ABSTRACT
Christianity had its beginnings in the Middle East during the first century of the Common Era in and through the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was indicted as a criminal and crucified. His disciples claimed that he was resurrected from the dead on the third day and had shown himself to several of them. They began to proclaim his resurrection as good news in and around Jerusalem, and, traveling from Jerusalem to different parts of the Greco-Roman world of their day, they established Christian communities that included both Jews and Gentiles. It is believed that Saint Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus, traveled to India and established churches in India during that very first century. Although not all historians agree on the veracity of this claim, there is even today a Christian tradition in India that traces its beginnings to the arrival of Thomas in South India. It is certain, however, that Christianity was a part of the religious landscape of India from the fourth century onward, if not before.
