Joanne Taylor’s is a breezy, illustrated look at Indian churches. With 310 photographs, it is informative, but not fact-bound. The selection of 57 churches from Kerala, Goa, Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta, Mumbai, Delhi, Pondicherry and Chandannagar conveys the geographical spread, the historical evolution, denominational variety and architectural diversity of Indian churches. Of these, 31 are Roman Catholic, nine Anglican, six Protestant, four Syro-Malabar Catholic, two each Presbyterian and Orthodox Syrian, and one each Armenian Orthodox, Church of North India and Church of South India.
Taylor begins with the arrival of the apostle St. Thomas at the ancient port of Muziris, near Kodungallur, in A.D. 51. He is believed to have built churches at seven locations. From 4 to 6 century AD, there were waves of Christians fleeing persecution in Persia. Isolated over time from their native country, the Nazranis or followers of Jesus of Nazareth built churches to resemble the three-tiered gabled...
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