INTRODUCTION

The Christian community of Kerala is composed of the several Denominations. Generally, it can be viewed under three major groups: Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. The Catholics have four sub-groups, namely: Roman Catholics (Latin), Syro-Malabar Catholics, Syro-Malankara Catholics, and the Cnanaya Syrian Catholics. In the second major Christian group, namely the Orthodox, there are different sub-groups. They are the Jacobite Orthodox Syrian Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Chaldean Syrian Church, and The Cnanaya Syrian Orthodox Church.
In the third major group of Christians in Kerala, namely the Protestants, there have been ever so many sub-groups. Some of them were in due course of time got united as the Church of South India (CSI), their parallel in the North being the Church of North India (CNI). The CSI is a predominant Church denomination in Kerala. There is also the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church which is a sub-group of the Protestants who consider themselves as a ‘reformed’ section of   the Orthodox Syrian Christians of Kerala. There is also the St. Thomas Evangelical Church of Kerala, a division formed out of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Christians. In the case of fourth major group, namely, the Pentecosts, there are innumerable members and numerous subgroups. The Indian Pentecost Church and the Ceylon Pentecost Church are among the popular ones. The table given below will make the picture clearer.

Christian churches are differentiated on the basis of their doctrines and practices. Two broad classes according to these are the Episcopal churches and the Evangelical churches. The former has a hierarchical order of Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, etc. while the latter class has only Ministers and Pastors. All the Catholic churches, the Orthodox Churches and the Anglican, the Marthomite and CSI are Episcopal churches. In the case of practices also there are differences in their liturgies, prayers, and even in some aspects of faith and worship. Thus, the Christians in Kerala are a population with a wide diversity but a cardinal unity.