Bartholomaus Ziegenbalg may not be a treasured
name for ELCA members. But in India his legacy was celebrated through
worship, seminars, panel discussions, processions and building
dedications. Church leaders, government officials and lay
people—including a 16-member ELCA delegation—met in Chennai and
Tranquebar, July 3-9, to commemorate Ziegenbalg and 300 years of
Protestant mission.
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| Drummers lead a procession in Tranquebar on July 9 to celebrate 300 years of mission in India. |
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Who was this man and why all the fuss?
A
German Lutheran missionary, Ziegenbalg was sent to India by King
Frederick IV of Denmark to seek converts to Christianity. On July 9,
1706, he arrived in the then-Danish colony of Tranquebar (Tarangambadi
in the Tamil language). He remained there until his death in 1719 at
age 36.
Throughout the week, the missionary was praised for his
contributions to society. At the event’s inauguration, Surjit Singh
Barnala, governor of Tamil Nadu, said Ziegenbalg’s “introduction of a
Tamil printing press in Tranquebar in 1712, his commitment to serve the
poor and setting up the first school for girls in 1710 make it fitting
to celebrate the great missionary.”
Other speakers noted that
his major contribution was recognizing the Tamil as people with a
strong cultural and societal heritage at a time when missionaries tried
to covert people they perceived as “heathens” to their beliefs and
customs.
During a seminar, Daniel Jeyaraj, professor of World
Christianity at Andover Newton [Mass.] Theological School, said the
missionary “wanted to empower people.” He worked with the Tamil,
enabling them to articulate their fears and hopes, he added.
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