The Malankara Orthodox Church: Visit to the Oriental Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India

Ecumenical Review, The, April, 1999 by Dagmar Heller

The Malankara Orthodox Church: Visit to the Oriental Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India, Geneva, 1996, 100pp.

These books seek to make two relatively small, not widely known, churches better known especially among Eastern Orthodox but also among other Christians. In terms of their tradition and history these churches belong closely together. Both trace their roots back to the early church and to the see of Antioch (which is considered the see of the apostle Peter before he went to Rome). During the 5th century discussions took place about the relationship of the divine and human natures of Jesus Christ, and there was a split between those who accepted the decisions of the council of Chalcedon and those who did not. This led to there being two patriarchates of Antioch: one incorporating those who followed Chalcedon and remained with the Byzantine emperor; the other known today as the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch.

This church, which is the subject of one of the books under review, spread to the East and has existed in India since the 17th century. There, at the beginning of the 20th century, part of the church decided to become autocephalous, while the other part remained under the patriarchate of Antioch. The resulting autocephalous church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India, is the subject of the other book under review.

The Syrian Orthodox together with the Armenian Orthodox Church, the Ethiopians and the Copts form the family of Oriental Orthodox churches, which are not in communion with the Eastern Orthodox family of churches. But during the last decades important bilateral dialogues between the two "families" have led to full doctrinal agreement, including on issues which have divided them since Chalcedon, so that mutual full recognition can be expected soon. It is against this background of growing agreement that these two books try to help Eastern Orthodox Christians to discover their close "sister" Syrian churches. At the same time they help the Syrian faithful, who are spread over the whole world and live in minority situations, to rediscover their own roots.

In The Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East Christine Chaillot gives, in a first part, a brief overview of the history of the Syrian Orthodox Church, then describes the history and situation of Syrian Orthodox Christians in the various countries and regions (Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Europe, North and South America, Australia) where they are living today. The second part of the book deals with the Syrian spirituality, first giving an overview of Syriac literature and of studies of this language (which is close to the language which Jesus probably spoke and which is still the basis of the Syrian Orthodox liturgy). Chaillot then outlines the liturgical life of the church, including the order of the eucharistic liturgy, a description of the liturgical books and of the daily offices, as well as the liturgical year and the sacraments. She describes the importance, in the present situation, of the monastic tradition, and the role of monasticism, for the education of the people. Finally she gives an overview of spiritual authors, saints and martyrs and a description of contemporary spiritual figures.

The Malankara Orthodox Church: Visit to the Oriental Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India is organized in a similar way, looking at the history of the church and the life in the dioceses (including the seminary and monasteries), before giving an introduction to the spirituality of the church. A valuable addition is a chapter, about inculturation, which gives some insights into the struggle of this church to live out its heritage within the context of India and the Hindu culture. The Malankara Orthodox Church is looking quite seriously into the question, what elements from these Indian traditions can be "borrowed" for inclusion in an Orthodox church?

These books are not intended as a full and systematic description of these churches but are rather a mixture of travel report and factual presentation of information. Nevertheless, they give a good overview of the various aspects of these churches for readers who are interested in knowing more about them. The volumes are all the more valuable because (except for very specialized research not accessible to a wider public) there is little available literature in this area.

Both books are illustrated with many photos, but unfortunately the reproductions are very small. In addition the author gives postal addresses of relevant institutions and persons, as well as internet addresses, where more information can be found. This makes the books quite helpful for persons who want to inform themselves not only on a theoretical level but who are used to learning about other traditions by visiting them. Both books are an important resource for the ecumenical task of every Christian to gain a better understanding of churches other than their own.

Dagmar Heller (Evangelical Church in Germany) is an executive secretary in Faith and Order, World Council of Churches.