Book Description

This thesis is an attempt to explore M. M. Thomas's theological framework with a view towards gaining a better understanding of Thomas's Christology. First, I briefly considered the need for a concrete Christology today, the Indian context, and the life of M. M. Thomas. Then, taking the Indian context and the life of Thomas into consideration, I recognized how Thomas relates the meaning of Christ to the reality of Indian society in his time. The next subject examined Thomas's interaction with Indian Christian and non-Christian thinkers on the person of Christ. This helped me more clearly discern the outline of Thomas's theology. The final subject was Thomas's view of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, who in his view transforms the world toward the realization of "New Humanity." With these analytic methods, I turned to my critical evaluation of Thomas's contribution. I examined the meaning of the "New Humanity" for Thomas, and how Thomas formulated his own theology with the idea of New Humanity, in relation to the former subjects. On my evaluation of Thomas's contribution, I could discern Thomas's theological framework which can facilitate more communication of the gospel with the contemporary world while emphasizing the centrality of Christ. Moreover, I could comprehend how he developed an integral relationship between his concern for communication and the theological task of the church's mission.