A Comparative Study on the Missionary Approach of St. Francis Xavier and Robert de Nobili.

A Comparative Study on the Missionary Approach of St. Francis Xavier and Robert de Nobili.

By: Laldanmawia

…………………………August 2012………………………..

Introduction

From the later part of the 15^th Century, Indian Christian History witnessed the Portuguese’s relationships with Indians. From that moment many Europeans came to India on account of economic merchandising as well as of mission. Among them St. Francis Xavier, the Portuguese and Robert de Nobili, the Italian also came but mainly for the purpose of mission. They were sent by the Jesuit of Roman Catholic. Their encounter with Indian had great impact particularly in the History of Christianity in India. So this paper will discuss on the comparative study on their missionary approaches.

1. Biographical Sketch of:

Before going to the main topic we will look first to their biographical sketch including the introduction to their early life, character and their position in mission works.

1.1. St. Francis Xavier: Francis Xavier was a famous missionary to the South East Asia, born to be the fifth and youngest child on 7^th April 1506 in a noble family of Navarre, a little kingdom near Pyrenees. He studied at University of Paris; there he spent eleven years as student and teacher.[1] During his studies in Paris, he involved in the small enthusiastic group under the leadership of Ignatius of Loyola which forwarded to the formation of the Society of Jesus in 1534.[2] He and his Jesuit friends went to Palestine and Rome. After the Pope recognized the Jesuit in 1540, Xavier and Simon Rodriguez went to Far East as missionaries. There they visited India, Ceylon, Malaca, Eastern Indonesia and even Japan. And he died on 19^th March 1552 while he was on the way to China to do mission. In 1622 he was declared as saint by Pope Pius XI.[3]

He landed in India on 6^th May 1542 at Goa where Christians were already organized. He had achieved thousands of people be converted during the next decade. His first two years were spent among the paravas who were the fishers in the Southeastern coast of India. Then he went to Western coast by staying at Travancore, then moved to Northern side and reached Cochin. From India he moved toward Malaca and Indonesia.[4]

1.2. Robert de Nobili: The other famous Jesuit missionary Robert de Nobili was born in Montepulciano, Italy in September 1577.[5] He joined the Society of Jesus in 1597 at Naples, and after doing education he moved to India for mission in October, 1604.

He ereached India on 20^th May, 1605, and did his work starting from Goa, and to Cochin, Fishery coast, Madura, Malabar Coast and other South Indian regions.[6] After staying in Cochin, he stationed in Madurai in Tamil Nadu from 1606. There he learned Tamil, Telegu and Sanskrit, and he mastered them soon with the help of his teacher, Shivadharma.[7] As he explained the Christian doctrine in Tamil, he coined several words to communicate his message. He used the vernacular language for naming the words like worship, grace, teacher, Bible, mass, etc. He composed Catechisms, apologetic works and philosophic discourses in Tamil as well. He died in Mylapore in Tamil Nadu on 16 January 1656 at the age of 79.[8]

2. A Comparision on Their Missionary Approaches:

According to the books and articles available to us, the two missionaries did not have many approaches in which comparative study could be done. That is why we will look upon two approaches where they have similarities and dissimilarities as well.

2.1. Destination: The destiny of the mission work is one aspect where we can do comparative study. Francis Xavier was very much concerned about the people who were in the coastal plain. However, as he was ordered by King John III, his primarily mission was to restore Christianity among the Portuguese settlers. Many of the Portuguese sailed from Europe had illegal relationships with Indian women and acted unwisely. Francis struggled to restore moral and right relations among the Portuguese themselves.[9] He spent his first five months among them.

His destiny was then felt upon the lower caste fishermen who could be baptized to escape from Muslim oppression.[10] Then he along with three Indian Christians went to Southeast coast where Paravas were living. Visiting all villages, he could baptize almost all children and babies.[11]

The destiny of Robert de Nobili’s approach was to the Brahmin, those who were higher caste in the Hindu caste system. The Indian Christianity was claimed as Portuguese Christianity where people of lower caste were there. In the eyes of Hindu high caste, Christianity was parangis which denotes and suggests Europeans of meat eating, wine-drinking, loose-living, arrogant persons, etc., which were far away from Hindu life.[12] That is why social intercourse with Hindus was difficult. He then tried to have connection with High caste people, particularly the Brahmins, so that Indian Christianity would have more dignity in Indian soil.

2.2. Indigenization: Indigenization was useful approach for these two missionaries, but the way how they used was different. Francis Xavier was flexible according to the context demands. He could change his method when he went to Japan, which was not the method he used in Southeast Asia. When he lived among the paravas between Cape Comorin and Tuticorin, he put an emphasis to the use of Tamil for his mission work. He got a man of well known Portuguese and Tamil, with him, he made prayers in Tamil, and later on he developed Creed, the Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and other Hymns in Tamil language. He learnt by heart the translated words first and called people to be taught them.[13] He selected some acquainted persons from each village or place; he left the copies of such translated works with them, so that they will teach by themselves.[14] Xavier did not so much give an emphasis on living like them, rather put importance to the vernacular language. He made use the vernacular languages of each situation where he worked to preach the Gospel.

Meanwhile, the successor of Xavier, Robert de Nobili claimed that one could never come close to the people of India by living European life, unless one act as the indigenous people. That is the reason why he decided to act the role of a Christian sannyasi[15] and to adopt the style of living. He wore sandal and dhoti. He adopted also local Indian customs, such as shaving one's head and keeping only a tiny tuft. Another symbol he embraced was the wearing of a three-stringed thread across the chest.[16] As a member of Italian nobility he claimed to be equivalent of Kshatriya. When it came to 1706, he began instructing young people as guru.[17] He made friends from high class people, from them he learnt Sanskrit, and able to speak soon. After making people to be baptized, he did not tell them to change their ways of living. They did not need to break caste, dress, and food habits, except idolatry.[18] He indigenized himself in to the Indian situation. He put importance to the way of Indian living and he led the converted Indians to live Christianity in an Indian way.

Conclusion:

Now, we have been discussing the life and the missionary approaches of St. Francis Xavier and Robert de Nobili. They were the Jesuit missionaries came to Portuguese settlement in India. Even though their tenure of staying was different, they did great job that many Indian were converted into Christianity. They were claimed to be greatest missionaries of all time. As Xavier started from the lower class people, he left big shadow on Indian soil. In the mean time, de Nobili used top-down theory in which he put himself Indianized and started mission from higher class people. He converted much noble class of Hindus and was known in the History of Indian Christianity. Due to their influential works, Christianity in Indian soil had been consolidated and extended in different ways.

Bibliography:

Firth, C.B. An Introduction to Indian Church History. Delhi: ISPCK, 1961.

Kuriakose, M.K. History of Christianity in India: Source materials.

http://www.answers.com/topic/st-francis-xavier (2 August 2012).

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=423 (2 August 2012).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_de_Nobili (15 August 2012).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Xavier (16 August 2012).

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[1] C.B. Firth, An Introduction to Indian Church History (Delhi: ISPCK, 1961), 55.

[2] http://www.answers.com/topic/st-francis-xavier (2 August 2012).

[3] http://www.answers.com/topic/st-francis-xavier (2 August 2012).

[4] http://www.pweb.sophia.ac.jp/../mathy.pdf (15 August 2012).

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_de_Nobili (15 August 2012).

[6] C.B. Firth, An Introduction to Indian Church History (Delhi: ISPCK, 1961), 110.

[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_de_Nobili (15 August 2012).

[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_de_Nobili (15 August 2012).

[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Xavier (16 August 2012).

[10] http://www.answers.com/topic/st-francis-xavier (2 August 2012).

[11] C.B. Firth, An Introduction to Indian Church History (Delhi: ISPCK, 1961), 59.

[12] C.B. Firth, An Introduction to Indian Church History (Delhi: ISPCK, 1961), 111.

[13] C.B. Firth, An Introduction to Indian Church History (Delhi: ISPCK, 1961), 59.

[14] C.B. Firth, An Introduction to Indian Church History (Delhi: ISPCK, 1961), 59.

[15] One who has given up the World and adopted the life of religious mendicant, in the fourth and final stage of Brahman’s life.

[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_de_Nobili (15 August 2012).

[17] C.B. Firth, An Introduction to Indian Church History (Delhi: ISPCK, 1961), 112.

[18] C.B. Firth, An Introduction to Indian Church History (Delhi: ISPCK, 1961), 113.