Saint Thomas Christian
Eastern icon of Thomas the Apostle
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| Regions with significant populations | |
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| India (Kerala, Bangalore, Mumbai); UAE (Dubai); Oman; Kuwait; USA (New York City metropolitan area, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Tampa, Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Los Angeles); Canada (Toronto, Edmonton) | |
| Languages | |
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Vernacular: Malayalam Liturgical: Syriac (Aramaic) |
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| Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Cochin Jews,Malayalis, Knanaya |
Vernacular: Malayalam
The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians or Nasrani, are a community of Syriac Christians from Kerala, India, who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century.
Historically, the Saint Thomas Christian community was part of the Church of the East, centered in Persia. They were organised as the Province of India in the 8th century, served by Nestorian bishops and a local dynastic Archdeacon. In the 16th century the overtures of the Portuguese padroado to bring the Saint Thomas Christians into the Catholic Church led to the first of several rifts in the community and the establishment of Catholic and Malankara Church factions. Since that time further splits have occurred, and the Saint Thomas Christians are now divided into several different Eastern Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, and independent bodies, each with their own liturgies and traditions.
Saint Thomas Christians represent a multi ethnic group. Saint Thomas Christian culture is largely derived from Jewish, East Syrian, West Syrian and Hindu influences, blended with local customs and later elements derived from indigenous Indian and European colonial contacts. Their language is Malayalam, the language of Kerala, and Syriac is used for liturgical purposes.
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