Browsing by Author "Johns, J."

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Asian Elephants in Christianity (India and Abroad)
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Johns, J.
The Asian elephants have contributed to Indian religions in a great way especially with their representations in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain art. The contribution to a foreign religion, Christianity is evident but scarce in comparison with the religions which originated in the Indian sub- continent .This is merely because the theology of Christianity and its literature was already codified or in the process when the religion arrived in India. Thus from Biblical sources we get few references, not to the elephant itself, but to its valuable ivory. This for one indicates the value of the animal product – ivory, than the animal itself. The process of trade of Indian elephants and ivory continued in the period of first few centuries BCE and CE as part of Indo- Roman trade. The trade reduced with the decline of Indo- Roman trade and the preference for African elephants, despite the fact that Asian elephants could be trained better. Another reason was that Roman Circus’s and gladiator fights went into disuse with the coming of Christianity in Rome. The Christian connection in India appears once again when Christians coming from Ancient Persia (Syria) were granted the privilege of riding an elephant amongst other luxuries, due to the community’s importance in trade. The elephant connection with Rome and Christianity is re-established in the 16th Cen C.E when an Asian elephant ‘Hanno ‘is presented to the Pope. The role and impact of this elephant in life and death has been well documented, influencing many an artwork in Rome and beyond. In this paper the researcher aims at compiling the connection of the Asian (Indian) elephant with Christianity since biblical times, with this an attempt will also be made to study the context and impact of the elephant on the particular Christian communities with which it interacted.
Asian Elephants in Christianity (India and Abroad)
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Johns, J.
Development of Syncretic Mystical Christianity in China - A resultant of its spread by the Silk Road:-A brief comparative overview of the pattern of evangelization, the cross- influences and the result
(The International Conference on Land Transportation, Locomotive Heritage and Road Culture - 2017, 2017) Johns, J.
The Silk Road which passed through Central Asia to the East- linked the West with regions like India and China, facilitating the trade of silk and other commodities like horses and tea, but as a by-product, exchange of ideas and culture too was also facilitated. As a result of various factors, Nestorian Christianity began to spread to the East, one of the routes taken was the Silk Road- thus helping Christianity to reach China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).This Christianity had already been influenced by Greek culture and Syriac culture, and on its way to China got influenced by Zoroastrian culture- the influences were part of the syncretic culture of the caravan Silk Road. At its destination, China- Christianity was met with Indian Culture, Buddhist Culture (Mystical- Vajrayana Buddhism) and Chinese Culture- the result here again was an amalgamation of all of these cultures leading to the development of syncretic Christianity and literature which has a clear Buddhist and Mystical touch to it. Through this paper the researcher will examine the various art-archaeological evidences like the Nestorian Stele at Xian and literature called the Jesus Sutras like “the Sutra on the Origin of Origins”, “Da Qin Hymn to the Transfiguration of the Great Holy One” etc. Along with previous research done in this area. An attempt has also been made to study the pattern of evangelization on the Silk Road, segregation of the influences by the land route and other routes, the result and further cross -influences that this Syncretic Mystical Christianity had on other areas.