Taking a look at Biblical stories in an Indian ‘avatar’

The New Community Bible brings the Christian message in an Indian context. But will the devout take to it?

MUMBAI: A New Community Bible (NCB) introduced just over a month ago is the latest of several initiatives over the years to portray Biblical characters and bring the Christian message in an Indian context.

This Bible, which has many references to Indian texts and spiritual concepts in notes that accompany the text, has got several groups within the Christian community discussing its merits, its relevance and above all, its fidelity to the original message of the faith.

This avatar of the Bible also has about 20 illustrations that depict Biblical characters in Indian outfits — turbans and saris — to boot. For example, a line from the Gospel of St John is depicted by a drawing that shows a woman with prominent nose-ring. Biblical themes have been depicted in India classical dance, one exponent being the Society of Divine Word (SVD) priest Francis Barboza who used Bharatanatyam and adapted Hindu customs and rituals. The artist Jyoti Sahi depicted Biblical scenes in an Indian setting and even painted a Dalit Madonna.

The template for all these creative expressions was acculturation of the Christian faith to
its multi-religious setting in the country. Over the years, this has included an Indian mass where the priest sits cross-legged, wears saffron-coloured robes, and diyas replace candles

The NCB, says Father Devasy of the Society of Saint Paul who spearheaded this project, was inspired by the Christian Community Bible in Spanish in the Philippines, the brainchild of Bernard Hurault, a Chilean priest. A verso

The need to have an Indian edition, not an “Indian Bible” as Devasy clarifies, had a three-fold aim: To publish a Bible from India as most available editions such as the new American Bible, Good News Bible etc are published overseas; to provide an “acculturated” context for Indian worshippers; and finally, as a means to promote inter-religious harmony among people of different faiths. Apart from St Paul’s, the Clarasians Order and the SVD group were part of the effort.

The project which began in the 1990s involved 37 scholars including 32 Biblical experts and four Indologists, among whom was a Jesuit priest in Patna who is an expert on Islam.

Justifying the attempt to contextualise the Bible, one scholar who was part of the project says, “We have to constantly look at the audience we are reaching out to”.

Inter-religious harmony apart, many within the Christian fold seem to have divergent thoughts. In fact, a site has been established on Orkut and an e-mail created for people to write in. Not all opinions are expected to be supportive of this attempt which is also being described in one blog as “battle between new-age theologians and the Church”.

The NCB illustrations have impressed people like Catherine Fernandes, an editorial coordinator who feels that this Bible works for India. Moreover, she found the way the Old Testament is written in an easy to understand manner.

It is tempting, of course, to see this new development in the context of  acculturation. While the NCB’s inspiration originated in Latin America, there is also an African Bible brought out by the Daughters of St Paul in Nairobi which uses African motifs. It is not known if that Bible created any controversy within the African Church.

In a review of the New Community Bible, one commentator suggests that as a Bible meant for India, it could well have contained references to Indian missionaries and saints. Perhaps, in this context, some may feel a reference could have been made to Sr Aphonsa who will be canonised a few months from now, the first Indian women saint
For now, the New Community Bible is selling well, say the publishers. The initial print order of 15,000 copies was sold out in 22 days.
d_brian@dnaindia.net