Songs as Locus for a Lay Theology: Moshe Walsalam Sastriyar and Sadhu Kochukunju Upadeshi

By Philip K. Mathai and Mark Bangert

Hymns and songs have long been the most frequent and characteristic expression of communal beliefs, particularly among faith traditions that lack authoritarian or rigidly codified doctrinal statements. Even among Christian traditions that do include a strong focus on creeds, catechism and liturgy, it is hymnody, more than anything else, that sustains their lay theology.
The hymns of Moshe Walsalam Sastriyar (1847-1916) and Sadhu Kochukunju Upadeshi (1883-1945)--both from the Kingdom of Travancore in southwest India--transcend denominational boundaries and have been embraced far beyond their historical communities of origin as a means of articulating faith and spirituality.
Against a missionizing backdrop of western-dominated hymnody and theology, these songs and writings from the fringes of colonialism were embraced by local communities and became their chosen expression of faith. As such, they evoked a lay consciousness quite distinct from official theologies of the church.
In Walsalam and Kochukunju, along with other Christian writers of their period and culture, we see a unique inter-weaving of local traditions and the global Christian message--one that transformed social and spiritual relationships for individuals and their communities alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Release date: Feb 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9781532645785

Philip K. Mathai

Philip Karimpanamannil Mathai is pastor of Mount Zion, Waterloo, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and is adjunct faculty at Martin Luther University College. Previously, as pastor in the Northern Illinois Synod of the ELCA, he compiled and edited the South Asian hymnal Jeevan Sangeeth for the ELCA Association of Asians and Pacific Islanders. Rev. Mathai’s roots are in the Mar Thoma Church, a denomination of the St. Thomas tradition in India.

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Songs as Locus for a Lay Theology

Moshe Walsalam Sastriyar and Sadhu Kochukunju Upadeshi

Philip K. Mathai

Foreword by Mark Bangert

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Songs as locus for a Lay Theology

Moshe Walsalam Sastriyar and Sadhu Kochukunju Upadeshi

Copyright © 2019 Philip K. Mathai. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

Pickwick Publications

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www.wipfandstock.com

paperback isbn: 978-1-62564-550-0

hardcover isbn: 978-1-4982-8718-0

ebook isbn: 978-1-5326-4578-5

Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Names: Mathai, Philip K., author. | Bangert, Mark Paul, foreword.

Title: Songs as locus for a lay theology : Moshe Walsalam Sastriyar and Sadhu Kochukunju Upadeshi / Philip K. Mathai ; foreword by Mark Bangert.

Description: Eugene, OR : Pickwick Publications, 2019 | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: isbn 978-1-62564-550-0 (paperback) | isbn 978-1-4982-8718-0 (hardcover) | isbn 978-1-5326-4578-5 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Music. | Theology. | Philosophy, Religion and Theology. | Communication and the Arts. | India. | Indian Christian Expressions of Bhakti. | Kochukunju Upadeshi, Sadhu. | Lay Theology. | Lay Theology and Faith. | Lex Orandi Lex Credendi. | Malayalam Hymns/Songs. | Songs. | Walsalam Sastriyar, Moshe.

Classification: BR50 .M37 2019 (print) | BR50 .M37 (ebook)

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: Socio-cultural and Religious Contexts of Travancore during the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

Chapter 2: Doxology and Theology—Bhakti, the Indian Doxological Tradition of Songs

Chapter 3: Moshe Walsalam (1847–1916)

Chapter 4: Sadhu Kochukunju Upadeshi (1883–1945)

Conclusion

Appendix I

Appendix II

Appendix III

Appendix IV

Appendix V

Appendix VI

Bibliography

To my grandparents and parents

Foreword

This book has much to offer, some of which is obvious and transparent, some of which is subtly momentous.

The story of a relatively unknown body of songs unfolds before us clearly and its significance is easily apparent. At all times and in all places, it seems, theologians and historians have wondered about the dynamics between belief and ritual. Sides have been taken over which comes first, or over an imagined hierarchy, or over the ranking of diverse systems devised by Christians, for example, to negotiate inherent tensions. Right in the midst of that continuing lively conversation author Philip Mathai proposes that a significant body of East Indian Christian song represents and mediates for its constituents an operating theology, thereby rendering it as a theological locus serving as creed, catechism, purveyor of Scripture and a kind of moral compass.

In order to fully track the trajectory of this proposal the reader receives preparation through a carefully crafted contextualization process (especially useful to the Western reader) that includes an introduction to the region of Travancore, located in the southwest corner of India and home to the major players in this study, and a review of the political, religious and cultural currents that shaped the lives of the region’s people over several millennia. Vivid insights into the caste system provide markers along the way while the complexities of global religious influences offer a counterpoint to the local ebb and flow of Christian groups. Of particular interest is the author’s clear rendering of the origins of the St. Thomas Christians and how they both were affected by and responded to the ever-evolving religious scene. Mathai compactly presents an amazing amount of detailed background, enabling his readers to grasp fully the significance of what is to follow.

The core of his study are two hymnists, Moshe Walsalam Sastriyar (1847–1916) and Sadhu Kochukunju Upadeshi (1883–1945). Roughly contemporary, the two individually authored what can be taken jointly as a sizable body of hymnody that is theologically coherent, still widely popular, and prophetically contextual, that is, the songs constitute Christian faith in an Indian Cup (p. 192)[x-ref]. Indicative of their pioneering efforts is the matrix of the Bhakti tradition of spirituality from which these two poets took both formal and idealistic direction. The results provide the careful reader with more than a casual look at Christian missions in a foreign country with multiple languages and gurus. Here one comes face to face with a faith going through the productive business of taking root in a culture with an august and profound history. In conspicuous ways, then, the author has expanded perspectives on Indian Christian theology and preserved for posterity documentation of an influential corpus of Indian Christian song.

The not so obvious significance of this study, and that which renders it momentous, lies in the author’s methodology, that is, in his wise choice to tell his story in the assembly of the church at large as it passionately encounters pressing questions regarding worship, identity and place. This manifests itself in two ways.

First, the flurry of interest in ethnic church music—or global hymnody, however you wish to name it—beginning in the late 1970s led both to a kind of church musical tourism and to the expansion of denominational hymn collections via new worship books, supplements, or sometimes both. The intentions behind these productions were mostly genuine and laudable, and surely yielded widespread enrichment, but were nevertheless not free from that typically Western habit of seeking a new product without regard for producer—a danger that every ethnomusicologist is warned against. Elsewhere I have written that respect for the cultures from which musical gifts come:

entails a posture of reception that rules out (especially) Western tendencies to plunder other musical cultures for artifacts that titillate or reward a thirst for the exotic . . . [Respect] ultimately means allowing the music to lead one to the people whose it is, to their joys and sorrows, their unique insights into God’s love for them and for the part of the earth they inhabit.¹

Even though Mathai has edited a song collection for use by South Asian Christians in diaspora his project here is not to purvey hymns to non-Indian cultures, although many of the texts are endearing and worthy of use by anyone seeking to explore the Bhakti tradition of meditation. Rather, this book takes us to the people, its real gift being the open hearts these texts freely and vulnerably channel.

Second, the Lutheran World Federation sponsored a five-year study on worship and culture (1993–1998) that yielded three volumes of essays on subjects related to the theme together with a series of statements. Of the latter the Nairobi Statement (1996) has attracted the most attention since it proffers a kind of methodological framework through which matters of worship and culture can be addressed. Briefly, it proposes that nearly every factor can be addressed as an element that is either transcultural, contextual, cross-cultural, or countercultural. Much has been written about these categories and their usefulness. Recently, authors from the southern hemisphere have questioned assumptions about what is transcultural, while others have noted that colonialism has rendered meaningless the notion of what’s contextual in a culture, opting instead to think of cultures where Christianity has taken root as mixed, even mongrel.²

Mathai knows these things and in fact proposes that we understand these songs and their users as evidence of hybridity, a word now often used by those trying to find their way through the thickets of postcolonialism. In a sense he is an important voice in the post-Nairobi conversation regarding worship and culture, showing how these songs represent what one might call a transcultural faith that flowers in the Bhakti meditative tradition. One can’t help but see that there is some trailblazing going on here. And if it should happen that the hymns herein are never again tuned into auditory existence—as he implies (what a pity), Mathai’s study nevertheless counts as highly important because of his mapping of the tectonic movements of worship and culture.

Mark Bangert

John H. Tietjen Professor of Worship and Church Music, emeritus

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

1. Bangert, The Last Word?,

130

.

2. See essays by Gordon Lathrop, Scott Anderson, and Stephen Burns in the volume noted above.

Acknowledgments

Writing a dissertation and further working on it for publication could be a lonely, isolating, and depressing endeavor if it were not for the support, encouragement, and inspiration of mentors, friends, and family. There are many that have been part of this journey and contributed significantly, in various ways, to make this goal a possibility and I am indebted to all who contributed in making this a reality and not remain in the realm of maya! In that, this was, in the profoundest sense, an experience of grace!

I remain grateful that the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) was most sensitive to my financial, theological and academic needs, and provided a conducive space for candid and meaningful theological inquiry, and widen my horizons. I am indebted to my professors at LSTC, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago Theological Seminary and the University of Chicago for their contributions in my academic pursuits.

My journey in the academics also took me to new horizons of vocation and I am grateful for all the patience and support of members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Yorktown, Illinois; Faith Lutheran Church, Chicago, Illinois; and Trinity Lutheran Church Lanark, Illinois, while a student. I could not have accomplished this without these homes away from home. I am also indebted to the Purnajiwan South Asian Church, Chicago, for making it possible for me to reflect on the nuances of the role of music and songs in the expression of faith by a community. My sincere gratitude to the Northern Illinois Synod of the ELCA, and the ELCA Churchwide Offices for all the support during my program.

I deeply owe my doctoral committee, Professors Jose David Rodriguez, Mark Bangert, Mark Swanson, and Mark Thomson, for sharpening my skills, polishing my output, and widening my horizons, their comments and suggestions were very astute and fitting.

I deem it a privilege to have had Professor Vitor Westhelle as my mentor to guide me through the journey of writing my dissertation. He was more than an advisor but a friend, always readily available and, though a man of few words, his critiques and comments were always extremely perceptive, appropriate, and insightful.

I wish to thank the many friends and family, especially Dr. George Zachariah Kidangalil, who stoked in me the passion to explore the role of songs and music in the sustenance and formation of the faith and beliefs of a community, it was their encouragement and support that gave me the drive to persevere. I would like to specially mention my maternal grandparents and my own parents who introduced me to the songs of my root community, especially that of Sadhu Kochukunju, my maternal grandmother’s father.

The folks at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Ontario, have been especially supportive as I worked on the manuscript for publication. Very special thanks to Ms. Pauline Finch who painstakingly went through the manuscript and skillfully transformed it, as she herself says, from a dissertation to a book that anyone could read!

None of this would have been possible without the love and patience of my family. Our daughter Cheryl, and our son Cherub, lived most of their lives through the ranting and frustrations and also the joys and celebrations of this journey. They were wonderful in cheering me on and mature beyond their years in perceiving the travails of having both parents doing the doctoral program at the same time and adjusting to that. If not for Joy (Dr. Mary Philip), my wife, companion, and friend, this would never have materialized. Through this journey, she was ever at my side, through all the highs and lows, egging me on. No words can express my gratitude and love.

Introduction

While at Drew University, I attended a camp for South Asian theological students studying in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. One evening, as we sat around the bonfire, I found myself alongside a friend from the Pentecostal Church. Another student was getting ready to lead the singing. As I was new to the group, my Pentecostal friend filled me in on the various people in the circle, including the young man about to lead the music. "(Name) takes a very radical stand in public, he said, but wait till he starts singing; that will show what he truly believes."

My friend’s words struck a deep chord, for although my initial academic interest was in the area of theology of religions and the context of religious plurality in theologizing,¹ the songs of Sadhu Kochukunju² I’d learned within the church of my roots captured my attention long before I started PhD studies. While at LSTC (Lutheran School of Theology Chicago), I compiled a hymnal called Jeevan Sangeeth for South Asian mission congregations of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), published in 2003 by the ELCA’s Association of Asians and Pacific Islanders. While deliberating with the team as we selected and assembled these songs, what struck me was how richly they reflected the theology of those who sang these songs regularly in corporate and family worship; they were truly music from the heart. That hymnal experience, along with conversations among friends with whom I shared my interest, led me to focus on Moshe Walsalam³ and Sadhu Kochukunju; I wanted to explore how their songs and writings impacted the church in Central and South Travancore (India), and how they reflected (and still reflect) the faith and spirituality of people in the pews. Instead of moving from theoretical to practical applications, as most research tends to do, my work in this context begins with the use of these musical resources and examines the theoretical aspects of why we use them.

Thesis

Hymns and songs used by a given community have been seen as the most frequent and characteristic expression of that community’s beliefs. As C. Daniel Crews says of Moravians’ beliefs in his article, Zinzendorf: Theology in Song, our doctrine tends to be sung [rather] than spoken.⁴ In Lutheranism, hymnody may not be on the same plane as creeds, confessions, and catechisms, but for faithful believers, it is hymns that remain in their hearts and on their lips as a primary expression of praise, worship, and the means of articulating their perception of the Divine.

This is especially true of the churches in India that do not depend as much on codified statements of faith and doctrine, as compared to the confessions, catechisms, and Book of Concord. Besides the creeds, liturgy and traditions of the church, the most observable expression of the beliefs and faith of congregational communities are their hymnodies, especially in non-liturgical contexts. Studying the hymnodies of South India in particular reveals that the authors of these local and regional hymns⁵ were mostly lay evangelists, musicians, or of other professions. Many had little or no formal theological or even musical training, yet their songs gained wide popular usage and found their way into more formal compilations. So one could justly affirm that these hymns express the lay theology of the Indian church.

This book focuses primarily on the texts of Moshe Walsalam Sastriyar and Sadhu Kochukunju Upadeshi, whose hymns had a significant influence on their respective churches. Their songs will be used as the locus theologicus, or source of lay theology, hence the title: Songs as Locus for a Lay Theology: Moshe Walsalam Sastriyar and Sadhu Kochukunju Upadeshi. Other writings, where available, are also used to throw additional light on aspects of their thoughts and beliefs.

The Socio-cultural and Religious Context of Travancore during the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

Historical developments from the dawn of the Common Era (CE) and the Sangam Period (covering the first 500 years of the Common Era) are traced. This period gave birth to Malayalam culture and language around the eighth century CE. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were very significant in the history of Travancore/Kerala and of Christianity in particular; this was primarily due to the work of the London Missionary Society (LMS) in South Travancore and the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in Central Travancore, both of which impacted society as a whole.

The caste system still held sway and the practice of ayitham or theendal⁶ was rampant; it denied those of lower castes the use of public roads, access to education, and for women, even the right to cover their upper bodies. In Travancore, caste was a major factor in determining social relations. The principle of ritual purity achieved its most extreme expression in the elaboration of distance pollution. Lower caste people were permitted to approach those of higher castes only to a certain distance; the greater the ritual distance, the greater the spatial distance. It is said that the caste system was more rigidly observed in Travancore than in other parts of India.

At the top of the caste hierarchy were the brahmins, who combined their economic wealth as land owners with spiritual authority as temple priests. The earliest Brahmin settlements in present-day Malayalam-speaking areas originated during the seventh century CE. The establishment of brahmin settlements paved the way for brahmin ritual and socioeconomic dominance through a complex system of hierarchical service and marital relationships, based on relative ritual purity between and among castes.

Next were the nairs, a warrior and ruling class that dominated political, economic and military realms, including the temporal affairs of the brahmins. From around the eighth century CE, St. Thomas Christians enjoyed privileges and honorific titles that they shared with the high-caste nairs. Among the lower castes and untouchables, major groups included the shanars and ezhavas, as well as the slave castes,⁷ pulayas and parayas. Nadars were a distinct sub-section within the shanar community.

The popular bhakti⁸ folk movement, with its emphasis on devotion to a personal deity, traced its beginnings to South India and the alwars⁹ who created a body of devotional poetry expressing ecstasy and yearning for the divine; their presence and influence in Travancore were considerable. A main characteristic of this group was the expression of faith through bhajans, or sacred songs.

Although Christianity existed in Travancore from very early times, it remained confined to the St. Thomas community until the arrival of Roman Catholic and Protestant missionaries during the early nineteenth century. At the beginning of this period there were two major groups within the St. Thomas community; Syro Malabar Roman Catholics and the Jacobite Orthodox.

LMS missionaries began their work in South Travancore in 1806 and CMS missionaries followed in Central Travancore from 1816. The first Malayalam Bible was published by CMS missionaries in 1849, leading to a reformation movement among the Jacobite Orthodox group and resulting in the separation of the Marthoma Church. The presence of Western missionaries, combined with the influence of local British residents, hastened the abolition of slavery among pulaya and paraya castes in Travancore through major government proclamations in 1812 and 1855. In 1812, the combined influence of LMS missionaries and rising social awareness among the shanar/nadar people led to the overturning of an ancient tradition that forbade lower-caste women to cover their breasts. But the order was rescinded when riots broke out among the opposing upper castes. The shanar/nadars rebelled in turn, but it took until 1859 to achieve a new proclamation by the queen of Travancore permitting shanar/nadar women to cover their upper bodies.

Under Protestant missionaries the spread of education to all, regardless of caste, was another significant change during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; this led to opportunities for lower castes to access schooling and in turn become socially aware and assertive.

Doxology and Theology: Bhakti, the Indian Doxological Tradition of Song

The question of the place held by doxological traditions in theological reflection