{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 170,
  "chapterName": "1930. E. Stanley Jones on the Ashram Ideal",
  "pageFrom": 347,
  "pageTo": 348,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 347,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n347\nWesleyan Methodist Church for presentation to the governing\nbodies of these Churches in India and elsewhere. The Conference\nbelieves that organic union is in the interests of the Kingdom of\nGod in India, and rejoices at the spirit of union which the Scheme\nmanifests. It renders thanks to the great Head of the Church,\nWho by His Spirit has guided the representatives of these churches\nto so large a measure of agreement on questions of such great\nimportance to the Church of Christ in South India and to the\nspread of His Kingdom there.\n2. The Conference authorises the South India Provincial\nSynod to continue the consultations with the representatives of the\nother churches concerned, and will watch with the most\nsympathetic interest the further progress of such consultations.\n3. The Conference instructs the Joint Committee of the\nMissionary Committee and the Committee on Faith and Order to\ncontinue their consideration of the whole scheme, and also to\nreceive and consider any recommendations or information which\nmay be received from the South India Provincial Synod or other\nsources, and to present a report to the next Conference.\n170. E. STANLEY JONES ON THE ASHRAM IDEAL\n(1930 A.D.)\nThe description by E. Stanely Jones, the well known Methodist\nmissionary, of the ashram ideal was written in the year (1930) that\nhe established the summer ashram at Sat Tal. Cited in Brenton\nThoburn Badley, ed., Indian Church Problems of Today, pp. 49 ff.-\n1. A center that would be truly Christian and truly Indian.\n2. Racial lines would be abolished and everyone in the Ashram\nwould live alike.\n3. The dress, the food, the manner of eating would be Indian.\n4. As we would expect Hindus to come and share life with us\nfor longer or shorter periods the food would be vegetarian.\n5. There would be practically no servants as each member of\nthe Ashram would take turns in serving the rest.\n6. Working with the hands would be respectable, for all would\ndo it both in the fields and in some cottage industry.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 348,
      "ocrText": "348\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n7. In the Ashram we would try to make the Indian spirit\ncreative in art, in music and in Christian thinking.\n8. There would be created a group that would study the\nGospel, its relationship to India's heritage and to India's present\nreligions and to the national life of India.\n9. Out of this group thinking and group meditation we would\nhope to create a literature for both Christian and non-Christian.\n10. The Ashram would be a place to which Indian workers and\nlaymen and missionaries would come for short periods for quiet\nmeditation and prayer and the recouping of the spiritual life for\nrenewed touch with the soul of India.\n11. When the Ashram has found its own soul we would add a\nChristokul in which boys would learn to be Christian in an Indian\natmosphere, where they would be taught by precept and example\nthe way of service, of self-reliance, of love of the Motherland, of\nservice to the country apart from employment by Missions. They\nwill be taught work with the hands by which they will go out to\nsupport themselves while serving the country.\n12. No salaries will be paid in the Ashram. Those permanently\nconnected with the Ashram will receive food and clothes, both of\nwhich will be simple and Indian. Temporary visitors will be sup-\nposed to contribute a voluntary contribution for their stay.\n13. The breath of the Ashram will be prayer. There will be\nprolonged periods of silence. The devotional life will be\nemphasized and deepened.\n14. The Ashram will be Christian, not denominational. Deno-\nminational lines will fade out. We trust the Ashram will also be\na place where Hindus and Moslems might come to study in an\nIndian atmosphere the meaning of the Gospel and where those who\nhave just begun the Christian way may come to be established and\nget a firmer grip upon the Christian spirit, outlook and way of life.",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}