Vengal Chakkarai Chettiar (17 January 1880 – 14 June 1958) was an Indian Christian theologian, missionary, independence activist, politician and trade unionist.[1] He was the former president of AITUC.
In 1913, Chakkarai joined the Danish Mission Room as a Christian preacher and worked as a missionary for twenty years. During these years, he also became a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and participated in the Indian independence movement. He served as mayor of Madras from 1941 to 1942. He was the president of the All India Trade Union Congress from 1954 to 1957.
Theology
Chakkarai was baptised as a Christian on February 22, 1903.[4]
He was a member of the Rethinking Christianity group[5] along with his brother-in-law, Pandipeddi Chenchiah. He believed in the Indianisation of Christianity, although the anti-colonial feeling of the time led many people to feel that an Indian could not be a Christian without abandoning their Indian culture.[6] Instead he suggested that Christians should refuse allegiance to earthly states and overcome their nationalistic behaviour.[7]
He tried to explain the Christian faith through the Hinduism point of view.[1] This can be seen when he tried to find the meaning of the Christian cross for the followers of Christianity in how it could bring moksha.[1][3]
Some of the Chakkarai's views about Christianity included:[1][8]
A selection (Library of Indian Christian theology)[13]
References
^ abcdefYewangoe, Andreas Anangguru (1987). Theologia crucis in Asia: Asian Christian views on suffering in the face of overwhelming poverty and multifaceted religiosity in Asia. Amsterdam studies in theology. Amsterdam: Rodopi. ISBN978-90-6203-610-3.
^(in Indonesian) FD Wellem.1993.Riwayat Hidup Singkat Tokoh-Tokoh Dalam Sejarah Gereja. Jakarta: PT BPK Gunung Mulia. p. 75-77
