Christianity's message came in various forms and from many emissaries.  It came in apostolic form, it came through Christians escaping persecution in their homeland and it came through dedicated missionaries.  The author has attempted to provide taxonomical order to the waves that brought Christianity to India by categorizing them as phases.  These phases brought a rich diversity to the practice and liturgy of the Christian faith within the Indian sub-continent.  This diversity was amplified by those indigenous communities that consequently adopted Christianity but did not completely forsake their ancient past and mores in doing so.  The author has taken an appropriate approach to the history of Indian Christianity, whereby he is able to account for and describe the distinctive features that each historical epoch has added to the practice of the faith in a way that is unique to the sub-continent.

In India, as this volume reveals, Christianity took root almost as soon as it was born, and it has since flourished on Indian soil longer than even some of India's major indigenous religions.  This is only to say that the story of Christianity in India is ancient and deeply rooted, and not, as some would have us believe, of recent and foreign provenance. That a major world religion spread to India so quickly after its inception is a tribute not just to the religion's greatness but also to India's ancient civilization, which was globalized long before globalization became an idea.  It was only natural that a civilization considered one of the world's most advanced at the time would attract the newest ideas quickly and equally quickly adopt them in its own fashion.  

Through each of these historical phases, magnificent Churches were erected throughout India's vast geography.  Some of the more important and prominent of these Churches are depicted here in fine pictorial detail.  The Churches in this book are a product of history, and in being so, they are a part of it:  they stand testament to India's civilization as much as they do to the devotion of those Christians who built them.  They are thus not only part of Christian heritage but they are indeed the nation's common cultural heritage.  Unfortunately, not enough is known about these monuments in popular culture today. Though some of these Churches are as old and as grand as many other Indian landmark monuments, not enough people know the historical background and modern day relevance of these Churches: who built them; when; in what circumstances and to what consequences.  The answers to such questions will help adherents of the Christian faith as well as the layperson gain a better understanding of the history and practices of the faith in India.

This volume is valuable in that it seeks to provide some of these answers in a concise yet well-informed manner.  It not only supplies a historical context to Christianity and Christian architecture, but also presents a glimpse of some decisive moments in Indian history.  Most important, however, is the discourse on the Churches covered in this volume.  The excellent photographs of these Churches are certain to whet the reader's appetite for history and architecture, and the erudite attendant commentary is bound to satisfy that appetite.  It is hoped that this book will be read by all those who are interested in learning more about Christianity's contributions to India's rich cultural and architectural landscape.

Writing about religions and religious matters is always fraught with the danger of causing hurt or displeasure to the followers of that particular faith. To steer clear away from this is a challenging task and the author deserves to be congratulated on achieving this distinction.