A BOOK REVIEW

Sugirtharajah.R.S. and Hargreaves. Cecil, Readings in

Indian Christian Theology

Sugirtharajah.R.S and Hargreaves. Cecil, Readings in Indian Christian Theology, volume- 1,

   Delhi, ISPCK, 1997.

Paperback

ISBN: 81-7214-139-4

Pages: 261

Price- 60/-

God is in every context where the human being lives on the face of the earth as Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:19 “that God has manifests Himself to everyone”. Since there is different context therefore the Christian mission is always contextual mission. Without analyzing the context of other one may find difficult to communicate, therefore it is very essential to understand other context to effective communication. India is rich in its context of theology, Every time the message about Jesus Christ encounters the Indian people in their own contexts, there

Indian theology is being created.  Therefore the authors R.S. Sugirtharajah( is lecture in third world theologies at Selly Oak colleges.Birminggham,and was formarly on the staff of Tamilnadu Theological Seminary,Madurai and of Serampore College.) and Cecil Hargreaves,(is a former vice-principal of Bishop’s College,Calcutta,and subsequently general secretary of the conference of British Missionary Societies), have brought some insight to the Indian believers.

This book is a collection from different articles which speak about the theological context of Indian theologians, it contain 4 part (1) Method and ways of doing theology, (2) Indian Christian understanding of Jesus Christ,(3) People stories and their theologies,(4)Indian Biblical hermeneutics. This research starting with the method and the ways of doing theology in Indian context for the effective Christian mission, in the midst of various theological understanding, then it provides the stories of the different theologian who experienced Jesus Christ in their personal life and they want to express their own understanding about Jesus Christ. some of notable saying is to be noted: Sadu sundar Singh  says (after giving an Illustration) “Indians do need the water of life, but not in the European cup”.Vengal Chacckaria “We should receive the immortal Christ as the Universal sprit of love and truth (sat, chit,and Anand) and not as a separated individual” P.Chenchia “Jesus is a cosmic fact a cosmic fact can reveal its full meaning only in a cosmic context”. In this book often I found there is some contradiction understanding of the Christian doctrine of different theologians, but they all are  exposing it in a  way of Indian context that every Indian believers have no any object to accept their teaching on Christian faith

This book is focused to relate the Biblical truth in to the Indian belief and to evangelize the Indian through Indian theological context. It would have to be better if some practical way of evangelize because most of the Indian are unaware of the theology, moreover the era changing in to the post modernism most Indian does not have the theological understanding even of their own context. However this book is relevant to Christian mission in India and it will give much understanding of Indian belief. I recommended this book to the Indian mission worker and theological student it will be helpful to know more about Indian faith.