Manoj R Nair

The liberative knowledge of the spirit (atman) is to be attained through ‘seeing, listening, reflecting and meditating’  This verse from the hoary Brihadaranyaka Upanishad explains chapter 51 of the Book of Isaiah, in The New Community Bible (Catholic Edition) for India.

Church leaders called the book, that was released in Mumbai last month by the Archbishop of Bombay, Oswald Cardinal Gracias, “a work of lasting importance”.

Christened the ‘Indian Bible’, the book is the culmination of a significant 18-year long experiment by the local Catholic Church to adapt the Bible for the Indian community.

Thus, apart from using Indian cultural and religious themes in the narrative, the book also uses English that is familiar to Indians, unlike the older editions of the holy book.

The scholars, most of them Indian, who put together the book felt that any serious commentary on the writings of the Bible, especially an edition for India, could not ignore the rich cultural and religious heritage of the country. “You cannot communicate if you do not communicate in the culture of the people,” said Father Tony Charanghat, spokesperson for Cardinal Gracias.

Rev (Dr) Augustine Kanachikuzhy, of the Society of St Paul who was the general editor of the book, said that the decision to include Indian scriptures in the book was taken by the scholars. “They felt that a Bible for India should also make reference to Indian scriptures,” he said.

“India has so many religions and languages. This translation takes into account the aspirations, culture, ethos --- the identifying marks of the Indian. It helps the people to relate the sacred text to local context,” said Bishop of Vasai, Fr Thomas Dabre, who was involved in the project. “It was a complex enterprise, but the resulting work is of lasting importance.”

The book is different from other Bibles because it has a commentary accompanying the passages from the holy book. “It is a contextualised Bible and that is where the references to Indian scriptures come in,” explained Kanachikuzhy.

Priests feel that the book will appeal to the new generation of church-goers who stress less on the ritual part of religion and more on the spiritual aspects. “They are asking more questions, some of which priests who were trained long ago are not equipped to answer. The book hence serves as a handy guide for both the priests and the worshippers,” said Charanghat.

Also, the church is forming groups called Christian Communities, that worship as small congregations. At present, the church does not have enough priests to administer to these small groups, and this precisely where the community Bible comes handy for such groups.

References to Indian scriptures

While authors of the book admit that references to Indian scriptures may make some Christians uncomfortable, they have clarified that the scriptures have been included only for a better understanding of Biblical terms and concepts, and that there is no implication that the texts from which the scriptures are derived, are parallel to the Bible.

Illustrations

The book has calligraphy and illustrations by a late priest, Christopher Coelho. The Holy Family here is dressed in Indian clothes and not in middle-eastern vestments. “Today, the image is very important and complements the abstract. Even religious discourses have recourse to metaphor,” said Dabre.

Indianisation of the Catholic Church

The Indianisation process began in the sixties when a revolutionary council in Rome introduced local traditions and practices, like use of local languages for mass and incorporation of Indian worship in church rituals.

Though the process has been criticised by both Hindu radicals and the orthodox among Catholics, the idea has taken root and is now generally accepted.

Some churches in south India, for instance, depict Christ as an Indian holy man, and even in Mumbai, some churches use aarties to welcome priests. Diwali is an important event in church calendars.

 The priests say

• You cannot communicate if you do not communicate in the culture of the people
– Fr Tony Charanghat, spokesperson for Cardinal Gracias

• It is a contextualised Bible, and that is where the references to Indian scriptures come in
– Rev (Dr) Augustine Kanachikuzhy, of Society of St Paul and general editor of the book

• This translation takes into account the aspirations, culture, ethos — the identifying marks of the Indian. It helps people relate the sacred text to local context
– Bishop of Vasai Fr Thomas Dabre, who was involved in the project