Mar Osthathios’ Theology; A Passionate Re-Reading of Classical Theology for a Just and Peaceful Society - Fr. Dr. Bijesh Philip

           Kerala has produced great gurus like Sri Sankaracharya,Sri Narayana Guru,Nitya Chaitanya Yati, Dr.Paulos Mar Gregorios etc. The name of H.G. Geevarghese Mar Osthathios, the senior bishop of Malankara Orthodox Church,  can also be included in such a list. He is a Great  Guru  who has synthesized the ways of jnana(wisdom), bhakti(Devotion to God), and karma(acts of love)and it is not easy to find out which among them is the strongest  in him. Perhaps this difficulty is the beauty of the vision of Mar Osthathios. He is a unique visionary who synthesizes beautifully worship and mission, theology and activism, classical theology and liberation theology, text and context etc. This paper is a humble attempt to have a small taste of the ocean of Mar Osthathios’ theology which absorbs various rivers of sources and concerns and synthesizes them for the glory of the kingdom of God.              

Inhumanity as Practical Atheism

 Mar Osthathios thinks of inhumanity as practical atheism. The so-called believers who accumulate wealth for selfish purposes and are  insensitive to the dire needs of the poor are practically atheists. The triune God who is eternal love and sharing in action is the source, inspiration and example for the believers to practice love and sharing in day to day life. So the hypocrites among the believers who do not practice this  can be  considered as atheists. This gap between the theory   and practice in the believers alienated many from God and religion and encouraged them to be atheists. His hope is that genuine holiness, love and commitment to justice of the believers will inspire even the communists to be believers. Theoretical arguments for the existence of God may not convince anybody to embrace faith in the transcendent. But the life of the believers in tune with the theory or the original core teaching of the religion is the best proof for the existence of God.

                    Mar Osthathios  criticizes the western Christians’ approach to exaggerate the atheistic aspect of communism while disregarding the lack of their own Christian discipleship. They create an impression that God himself is in a crisis or trap because of communism. He opines that the atheist who rejects God but does the will of God is better than the theist who believes that God exists but does not follow His will.  He quotes the parable of the Lord regarding the two sons of a father who are requested by him to go to the farm.

Theology of wealth

          Mar Osthathios is able to appreciate certain ideals of communism because they  are in tune with the Christian tradition. Ancient Christian fathers like Clement of Alexandria, St.Basil the Great, St.John  Chrysostem etc. have taught the just distribution of the sources of the world because they are the gifts of God for all His children. Liberation theologians of modern period have also exposed the root causes of the injustices and continuing poverty and empowered  the marginalized poor to get out of the exploitation. We can see a mixing of the ancient Christian wisdom and various aspects of the liberation theology in the theology of Mar Osthathios.

                 The major thrust of modern contextual theologies like the Latin American liberation theology, Black theology, Dalit theology etc. is the empowerment of the victims of injustices. Even if this thrust   is in Mar Osthathios, the major focus in his theology seems to be on the repentance (metanoia) of the rich. He tries to convince the rich of the evil of accumulating wealth disregarding the poverty of the fellow beings.

 The concept of sin is elaborated to include ‘being rich in a poor world’ without a concern for sharing the resources with the poor. So capitalism is criticized vehemently  in his theology. He critics Capitalism which enhances selfishness thus: “Capitalism has brain washed us to justify our selfish profit motive and accumulation of wealth and concentration of power for ourselves”.[1]

            He appreciates the welfare economics of Amardya Sen as a comparatively sound approach because of its concern for the justice of the  poor.                   

The sharing of the early Christian community for a welfare community was the result of the abundant experience of the Holy Spirit in Pentecost. Even if this perfect community life failed due to various reasons, such an ideal was shown to the world as a perfect model by God himself.              

Majority of the members of Malankara Orthodox Church of which he was a bishop were belonging to middle or upper middle class. This may be the reason why he focuses more on the liberation of the rich from their greed.

Critique  of  cults

                        The way Mar Osthathios distinguishes cultic Christian  groups from the Catholic Churches is commendable. While appreciating the universal outlook of the Orthodox Christian tradions, he critizes the narrow-mindedness of the cults. Jehovah witnesses, members of Sabath mission, brethrens, Pentecostal groups, Viduthal community etc. have the cultic tendencies. Such  cults oppose progress in society, critical study of the scripture, ecumenism and are not ready to appreciate the good aspects  of other religions and ideologies like communism etc. He  goes on to expose their craze for the salvation of the soul alone without any concern for welfare nation, social justice, democracy etc. Such topics are left to “The secular” or “The worldly”. They are eager to get  out of this evil world as early as possible.  The  eagerness for  the Second Advent in which they alone will be taken away is also noticeable. Mar Osthathios’ attempt is not to condemn them but to invite them also to the all inclusive broad outlook of the ancient churches which upholds the  Catholicity of faith. In other words his theology of love does not permit him to condemn the sectarian groups but to him they must  get out of parochialism.

Re-reading Of Theology For a Classless Society

            All major topics of the classical theology are reinterpreted so as to bring about perfect harmony and classless society.

            Creation is interpreted to highlight the original unity of mankind. There is only one class in creation. Unity of humanity and nature is also emphasized in the light of creation theology, created existences. World “can maintain its classlessness and unity only in relation to the creator who alone holds it together”. [2]. The concept of fall is interpreted in terms of division and conflicts. It was a shift from one family to many warring families. The creation story in Genises teaches that fall was a shift from loyalty to the absolute to loyalty to selfishness. “All selfishness is sin and therefore is divisive”.[3] So redemption from this fallen state is reconciliation to Triune God and consequently to one another. If the church is redeemed community, it should be a classless society. But because  of the discrimination and  quarrels in the church, he admits that it is “a poor missionary of classless society”.[4]  So he says that even if we are saved in Christ we are also in the process of salvation guided by the Holy Spirit. He goes on to portray church as nuclear family of God “consisting of  God the father, the church guided and used by the Holy Spirit the mother, Jesus Christ the eldest eternal brother and all Christians direct brothers and sisters. As all are reborn in baptism there are only brothers and sisters in  Christ and no first cousins or second cousins.”[5] While interpreting the ministry, the suffering servants’ image and perfect humanity of Christ are highlighted as inspiration for a classless leadership in the church.    Mar Osthathios exposes  drawbacks of the pyramidal hierarchy and papal supremacy and infallibility in the western church due to the influence of the pattern of the Roman government and hierarchical structure. He hopes that the Trinitarian collegial hierarchical structure will be accepted by all the church in the near future. His conviction is that “ it is the church that must manifest a social pattern of a sustainable and living standard for all the rulers and the ruled.”[6]  

            Sacraments are meant for the divinization of the church and Christians. All sacraments are reinterpreted as means to restore harmony and unity. For eg. “The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament that perfects all sacraments and by receiving the body and the blood of Christ we are united to Christ the head to do His will as his organs in his body, the church.”[7]  And confession is “to purify the Christian and to deepen his unity with others.” As a conclusion to the sacramental theology he says that “all sacraments of the church are to unite the participants in the unity of the mystical body. Class distinctions and sacraments cannot go together.”[8]

            Finally Mar Osthathios   goes to his classical interpretation of the classical theology of the Trinity for a classless society. Eschatology is also for the final experience of the perfect classless society. Christian hope is for a new heaven and new earth where there will no more be any conflicts or class discriminations. In his characteristic style Mar Osthathios writes, “our final hope is not first class, second class and third class, but the Father’s house.”[9]

Practical application of Trinitarian theology 

 Trinitarian theology in the writings of Mar Osthathios is like a thread which goes through all the pearls in a chain of pearls. He explains the classical Trinitarian theology and gives a practical application for this age old orthodox Christian doctrine. Theologians like Moltman, Leonardo Boff etc. have made an effort to reflect on the practical significance of the Holy Trinity. However one of the greatest theologians  of Holy  Trinity in the modern period with a missiological orientation is none other than Mar Osthathios.

    For him Holy Trinity is not merely to be worshipped but also to be emulated. Holy Trinity is eternal love in action and is the highest example for a classless society and sharing world. This ultimate source of sharing and equality prepares a ground for a perfect community with equality, sharing and caring. This is the inspiration for the global ecumenism of religion and also that of the churches. Dean William Ferm’s observation about Mar Osthathios’ theology is enlightening here: “What I personally find so exhilarating about Mar Osthathios’ devotion to the Trinity is how he finds in it the key to the solution to modern day problems. For him the Trinity is not merely an ancient dogma to which Christians should give their allegiance, an abstraction intended to portray a mystery. Quite the contrary, for him the Trinity presents a theology of social justice. Mar Osthathios affirms that the Trinity is the model for the ideal human society, making all of humanity members of one nuclear family”[10]

His struggle is to prove that Holy Trinity is a believable dogma and also present this as the highest revelation of the transcendent source of life. Since God is love, we can not be satisfied with a monistic God because eternal love is not possible in such a God.  In spite of the limitations of the various images like sun, ray of light, heat for Holy Trinity, H.G.Osthathios prefers images like a nuclear family of husband, wife and son to explain Holy Trinity because of the love factor in it.

As Swami Vivekanandan or Sri Narayana Guru took much pains to give a practical explanation for the Advaita philosophy of Sankaracharya, Mar Osthathios interprets the orthodox Christian doctrine of Holy Trinity developed by the Cappadocian Fathers to address the various challenges of the society and church today.

Inclusive Christology

 His Christology which is one from above articulates the classical understanding of Christ  in modern terms. “I believe that the incarnate Lord  was completely human and perfectly divine. He was the only God. Man that walked  the face of the earth.”[11]

He goes on to describe Christ in unambiguous terms thus: “He was Jesus Christ, not Jesus or Christ. He was the Messiah the Logos, the very image of the invisible God, the pleroma of Godhead, the pre-existent son of God, the creator of things visible and invisible, the head of the church, the redeemer of the Lord, the proper name of God spelt on earth, Jesus Christ.” [12]

His incarnation  was for the deification of the world. It was for the fulfillment of the act of creation. He rejects the old Anslemic theory of atonement. “I believe that Christ did not die to appease an angry God nor to pay any ransom to the devil, but He revealed the love of God, defeated the objective powers of darkness and opened the way for the redemption of all those who would believe and appropriate the salvation wrought by Him once for all. He vindicated His victory by His glorious resurrection from the dead.”[13] This word reminds us of the most ancient Christological understanding. This appears to be a summary of the Christology of St. Ireneaeus of Lyons of second second century A.D.

Mar Osthathios attributes everything good in history to  Christ, the logos.

Love as the supreme value

            Mar Osthathios, in line with the scripture places love above everything else because love is the essence of  God. So love alone will be ever lasting. He seems to belittle faith because faith can divide whereas love unites. One religion of love is presented as the desirable religion for the third millennium. Understanding of Godhead in all religions, as he thinks, is pointing to this love which  is ultimate essence of everything. Quran repeatedly depicts Allah as compassionate and merciful. With regard to Hinduism he says that “ The Sanskrit word advaita  doesn’t mean monistic or solitary God, but that Brahman is all inclusive with no part and parcel or division.”[14] And the Holy Trinity refers to “one social God of love transcending dualism of singularity and plurality in His social being.” Focus on the commonalities of religion and  especially the essential love is important. But it is doubtful whether in this process distinctive aspects of religions and faith are  too much marginalized. In a climate of too much secularization is it advisable to reduce the importance of faithfulness to one’s own faith? Is it  steadfastness to one’s own faiths that creates division or conflict? No. It is the misuse of religion by the so called followers of religion that causes communalism and conflicts. So my submission is that a deep commitment to faith in each tradition is essential to produce love and compassionate actions.

A World Oriented Ecclesiology

                The church is the extension of the incarnation. This definition is in tune with Pauline ecclesiology. St.Paul teaches church as the pleroma of Christ. Pleroma means that which completes. So we cannot think of Christ without the church. Mar Osthathios repeatedly says that the church,  the redeemed community, does not exist for itself but for the deification of the faithful and the transformation of the world. That means the church is to be a sign and instrument of the kingdom   of God. So the church must be the best example of justice, equality, and sharing. The church must be in solidarity with the poor.

            Unity of the church and unity of mankind are interconnected. Work towards the harmony of mankind is an important mission of the church. It is part of this mission that Mar Osthathios teaches about the formation of the United Religious Organization.

            However in reality church may be away from the intended unity, love and justice. So Mar Osthathios emphasizes the need of progress in salvation in the church.  Ideally the church should become a dynamic presence of Jesus Christ who loved the whole world and became a sacrifice for the salvation of the world.

Eschatological Hope

       Mutuality of the historical and the eternal in Mar Osthathios’ theology is noticeable. The vision of eternity is much diminished in many of the contextual theologians. But the deep commitment to  the liberation of the poor and the making  of the world a community of communities goes hand in hand with the affirmation of the life beyond history in his theology. He underscores the importance of the ongoing struggle against sin, injustice, greed, communalism etc. However he believes that the perfection of the ideal community will be experienced in eternity only.

              Since Agape love is the essential nature of God, there cannot be an eternal hell. Mar Osthathios is an exponent of universalism like the Syrian Christian father Isaac of Nineveh. It seems that for him hell is like a purgatory. He thinks that eternal hell will become a proof of an eternal evil force existing parallel to God which means a denial of the exclusive right of God to eternity. He unequivocally says that the concept of eternal hell is against the Bible and reason and the ultimate victory is for the love of God who leads the so called sinners also finally to salvation.[15]

 An Evaluation

              Indian orthodox theologians like Paulos Mar Gregorios and Geevarghese Mar Osthathios were able to prove that it is possible to develop a vision of justice, peace, harmony and integrity of creation without compromising the traditional Christology and other classical interpretations of theology. They were able to interpret Christian faith very meaningfully to address the challenges of the world today. Justice and peace or commitment to the poor and vision of classless society are inseparably blended in the theology of Mar Osthathios. There is also a beautiful synthesis of the preaching and doctrinal interpretation in the theologizing of Mar Osthathios. Paulos Mar Gregorios appears to be a modern avatar of Gregory of Nyssa whereas Mar Osthathios  that of St.John Chrysostom. This modern Chrysostom  is also well rooted in the scripture. Mar Osthathios teaches the scripture by taking in to consideration very seriously the life situation of today and also the insight of other religions.

One may not see a strong emphasis of a spirituality of combat or the empowerment of the victims of injustice as in M.M.Thomas, Guttierez, Leonardo Boff James Massey and other subaltern theologians in Mar Osthathios. His emphasis is on attitudinal changes through an enlightenment of a proper understanding of the ultimate source of life who is a social God of eternal love and perfect sharing. His hope for a new heaven and earth is not merely limited to the human efforts and initiatives. He believes that the Holy Spirit is working in history and leading the world to a community of love and sharing. We can see the pain and agony in Mar Osthathios for the failure of the church to be the example and instrument of the classless society or the kingdom of God.

                            We can see the strength of his theology in his interpretation of the Holy Trinity, Christology and Missiology. But he seems to be less interested in an interpretation of Christian anthropology for supporting his vision of the classless society. He is strong in challenging the people having convictions of faith to be committed to justice and love. But it is doubtful whether he is successful in ratifying    the faith in the midst of the challenge of secularism which is affecting the faithful of all religions.

                        There is no doubt that he will be gloriously remembered for his commitment to uphold the orthodox Christian faith and a convincing interpretation of it with a passionate commitment to a just and peaceful world or classless society.

[1] Sharing God Sharing World, p.29

[2] Theology of Classless Society, p.60

[3] Theology of Classless Society, p.60

[4] Theology of Classless Society, p.62

[5] Theology of Classless Society, p.63

[6] Theology of Classless Society, p.65

[7] Theology of Classless Society, p.66

[8] Theology of Classless Society, p.67

[9] Theology of Classless Society, p.69

[10] Triune God, p. 54

[11] My Lord and My God, p.120

[12] My Lord and My God, p.121

[13] Theology of Classless Society, p.122

[14] One Religion of Love, p.106

[15] Snehathinte Eka Matham, p.33