This monograph develops Ph.D work undertaken at Leeds Trinity University between 2014–2018. I would like to thank, firstly, Professor Kirsteen Kim of Fuller Theological Seminary for supervising my first three years of research while she worked at Leeds Trinity University. Through Kirsteen’s initiative, I also was the recipient of a four year partial scholarship, funded by Brill Publishers, the International Association of Mission Studies and Leeds Trinity University. I am grateful for this funding and fee coverage without which I could not have undertaken this research.
Other staff at Leeds Trinity have helped me greatly. I am thankful for Dr Suzanne Owen and Professor Jane De Gay’s incisive and helpful comments on the chapters that have been adapted for this monograph. I am certain the book is stronger in argument and better written as a result. Dr Di Drummond provided helpful early input from a historian’s perspective. Latterly Professor Andrea Major from the History department at the University of Leeds has also provided helpful critique and encouragement.
I am very thankful to two anonymous reviewers whose incisive remarks have helped to considerably improve this work. Any weaknesses remain my own. Thanks also to the editorial team at Brill, especially Ingrid Heijckers-Velt and Elizabeth Bento, who have kept this process moving and been patient with me in taking my time over this project.
I have been privileged to visit India in doing this work on more than one occasion and I acknowledge the help received there. Dr Babu Cherian, Malayalam Professor at CMS College Kottayam, has taken a particular interest in this work. He has also made available to me some of his own writings as well as those of P. Cherian and K.M. George mentioned in these pages. I am grateful for his kindness and hospitality on my several visits to the College. Mr. Siby Sebastian, Librarian-in-Charge at CMS College was also extremely helpful in providing me with study space and making available digitised resources and several volumes which I would have found very difficult to come by in the UK. Also whilst in Kottayam I had the privilege of using the library at Saint Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute. I am grateful to Dr Jacob Thekeparampil for his warm hospitality and allowing me to come and go from the library.
I am also grateful to Library staff at LTU for finding me some obscure inter-library loans. The staff of Cadbury Research Library in Birmingham and Mr. Ken Osborne, the CMS archivist, have helped me in finding material and granting permission for the archive to be cited. For the help of all these individuals I am truly grateful.
Lastly, our greatest earthly joy during this period of research and subsequent writing has been our daughter, Elyana. She has brought great joy to our lives and helped me relax when not toiling away on this monograph. Of ancient Thomas Christian and Reformed Evangelical heritage, our prayer for her is that she would be rooted in the best aspects of both traditions and would always say of Christ, as Thomas did, “my Lord and my God.”
February 2024