the dauntless Bednore Queen of Mangalore [[Abbakka Rani]] of [[Ullal]]. [[Mangalorean Catholics]] were basically the descendants of [[Roman Catholicism in Goa|Goan Catholics]] who fled [[Goa]] during the Portuguese-Maratha Wars and the [[Goa Inquisition]]. The [[St Aloysius Chapel|St. Aloysius Chapel]] was later built in [[Mangalore]]. This chapel very closely resembles the world-famous [[Sistine Chapel]] in [[Rome]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.staloysius.ac.in/campus/chapel/index.php |title=The St. Aloysius College Chapel |accessdate= 2008-03-02 |publisher=St. Aloysius College}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPb6YtKRsXU |title=St. Aloysius Chapel |accessdate= 2008-03-02 |publisher=YouTube |author=aburad}}</ref>
[[Image:Kottayam Cheriapally.jpg|thumb|220px|left|The [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church|Malankara Orthodox]] St. Mary's Church in [[Kottayam]], [[Kerala]] which was originally built in 1579]]
In [[Mumbai|Bombay]], the high-class [[Hindu]]s were ceremoniously converted to [[Christianity]] by the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] in the 16th century. A large number of the converts were decendants of the [[Christian]] Community founded by [[Bartholomew the Apostle|Apostle St. Barthmolew]]. They were even referred to as the ''Portuguese Christians'' by the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]]. From the early days of the [[East India Company]], there were no other Indian [[Christian]]s in the North [[Konkan]]. With the defeat of the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] at the hands of the [[Maratha Empire|Marathas]] and later on the advent of the [[British Empire|British]], there came a lot of changes. With gradual development, the North [[Konkan]] region received the [[Roman Catholicism in Goa|Goan Catholic]] emigrants from [[Goa]]. On the occasion of ''The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria'', the [[Christian]]s of North [[Konkan]], who were known as ''Portuguese Christians'' discarded that name and adopted the designation ''[[East Indians (ethnic group)|East Indians]]''.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.east-indians.com/history.pdf |title='''East Indians''' (the indigenous Catholic inhabitants of Bombay, Salsette and Bassein) |accessdate= 2008-03-02 |publisher= The East Indian Community}}</ref>
Beginning in the eighteenth century, Protestant missionaries began to work throughout India, leading to the growth of different [[Christian]] communities. In 1793 [[William Carey]], an English [[Baptist]] Minister came to India as a [[Missionary]]. He worked in [[Serampore]], [[Calcutta]], and other places as a missionary. He started the [[Serampore College]]. He translated the [[Bible]] into Bengali.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/giants/biocarey2.html |title='''William Carey''' (The Cobbler Who Turned Discoverer) |author=Eugene Myers Harrison |accessdate= 2008-03-02 |publisher= Wholesome Words}}</ref> He worked until his death in 1834. [[Anthony Norris Groves]], [[Plymouth Brethren]] [[missionary]] came to India in 1833. He worked in the [[Godavari River|Godavari]] delta area. He worked in India until his death in 1852. Mormon missionaries, including [[Hugh Findlay]], arrived in Bombay and Pune in the early 1850s, but did not meet with success.
==Demographics==
[[Image:Distribution of Christians in Indian states.JPG|thumb|200px|Distribution of Christian population in different Indian states <ref name="census">[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm Population by religious communities]</ref>]]
The total number of Christians in India as per Census in 2001 are 24,080,016 or 2.34% of the population.<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Social_and_cultural/Religion.aspx CensusIndia 2001]</ref>
Majority of Indian Christians are [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] accounting for a total of 17.3 million members<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/4243727.stm
|title=Factfile: Roman Catholics around the world
|publisher=[[BBC]] News}}</ref>, including 408,725 members of the [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church|Syro-Malankara Church]]<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.malankaracatholicchurch.net/Statistics.htm
|title=Recapitulation of Statistics
|publisher=The Syro-Malankara Catholic Major Archiepiscopal Church}}</ref> and 3,674,115 of the [[Syro-Malabar Church]]<ref>http://www.smcim.org//about.htm</ref>. In January 1993 the Syro-Malabar Church and in February 2005 Syro-Malankara Church were raised to the status of [[major archbishop|major archiepiscopal churches]] by [[Pope John Paul II]]. The Syro-Malabar Church is the second largest among 22 Eastern Catholic Churches who accept the [[Pope]] as the "visible head of the whole church".
Most Protestant denominations are represented in India, as a result of missionary activities throughout the country. The largest Protestant denomination in the country is the [[Church of South India]], since 1947 a union of [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]], [[Reformed churches|Reformed]], [[Congregationalism|Congregational]], [[Methodism|Methodist]], and [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] congregations with approximately 3.8 million members<ref>[http://www.csichurch.com/ Church of South India<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. A similar [[Church of North India]] had 1.25 million members<ref>[http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?id=132&lg=eng Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. (These churches are in [[full communion]] with the [[Anglican Communion]].) The Mar Thoma Church has 900,000 members<ref>[http://www.indianchristianity.org/marthoma.html Indian Christianity<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, and derives from the [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]], which numbers 1.2 million <ref>[http://malankaraorthodoxchurch.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=122&Itemid=213 Malankara Orthodox Church - Malankara Orthodox Church<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and is in communion with the Anglicans, but not a full member. In 1961, the evangelical wing of the church came out of Mar Thoma Church and formed the St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India which has 10,000 members <ref>[http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_622.html Adherents.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. [[Oriental Orthodox| Syrian Orthodox Church of Malabar]] rites 1,200,000 members<ref>[http://www.syrianchurch.org/ Malankara Syriac Christian Resources - http://SyriacChristianity.org<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, respectively. There were about 1,267,786 million [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]]<ref>[http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_137.html Adherents.com: By Location<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, 648,000 Methodists<ref>[http://gbgm-umc.org/global_news/full_article.cfm?articleid=3171 GBGM Feature<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, and 2,392,694 Baptists in India <ref>[http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=437 Baptist World Alliance - Statistics<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. [[Pentecostalism]], another denomination of [[Protestantism]], is also a rapidly growing religion in India. It is spreading greatly in northern India and the southwest area, such as [[Kerala]]. The major Pentecostal churches in India are the Assemblies of God, [[The Pentecostal Mission]] (TPM - founded in 1923.<ref>[http://www.apts.edu/ajps/05-1/05-1-RHedlund.pdf Critique Of Pentecostal Mission By A Friendly Evangelical<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> <ref>http://www.missionstudies.org/conference/1papers/fp/Roger_Hedlund_Full_Paper.pdf</ref>), [[India Pentecostal Church of God]] (IPC) with 900,000 members.<ref>http://www.apts.edu/ajps/01-1/01-1-SBurgess.pdf</ref> New Apostolic Church founded in 1969, with total adherents of 1,448,209.<ref>http://www.apts.edu/ajps/01-1/01-1-SBurgess.pdf</ref> The New Life Fellowship (founded in 1968) now has approximately 480,000 adherents, and the Manna Full Gospel churches and ministries (founded in 1968 with connections to Portugal) has 275,000.<ref>http://www.apts.edu/ajps/01-1/01-1-SBurgess.pdf</ref> Evangelical Church of India now has over 680 churches with a 250,000 community.<ref>[http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_135.html Adherents.com: By Location<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Another prominent group is the Brethrens. They are known in different names [[Plymouth Brethren]], [[Indian Brethren]], [[Kerala brethren]]. Presbyterian Church of India has 823,456 members.<ref>[http://www.indianchristianity.org/presbyterian.html || Indian Christianity ||<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
From the late nineteenth century, the fastest growing Christian communities have been located in the northeast, among the [[Khasi]]s, [[Mizo]]s, and the [[Naga people|Nagas]]. Today Christians are most prevalent in the northeast, and in the southwestern states of Kerala and [[Goa]]. Indian Christians have contributed significantly to and are well represented in various spheres of national life. They are currently chief ministers of the states like [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Nagaland]], [[Mizoram]], and [[Meghalaya]], and they were chief ministers earlier of [[Kerala]], [[Manipur]], [[Goa]], and [[Chattisgarh]]. In the powerful election committee of the ruling [[Indian National Congress]] party, they take four out of twenty places.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
<caption> '''[[Christianity in India]]'''</caption>
|-
! Church Name
! Population
|-
|[[Roman Catholics]] Latin Rite<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/4243727.stm BBC NEWS | World | Factfile: Roman Catholics around the world<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|13,217,160
|-
|[[Roman Catholic]] [[Syro-Malabar Church]]<ref>http://www.smcim.org//about.htm</ref>
|3,674,115
|-
|[[Roman Catholic]] [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church|Syro-Malankara Church]]<ref>[http://www.malankaracatholicchurch.net/Statistics.htm Welcome to "The Syro-Malankara Catholic Major Archiepiscopal Church Website"<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|408,725
|-
|[[Church of South India]]<ref>[http://www.csichurch.com/ Church of South India<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|3,800,000
|-
|[[Baptist]]s<ref>[http://www.bwanet.org/default.aspx?pid=437 Baptist World Alliance - Statistics<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|2,392,694
|-
|New Apostolic Church<ref>http://www.apts.edu/ajps/01-1/01-1-SBurgess.pdf</ref>
|1,448,209
|-
|[[Church of North India]]<ref>[http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?id=132&lg=eng Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|1,250,000
|-
|[[Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church]]<ref>[http://malankaraorthodoxchurch.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=122&Itemid=213 Malankara Orthodox Church - Malankara Orthodox Church<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|1,200,000
|-
|[[Mar Thoma Church]]<ref>[http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?id=132&lg=eng Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|1,000,000
|-
|[[Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church]] of Malabar<ref>[http://www.syrianchurch.org/ Malankara Syriac Christian Resources - http://SyriacChristianity.org<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|1,200,000
|-
|[[Lutheranism|Lutherans]]<ref>[http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_137.html Adherents.com: By Location<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|1,267,786
|-
|Methodists<ref>[http://gbgm-umc.org/global_news/full_article.cfm?articleid=3171 GBGM Feature<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|648,000
|-
|[[India Pentecostal Church of God]]<ref>http://www.apts.edu/ajps/01-1/01-1-SBurgess.pdf</ref>
|600,000
|-
|[[Indian Brethren]]
|1,000,000
|-
|[[St. Thomas Evangelical Church]]<ref>[http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_622.html Adherents.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|30,000
|-
|Presbyterian Church of India<ref>[http://www.indianchristianity.org/presbyterian.html || Indian Christianity ||<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|823,456
|-
|New Life Fellowship<ref>http://www.apts.edu/ajps/01-1/01-1-SBurgess.pdf</ref>
|480,000
|-
|Manna Full Gospel<ref>http://www.apts.edu/ajps/01-1/01-1-SBurgess.pdf</ref>
|275,000
|-
|Evangelical Church <ref>[http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_135.html Adherents.com: By Location<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|250,000
|}
==Conflicts==
===Hindu-Christian conflict===
{{POV|date=December 2007}}
Historically, Hindus and Christians have lived in relative peace since the arrival of Christianity in India from the early part of the first millennium. The arrival of European colonialists brought about large scale missionary activity in [[South India]] and [[North-East India]]. Many indigenous cultures were converted to Christianity. Sometimes they were voluntary, and other times they were violent and forced, as in the [[Goa Inquisition]].
Then Hindus who converted to Christianity typically retained their social customs, including [[Caste system among Indian Christians|caste practices]].<ref>[http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9360711/Christian-caste Christian caste - Britannica Concise<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Aggressive proselytizing by Christian missionaries under British rule was a cause of resentment among Hindus and Muslims in the 19th century, who felt that their cultures were being attacked. This was one of the several causes of the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]] against the [[British Raj]]. Also, many Christian ideals prompted [[Hindu reform movements|reform movements]] within the Hindu society in the 19th century, the most notable being the [[Brahmo Samaj]], which was influenced by British Christian Unilateralism.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}. Some Indian Christians have retained Hindu customs and practices, and have combined Hindu customs with Christianity to achieve a unique brand of Indian Christianity. For instance, some Christians in India celebrate the Hindu festival of [[Diwali]] .<ref>[http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birodkar/hindu_history/christianity.html Christianity - Hindu Customs in the Christian Community in India<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
In more contemporary periods, Hindu-Christian amity is sometimes challenged by partisan politics and extremism from both communities. Christian missionary activity among lower-caste Hindus has created groups of [[Crypto-Christianity|Crypto-Christians]], particularly among [[Dalits]]. As a response to allegedly aggressive [[missionary]] activity four Indian states ([[Rajasthan]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], and [[Tamil Nadu]] mainly) have passed laws restricting or prohibiting [[religious conversion]].<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6050408.stm BBC Article dealing with conversion prohibition laws</ref> This has created some resentment in the Indian Christian community.
The Government of the state of Tripura has uncovered evidence to support the assertion that the [[Baptist Church of Tripura]] has been supporting the terrorist group [[National Liberation Front of Tripura]], a violent separatist group that has attacked and killed Hindus in the region and that has banned Hindu festivals by force.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/717775.stm BBC News article explaining links between the Baptist Church of Tripura & the NLFT</ref> The cause of the terror groups are supported by leadership of the American Baptist Churches USA. John Sundquist of International Ministries ABC/USA stated support for these groups in a release on Feb. 26, 1998.<ref>[http://www.internationalministries.org/updates/nagaland/nagaland020298.html ABC IM - Nagaland Crisis<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Muslim - Christian conflict===
Muslims in India and Pakistan who convert to Christianity have been known to be subjected to harassment, intimidation, and attacks. In [[Kashmir]], a 50 year old Christian convert named Bashir Tantray was killed, allegedly by Islamist militants, on November 21, 2006.<ref>[http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=6705 Christian convert from Islam shot dead in Kashmir], '''SperoNews'''</ref>
A Christian priest, K.K. Alavi, who is a convert from Islam, recently raised the ire of his former Muslim community and has received many death threats. An Islamic militant group named "The [[NDF India|National Development Front]]" actively campaigned against him.<ref>[http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Jan06/Art_Jan06_07.html Convert from Islam in India Remains on Death List], '''Christian Examiner'''</ref>
[[Image:Christian prayers in tamil on palm leaves.jpg|thumb|250px|A set of palm leaf manuscripts from the 15th century or the 16th century, containing [[Christianity|Christian]] [[prayer]]s in [[Tamil language|Tamil]]]]
==References==
<div class="references-small">
<references/>
*''This article includes material from the 1995 [[public domain]] [[Library of Congress Country Studies|Library of Congress Country Study]] on [[India]].''
*Trec International
*International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention
*American Baptist Convention
*''The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India'', Vol.I (India), Vol.II (Kerala)
</div>
==See also==
*[[List of notable Indian Christians]]
*[[Caste system among Indian Christians]]
*[[List of cathedrals in India]]
*[[List of Roman Catholic missionaries in India]]
*[[List of Protestant missionaries in India]]
*[[History of Pentecostalism in India]]
==External links==
*[http://indianpastors.org/ Directory of Pastors in INDIA and their Ministries]
*[http://anglicanhistory.org/india/chatterton1924/25.html A History of the Church of England in India]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07722a.htm Catholic encyclopedia - entry on India]
*[http://www.indianchristianity.com St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India-entries on various topics]
*[http://www.midindia.com Mid-India Christian Mission]
*[http://www.churchesinindia.com Churches In India]
*[http://www.pilgrimage-india.com/christian-pilgrimage/ Christian Pilgrimage sites in India]
{{Asia in topic|Christianity in}}
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[[Category:Christianity in India]]
[[no:Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church]]
[[pl:Chrześcijaństwo w Indiach]]