Christian sect centered along the Malabar Coast of southwestern India, said to have origins in the Christianization efforts of the apostle St. Thomas. The origins of the sect are uncertain, though they seem to have been in existence before the 6th century and probably derive from the missionary activity of the East Syrian (Nestorian) Church, which held that the two natures of Christ were two persons joined in a moral union. In geographic isolation from Syria, the sect has nonetheless retained the Chaldean liturgy, Syriac language, and fraternal ties with the Babylonian (Baghdad) patriarchate; their devotional practices also include Hindu religious symbolism.
