Universal Scope of the Gospel

Kerala’s own Christian community carries an internal version of this tension: the ancient Saint Thomas Christian (Syrian Christian) community historically held elevated, caste-like social status comparable to upper-caste Hindu communities, while more recent Dalit converts from 19th- and 20th-century mass movements have faced, and in places still face, social stratification within Malayalam Christianity itself. Romans’ “no distinction” claim is therefore a live internal-church challenge here, not only an interfaith one.