Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
PART ONE : BIBLICAL TRADITIONS ON ST. THOMAS 1
Chapter 1 St. Thomas in the New Testament 3
i. Some New Testament Personalities 3
ii. St. Thomas in the New Testament 4
a. Jn 11:7-16 “Let us go and die with him” 6
b. Jn 14:1-6 “Lord, we do not know where
you are going....” . 6
c. Jn 20:24-28 “My Lord, and My God!” 8
d. Jn 21:2 Thomas by the Sea of Tiberias 9
Chapter 2 Early Life of Thomas 11
i. The name ‘Thomas’ 11
ii. His socio-political background 12
Chapter 3 Thomas the Valiant 17
i. Mission of Jesus in a fundamentalist society 17
ii. Jesus’ controversial visits to Jerusalem 20
PART TWO: APOCRYPHAL TRADITIONS ON ST. THOMAS 27
Chapter 1 What do the Apocryphal Books tell us? 29
i. The Book of Thomas the Contender 31
ii. The Gospel of Thomas 32
iii. Infancy Gospel of Thoma 33
iv. Apocalypse of Thomas 36
xiv
Chapter 2 Acts of Thomas 39
i. Thomas with King Gundapahr 39
ii. Thomas with King Misdai 41
iii. Thomas - Jesus parallels 44
Chapter 3 Acts of Thomas and Indian Setting 47
i. “India” in Acts of Thomas 47
ii. King Gundaphar and Gandhara 48
iii. King Misdai of South India 49
iv. Acts of Thomas with South Indian 50
Nomenclature
PART THREE: ST. THOMAS IN EARLY CHURCH WRITINGS 55
Chapter 1 St. Thomas in the Writings of the Fathers 57
From the Doctrine of the Apostles (250) to 57
St. John Damascene (754)
Chapter 2 St. Thomas in other early Testimonies. 65
From the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (883) to The
Roman Martyrology (1584) 65
PART FOUR: SOUTH INDIAN TRADITIONS 73
Chapter 1 The Malabar Mission of St. Thomas the Apostle 75
i. Maritime Activity and St. Thomas” Journey 77
ii. Traditions from ancient Malabar Songs 79
iii. The Seven Churches Tradition 81
Chapter 2 The Mylapore Mission of St. Thomas the Apostle 87
i. Acts of Thomas and Mission in Myalpore 87
ii. The Malabar Tradition of Thomas in Mylapore 89
xv
iii. Early Mylapore Traditions on Thomas 90
a. Early History of Mylapore 90
b. Tradition of the Tomb of St. Thomas in Mylapore 92
c. Other Sites related to the Tomb 93
iv. The Portuguese and Mylapore Traditions 96
a. Portuguese interest in the Tomb of St.Thomas 97
b. History of the sacred remains of St. Thomas. 100
PART FIVE: ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF
MYLAPORE AND MADRAS 105
Chapter I The Church in Mylapore 107
i The Padroado Jurisdiction 107
ii. The Tomb opened in 1729 108
iii.Gothic Cathedral on the Tomb 109
iv. A description of the Cathedral 111
Chapter 2 The Church in Madras 115
i. The Propaganda Jurisdiction 115
ii. Salesians of Don Bosco in Madras 117
iii. Archdiocese of Madras - Mylapore 119
iv. A Golden leaf in the Saga of Faith 125
CONCLUSION
PART SIX: APPENDIX 131
Appendix 1: The Ramban Song 133
2: The Bleeding Cross 137
Appendix 3; Our Lady of Mylapore 141
Appendix 4: Ancient Church on St. Thomas Mount 145
xvi
Appendix 5: Shrine of St. Thomas at Little Mount 149
Appendix 6: The Portrait of Our Lady by Luke 151
Appendix 7: The Legend of the Tree trunk 155
Appendix 8: The Cathedral Museum 159
End-notes 177
Bibliography 183
Index 185
