The Christian legend of Saint Thomas carrying Christianity to India's southwestern shores and dying there a martyr is being downsized and rewritten in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Ishwar Sharan, author of The Myth of Saint Thomas and the Mylapore Shiva Temple, successfully demonstrated to the editors of the illustrious reference that the St. Thomas-in-India legend is highly suspect. Sharan pointed out that the legend was created by three Christian scholars with no historical evidence, relying solely on "Thomas romances." Sharan cited another Christian researcher-Bishop Stephen Neill-as a prime debunker of the apocryphal theory. Agreeing to a future revision, an EB representative stated in a letter to Sharan that the Britannica's entry on St. Thomas did indeed "place too much emphasis on the unlikely scenario of his traveling to, and being martyred in India." |
Sept. 19, 1996
Dear Sir,
This has reference to the article “St. Thomas” in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Fifteenth Edition, 1984.
I have been through the source material for the St. Thomas legend and feel that the Encyclopaedia’ s article is a misleading concoction. It has been written to promote a particular theological view without any regard for the facts available. It names Bishop A.E. Medlycott and Dr. F.A. D’Cruz as references. Yet in his authoritative review of Christianity in India: The Beginnings to 1707 A.D. Bishop Stephen Neill writes, “A number of scholars, among whom are to be mentioned with respect Bishop A.E. Medleycott, J.N. Farquhar and the Jesuit J. Dahlman, have built on slender foundations what can only be called 'Thomas romances', as reflect the vividness of their imaginations rather than the prudence of rigid historical research.
I have located a large number of historians whose respected views agree with those of Bishop Neill. They are collected in my book, The Myth of Saint Thomas and the Mylapore Shiva Temple. I am sending you a copy by registered air mail book post. Kindly acknowledge receipt.
With regards,
Yours sincerely,
Ishwar Sharan
18 October 1996
Mr. Ishwar Sharan
Dear Mr. Sharan,
Please accept our apology for the delay in responding to your letter.
We have received your book, and we have subsequently reviewed our coverage of Saint Thomas. While the Saint Thomas article that appears in the current printing of the Encyclopaedia Britannica differs slightly from the 1984 article to which you refer in your book, the current article does convey the same basic information. We have concluded that the portion of the article that refers to Thomas’ later life places too much emphasis on the unlikely scenario of his traveling to, and being martyred in India. We have referred this information to the appropriate editor so that the article can be revised in future printings of Britannica.
We appreciate your bringing this matter to our attention.
Sincerely,
Anthony G. Craine
Editorial Division