The Contribution of CSI Christians to the Development of Culture in Kerala

Abstract

The Church of South India, constituted in 1947 through the union of Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregationalist denominations, represents one of the twentieth century's most significant ecumenical achievements. In Kerala, the church inherited the institutional legacy of two centuries of Protestant missionary work , chiefly from the Church Missionary Society and the London Missionary Society , together with elements of the older St. Thomas Christian community. This paper argues that CSI Christians have been principal architects of Kerala's modern cultural personality in five domains: education, the press and literature, music and worship, social reform, and healthcare. Across these domains, the community has mediated between indigenous religious traditions and modern institutional forms, producing a hybrid Christian culture that has shaped the state's literary, social and artistic life.