LUTHER W. NEW JR.

THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE, DEHRADUN

Assignment paper on

M.M. TH

Submitted to: Ms. Parul Kuruvilla

Submitted by: Safal Magar (B.Th. IV)

Submitted on: March 3rd, 2025

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE

INDIAN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

Introduction

1. Life of M.M Thomas (1916- 1996)

2. M.M. Thomas on Mission of the Church

3. MM Thomas on humanization and salvation.

4. MM Thomas in nation building

Conclusion
 Introduction: This paper explores Thomas’s life, his radical redefinition of salvation as
social and cosmic renewal, his advocacy for human dignity in nation-building, and his call for
the church to embody a prophetic, participatory role in shaping a just world. The idea is to point
out M.M. Thomas's Christological ideas and his perspective of mission.

1. Life of M.M Thomas (1916- 1996):

Madathiparampil Mammen Thomas was born into a middle-class Syrian Christian family on 15
May, 1916 at Kavungumprayar in central Kerala.1 His early Christian youth work and social
action in India projected him onto the scene after World War II. Thomas was a prolific writer
both in English and his native language Malayalam, and wrote over 60 books and close to a
thousand articles, some unpublished.2 Dr. MM Thomas, former governor of Nagaland (1990-
1992) and moderator of the central committee of WCC (World council of churches) was a great
theologian, a scholar of outstanding caliber and long-life champion of the cause of people’s
struggles for social justice and human rights.3

M. M. Thomas was one of the chief architects of the modern ecumenical movement. M. M.
Thomas has had the greatest influence on the modern ecumenical movement”. An outstanding
theologian, his original and rather unconventional explorations into ecumenical social ethics
remain highly relevant even today. Long before liberation theology burst on the scene, Thomas
raised his prophetic voice for the liberation of humanity from the dehumanizing structures. 4

Dr. MM Thomas was the leading representative of those who advocate a theology much more
closely related to modern, secular India and to the world of the Asian revolution.5 Dr. Thomas is
a layman, who as a student, and later on the staff of the world’s student Christian federation

1
T.M. Philip, The Encounter between Theology and Ideology: An Exploration into the
Communicative Theology of M.M. Thomas (Madras: CLS, 1986), 1.
2
PV Joseph, Boston University School of Theology: History of Missiology, accessed February
24, 2025, https://www.bu.edu/missiology/missionary-biography/t-u-v/thomas-madathilparampil-
mammen-1916-1996/.
3
CP Mathhew, Current Readings in Indian Christian Theology(Mumbai: India Christian
Movement for inter-faith relations,2005), 49
4
Jesudas M. Athyal, George Zachariah, and Monica Melanchthon, The Life, Legacy and
Theology of M. M. Thomas: ‘Only Participants Earn the Right to be Prophets.’ (New York:
Routledge, 2016), 1
5
Robin Boyd, An Introduction to Indian Christian Theology (ISPCK, 1998), 312.
became deeply involved in social and political questions, his theological apprenticeship taking
him into close contact with Marxism.6

During the last years of his life, Thomas closely associated with various people’s movements in
India. This helped him to develop a post-modern critique of development in which he try to
incorporate feminist and ecological positions. He took keen interest in program for social
actions, national alliance of people’s movement and national federation of fish workers, as well
as struggle of Dalits, Adivasis and women.7

Y. T. Vinay raj argues that M. M. Thomas was one of the post-independent Indian Christian
theologians who found significance in the theology of the crucified God to expose the failure of
the Absolutist political power of the state in India. Thomas’s theology, in the process of
formulating radical political theology in India offered a political logic of forgiveness founded on
his theology of the crucified God.8

2. M.M. Thomas on Mission of the Church:

According to Thomas, Church is a fellowship of the people of God and she doesn’t exist for
herself. It is only an instrument for the purpose of God in the world9

Thomas defines the church as diakonia (service or ministry) and states that one of the sad
realities of the church’s diakonia (service) in India is its inability to accept the church’s Social
Action groups (fight against unjust structures).10 His theology of mission is grounded in Christo-
centrism. Robin Boyd notes that Thomas was a man, “deeply and intelligently committed to
Christ, to the Church, to social and political justice, to Christian unity, and ultimately to the unity
of the whole human race.”11
6
Robin Boyd, An Introduction to Indian Christian Theology (ISPCK, 1998), 312.
7
CP Mathhew, Current Readings in Indian Christian Theology (Mumbai: India Christian
Movement for inter-faith relations, 2005), 50.
8
Jesudas M. Athyal, George Zachariah, and Monica Melanchthon, The Life, Legacy and
Theology of M. M. Thomas: ‘Only Participants Earn the Right to be Prophets.’ (New York:
Routledge, 2016), 3.
9
T. Jacob Thomas, M.M. Thomas reader: selected texts on theology, religion and society
(Thiruvalla: Christava Sahitya Samithi, 2002), 134.
10
M.M. Thomas, “A Post-Mission Approach to Mission,” ed. by T. Jacob Thomas, 155.
11
Robin Boyd, The Witness of the Student, 90.
It is the common historical responsibility of building a genuinely human community that brings
peoples of all religions and cultures within the dialogical framework of pluralism. It involves a
common movement into a technological culture but it also entails correcting the inhumanities
like State totalitarianism.12 The Mission of the Church in the pluralistic context must be
considered primarily in relation to the common human challenge which pluralism in a
technically unified world brings to us all. Of course in its train the consideration of the theme of
being human and common human values and goals will bring Trans historical questions of God,
salvation and immortality, in a challengingly relevant way, as the transcendent dimension of
being human is raised.13

According to M. M. Thomas, “the mission of the Church is not to save itself from the revolutions
of our time, but to discern to promise and judgment of Christ in them and to witness to his
kingdom in it, waiting for the day of final consummation.14

This evangelistic dimension of mission, for Thomas, was essential and the cutting edge of
Christian mission. However, he did not confine mission only to this concept, what he called the
ultimate destiny, but believed that mission must be understood in a broader perspective of the
struggle for humanization, the historic destiny—human rights and social justice. For him, the
mission of the Church is not only to be a philanthropist or nurse to humanity, but to be a sign
lifted up among the nations for Salvation and Judgment.15

Thomas argues that the dynamics of modern “secular culture” have their roots in a concept of
humanism rooted in the Christian gospel. However, due to the church’s failure to respond
positively to the values that emerged in Christian culture as implications of Christian humanism,
these values were instead realized in human history through secularist ideologies of humanism
(Liberalism and Marxism), which developed in opposition to the Christian faith. He notes that,

12
The Church’s Mission and Post-Modern Humanism, A talk at the Conference of Biblical
scholars at Kottayam on 28th Dec. 1993.
13
The Church’s Mission and Post-Modern Humanism, A talk at the Conference of Biblical
scholars at Kottayam on 28th Dec. 1993.

Thomas, Towards a theology of contemporary ecumenism, 77

M. M. Thomas, Christian Participation in Nation Building (Bangalore: NCCI and CISRS,

1960), 318.
since Catholic and Protestant Christianity opposed modernity as a rebellion against God, so the
rise of modernity was left to be interpreted within the framework of Enlightenment humanism. 16

3. MM THOMAS ON SALVATION AND HUMANIZATION:

Thomas writing in Salvation and Humanization stated – “Salvation remains eschatological, but
historical responsibility within the eschatological framework cannot but include the task of
humanization of the world in secular history.”17 M.M. Thomas' Christological understanding
emphasizes salvation as humanization, leading to a new community in Christ, indicating ultimate
fulfillment and inclusion in a new community.18

Salvation according to Thomas is “the spiritual inwardness of true humanization and that
humanization is inherent in the message of salvation in Christ19 Thomas's concept of salvation
consists of three dimensions: selfhood, self-identity, and group identity. Selfhood involves self-
awareness and distinctiveness from nature. Self-identity involves freedom, self-determination,
and the pursuit of truth in various fields20

For Thomas, humanization means making the human genuinely and fully human, liberated from
all social, political and religious dehumanization.21 The inwardness of humanization is salvation
and the outwardness of salvation is humanization. Thomas writes “Salvation has always been seen by
Christian missions in India in close integration with humanization.”22 Salvation is ultimately
eschatology, yet our responsibility in the present world, as part of that eschatological framework,
must include addressing the realities of humanization and secular history. The mission of
salvation and the process of humanizing society are closely connected, though they are not the

16
M.M. Thomas, The Church’s Mission and Post-Modern Humanism (Delhi: ISPCK, 1996), 59-
60.
17
M M. Thomas, “Salvation and Humanization: A Crucial Issue in the Theology of Mission for
India,” International Review of Mission 60, no. 237 (January 1971): 28-38. p. 30.
18
M.M. Thomas, Salvation and Humanization (Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1971),
4
19
M.M. Thomas, Salvation and Humanization,10
20
M.M.Thomas, Man and the universe of Faiths, (Madras: The Christian Institute for the study
of religion and Society),20-28
21
T. Jacob Thomas, M.M. Thomas reader : selected texts on theology, religion and society
(Thiruvalla: Christava Sahitya Samithi, 2002), 82
22
Thomas, Salvation and Humanization, 18-19.
same.23 M. M. Thomas in his book Salvation and Humanization defines Mission as “the
communication of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to the end that men may
respond in faith and be saved.”24

Thomas’ conception of humanization was not based on humanistic utopianism but on the hope
offered through the cross. Thomas acknowledged that “[m]mission is essentially evangelistic
mission or mission of salvation”25

4. MM Thomas in nation building:

Thomas pointed out that in response to the nationalist movements in Asia, Africa, Latin America
and the Middle East in the early decades of the twentieth century, the ecumenical movement
acknowledged the need to “understand and interpret theologically the politics of nationalism and
of nation-building as they emerged in the third world”26 In 1962 Thomas chaired the World
Council of Churches (WCC) working committee of Church and Society and in 1966 the Geneva
conference on ‘Christians in the Technical and Social Revolutions of Our Time. 27

The East Asia Christian Conference/Christian Conference of Asia assemblies in Bangkok (1968)
and Singapore (1973) noted that “nationalism as an ethos” was inadequate to bring freedom and
social justice to the people of Asia. The focus of the ecumenical movement, therefore, shifted to
the concept of “responsible society” that implied the affirmation of a human response to God’s
will in the struggles for the achievement of justice and freedom for all. Thomas contributed
richly to these discussions and brought back to India from the First Assembly of the WCC in
Amsterdam in 1948 the concept of “responsible society”. What is discussed in this section is a
brief theological review of Thomas’s understanding of nation-building and how, over the years,

23
M.M. Thomas, Salvation and Humanization, 8.
24
M.M. Thomas, Salvation and Humanization, 2.
25
M.M. Thomas, “Salvation and humanization: a crucial issue in the theology of mission for
india,” (Bangalore: CLS, 1971),30
26
M. M. Thomas. “Nation” in Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement edited by Nicholas
Lossky, José Míguez Bonino, John S. Pobee, Tom F. Stransky, Geoffrey Wainwright &
Pauline Webb (Geneva: WCC, 1991), 709.
27
Paul Abrecht, “M.M. Thomas and Paulos Mar Gregorios,” in M.M. Thomas: The Man and His
Legacy, ed. Jesudas M. Athyal (Kerala: The Thiruvalla Ecumenical Charitable Trust, 1997), 21
his thinking evolved in order to locate the marginalized sections of the society at the centre of his
reflections.28

For M.M. Thomas, participation of the church in nation-building with people of other faiths and
no faiths is one of its true mission and ministry. This participation of Christians in the life of the
nation and its people could be taken as an expression of Christian discipleship.29

There is the type of dialogue which seeks to come to grips with the central theological issues of each
faith. And thirdly there is a dialogue at the level of interiority. And among the three Thomas’ own
special interest is in the first type, where Christian and people of other faith meet together in the
context of modern, secular India in order to find common fields of action and service for the good of
the nation as a whole and of individual ‘persons.’30 Thomas argues that Christ is working in other
religions, and the growing awareness of these religions, especially Neo-Hinduism, so that they must
be involved in nation-building. So, Thomas believes that Christ is present and active in the history of
world religions, engaged in a continuous dialogue with humanity, affirming his Kingly rule over
them through the power of His law and His love31

Conclusion:

M.M. Thomas was a visionary leader whose ideas and actions deeply influenced both religion
and society. He taught that true salvation means fighting for human dignity, justice, and fairness,
blending spirituality with the struggle against oppression. Through his work, he connected faith
with real-world issues like poverty and inequality, urging believers to act for change. In India’s
journey after independence, he promoted democracy, unity among diverse groups, and ethical
leadership, helping shape a more inclusive nation. His life reminds us that faith can inspire social
transformation, calling everyone to build a world where spiritual values and equality go hand in
hand. M.M. Thomas’s legacy lives on as a guide for creating a kinder, fairer society.

Bibliography:

28
Jesudas M. Athyal, “M. M. Thomas’s Theology of Society” “Academia edu”, feb 28th
2025,https://www.academia.edu/94246724/M_M_Thomass_theology_of_society_an_overview_
JESUDAS_M_ATHYAL
29
M. M. Thomas, Christian response to the Asian Revolution (London: SCM Press, 1966), 104.
30
Robin Boyd, An Introduction, 312.
31
Shiri, Godwin. Contextualization: A Re-reading of M. M. Thomas (Bangalore: CSS &
ISPCK), 2007, 92.
1. Athyal, Jesudas M, George Zachariah, and Monica Melanchthon, The Life, Legacy and
Theology of M. M. Thomas: ‘Only Participants Earn the Right to be Prophets.’ New
York: Routledge, 2016.
2. Boyd, Robin. An Introduction to Indian Christian Theology. ISPCK, 1998.
3. Boyd, Robin. The Witness of the Student Christian Movement: Church Ahead of the
Church. London: SPCK, 2007.
4. Phillip, TM. The Encounter between Theology and Ideology. India: The New day
Publications of India, 1986.
5. Shiri, Godwin. Contextualization: A Re-reading of M. M. Thomas. Bangalore: CSS &
ISPCK, 2007.
6. Thomas, M. M. Christian response to the Asian Revolution. London: SCM Press, 1966.
7. Thomas M.M. “Nation” in Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement edited by Nicholas
Lossky, José Míguez Bonino, John S. Pobee, Tom F. Stransky, Geoffrey Wainwright
&Pauline Webb .Geneva: WCC, 1991
8. Thomas, M. M. Salvation and Humanization: A Crucial Issue in the Theology of Mission
for India. Bangalore: CLS, 1971.
9. Thomas, T. Jacob. M. M. Thomas Reader: Selected texts on Theology, Religion and
Society. Thiruvalla: CSS, 2002.
10. Thomas, M.M. Man and the universe of Faiths. Madras: The Christian Institute for the
study of religion and Society, 1975.
11. Thomas, M. M. The Church’s mission and post-modern humanism: A collection of
essays
And talks, 1992-1996. Delhi: CSS & ISPCK, 1996.
12. Thomas, M. M. Christian Participation in Nation Building. Bangalore: NCCI and
CISRS,
1960.
13. Thomas, M. M. Towards a theology of contemporary ecumenism : a collection of
addresses
to ecumenical gatherings, 1947-1975. Madras: Christian Literature Society, 1978.

14. Thomas M.M. 1993. “The Church’s Mission and Post-Modern Humanism,” A talk at the
Conference of Biblical scholars at Kottayam, 28th Dec. 1993.
Webliography:

1. Joseph,PV. “Thomas, M (adathilparampil) M (ammen) (1916-1996) Indian church