This paper examines a major issue in contemporary Indian Christianity: the necessity of baptism in a context where the issue has become especially contentious in recent years due to theological, social, and political dynamics. By considering the challenges raised by the Indian context, the paper seeks to provide an evangelical response which is rooted in Scripture, in dialogue with the broader church in history, and engaged with contemporary contextual realities.
The necessity of baptism for believers in Jesus Christ has long been a contentious issue in the Indian subcontinent. Prominent observers like Herbert Hoefer have noted, “People want the Gospel but not the church. They want faith but not baptism” (Hoefer 1981, 204). At the other end of the spectrum, established churches like the Church of North India clearly state in their bylaws that only those who are baptized can be admitted as communicant members of the church (Constitution of CNI 2005, 18).
Questions related to baptism are further heightened in the current socio-political climate of India, where growing hostility toward Christians and anti-conversion laws continue to raise questions related to baptism (Dhananjay Mahapatra, TOI, Aug 26, 2023). On a surface level, this may present as a socio-political issue not necessarily connected to the deeper ontological meaning of baptism. However, as Simon Chan notes avoidance of baptism among Asian converts to Christianity often reflects the reality that “Most Asians understand better the ‘sacramentality; of the rite of baptism than most evangelicals” (Chan in ACT 2019, 148). Thus, undergirding these socio-political issues related to baptism are also deeper ontological and theological questions.
The realities of the Indian context present a challenge to the church to examine the meaning and role of baptism in the life of a Christian and the church in a manner that considers the multilayered nature of the issue. This challenge is further heightened for the evangelical church, which strongly emphasizes the Great Commission with its command to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19, NIV).
This paper’s examination of the issue emerges in three steps. First, the paper examines the biblical text to build a foundational understanding of Christian baptism. Second, it examines instances from the church’s history and related responses from within the church in contexts where Christianity was a persecuted minority or faced threats of persecution. Finally, the paper draws from insights gained from the previous two steps to theologically engage ground-level realities and responses related to baptism documented in recent field research among Christians in North India. In the end, the paper proposes an evangelical response to the issue that retains the evangelical emphasis on Scripture while also engaging the broader church and the local ground-level realities of the context.