Pandipeddi Chenchiah (1886–1959), spelt also as Pandippedi Chenchiah, was a first generation indigenous convert to Christianity, a South Indian Christian theologian, a jurist, a radical thinker and part of the Rethinking Christianity in India group which worked for the Indianisation of Christianity. He published Rethinking Christianity in India, as an Indian Christian answer to the Hendrik Kraemer's The Christian Message in a Non-Christian World.[1] [2]
He and his brother-in-law Vengal Chakkarai were the founders of Madras Christo Samaj, influenced by Calcutta Christo Samaj which had been founded by K.C. Banerjee and J.G. Shome at the time that both Madras Presidency and Calcutta were British East India Company provinces - later part of British Raj.[3] [4] [5] [6]
Chenchiah was born into a Hindu Brahmin home in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh (India), in 1886. He was the oldest of 12 children who grew up together. At the age of 15, Chenchiah converted to Christianity, along with his family and he was baptized by William Miller, a Scottish Missionary. Chenchiah went on to marry Matilda Raghaviah, and had 1 son and 4 daughters.
Chenchiah got his education from Madras Christian College which had grown enormously under William Miller, a Scottish missionary and the school principal. He received a degree in philosophy in 1906, where he received a gold medal for "proficiency in Philosophy." He then did his Bachelor of Laws degree (BL) in 1908, and a Master of Laws degree (ML) in 1913, from Madras Law College. He started his practice as an advocate of High Court of Madras, served as government servant in various offices.[1] [2] [3] [6] One source states that Chenchiah became the Judge of the district of Pudukottah, in the Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu), in 1928. Another source provides a later date, saying that Chenchiah became a Judge in 1935.[7] According to V. Devasahayam, Chenchiah "retired from that position after refusing to yield to Government pressure to pass a verdict in their favor." Chenchiah rejoined the Madras High Court, and became the Chief Examiner of the Law exams for the Madras and Andhra Universities.
Chenchiah was a "voracious reader," and "it was through this interest in philosophy and ethics that Chenchiah grew in prominence in Christian circles." He pursued "active friendships with people of others faiths" and was involved in several formal and informal inter-faith discussions.
Chenchiah "wrote for two prominent Christian journals, Guardian and The Pilgrim," and served as the editor of The Pilgrim from 1949 to 1952. He was also on the editorial committee of the Christian Patriot, an Indian Christian nationalistic organ, between 1916 and 1924. He was a member of Board of Directors of YMCA, Madras(present Chennai). He also served as a member of Executive committee of the National Missionary Society. He was one of the founders of Madras Christo Samaj in Madras Presidency, and was actively associated with the Bangalore Continuation conference for the discussion association with problems of Indian Christian life.[3] Apart from this, Chenchiah represented the South Indian Union Church at the International Missionary Conference at Jerusalem (1928) and was listed as a "Judge" at the International Missionary Conference at Tambaram (1938).
His most significant association was with the "Madras Rethinking Group," which produced the book Rethinking Christianity in India. Some have pointed out that it was William Miller, who played a major role in encouraging Chenchiah and his brother-in-law Vengal Chakkarai Chetti to rethink Christianity within the Indian context, possibly in an effort to integrate Hinduism and Christianity.[8]
Chenchiah died on April 19, 1959, in Madras.
Chenchiah was a prolific writer and wrote on several themes, but his main focus was on rethinking Christianity in the Indian context. His literary contributions are in the form of numerous articles he contributed to the periodicals, "The Patriot", "The Guardian," and two books he co-authored with others, "Rethinking Christianity in India", and "Āsramās Past and Present." Two of his most significant works are long reviews of two books. The first is his review written as an Indian reply to Hendrik Kraemer’s Barthian broadside, "The Christian Message in a Non-Christian World," appeared in 1938 on the eve of the International Missionary Council’s world conference at Tambaram, Madras, South India. This review is included in the book "Rethinking Christianity in India." His other major review of Marcus Ward’s "Our Theological Task" appeared in The Guardian 1947.[9]
Chenchiah is one of the Christian theologians featured in Robin Boyd's Introduction to Indian Christian Theology. In it, Boyd states that Chenchiah was primarily Christological in his thinking and focussed upon the integration of Hinduism and Christianity. Chenchiah was forced to resign his post as editor of ‘The Pilgrim’ after facing pressure from his promoting of Christians and Hindus praying together.
Samuel George’s 2013 book ‘’Christology’’ suggests that Chenchiah believed in an inclusive Christology.[10]
David Muthukumar has suggested that Chenchiah’s theology was heavily influenced by his contemporary Master C. V. V..[11] He was also seen as a successor to Brahmabandhav Upadhyay and Sundar Singh.[12]
Chenchiah spoke against the Western Christian theology and Church practice; inspired by the teachings of Aurobindo Ghose, Teilhard de Chardin, and Master C.V.V, and also basing his thoughts on New Testament, he developed a new interpretation of Christian doctrine. He was one of the founders of Christo Samaj of Madras in 1908 with an aim of coordinating the country, the church, and the mission to the supreme purpose of Jesus Christ. Its leaders, including V. Chakkarai, S.K. George, P.A. Thangasami, and others met every year in South India to discuss political, economical, and religious issues. The members of this group later came to be known as The Rethinking Group.[3] [4] [5]
He was instrumental in the formation of Rethinking Christianity Group in India, after the publication of Rethinking Christianity in India, in 1938, as Indian Christian's reply to Church-centered missiology of V.S. Azariah and Hendrik Kraemer's The Christian Message in a Non-Christian World, a Barthian theology. He led the group of Indian Christians along with G.V. Job, Vengal Chakkarai, and formed Rethinking Christianity Group in Madras[13] that argued that Indian Christian community could not ignore the common Hindu heritage, its culture, and traditions.[1] [2] [6] [14] [15]
In his article Rethinking Christianity in India, Chenchiah countered Kraemer's understanding of religion. He believed there are two possible realities at the core of every religion; one, a pivotal personality like Rama, Krishna, Jesus, or Budha; two, the discovery of a truth or principle as the all-inclusive nature of Brahman. According to Chenchiah, "A religion grows up around one or both of these realities, providing different means to comprehend the principle and follow and emulate the personality." Though Chenchaih agreed Kraemer's belief that religion is a human creation, both Chenchaih and Kraemer took different approaches to the study of religion; Kraemer on one hand, advocated a missionary's approach - the missionary perceives Christianity as the one means to understand God and studies other religions either out of curiosity or to affirm his conviction of Christianity's superiority - Christian revelation is the only means to understand God, an approach pivotal to the Kraemer's missiology; Chenchaiah on the other hand, being a second generation convert, seems to had grown dissatisfied with what the Church had to offer in response to the Indian context in which he lived and through which he was trying to understand the faith. He, like other Indian indigenous converts, studied other religions to rediscover the message of Christianity. In addition, Chenchiah seems to had interest in comparing religions as systems and then showing what they have in common and where they differ.[1]
He considered Christianity to have represented a new stage in the evolution of man; hence, with the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians can become one with Him, and so become a "new creature." He advocated his entire life the policy of "Christian policy" - to live Christ is to preach Christ. According to him, human history has begun a new revolutionary chapter in Jesus - the fact of Christ is the birth of a new order in creation; Christianity is not primarily a doctrine of salvation but the announcement of the advent of a new creative order in Jesus - The Christian is a new creation - The Holy Spirit is the new cosmic energy - the kingdom of God is the new order - the children of God, the new type that Christ had inaugurated.[16] [17]
He was baptized along with his father, when he was a boy and raised as a Christian from infancy; however, he believed that the Christian faith must be open to receive new insights from Indian culture. He felt uneasy with Western concept of Church and advocated for a new indigenized Christ-ism from the gospels, using his Hindu perspective.[1] [6] [16]
Critics pointed Chenchiah for giving undue weightage to the epic figures like Krishna and Rama of Hinduism. Both Chenchiah and Kraemer differed in the way Christian religion is differentiated with Christian faith. According to Chenchiah:
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