The Mar Thoma Church accepts the Bible and the Nicene Creed as the basis for all matters of faith and doctrine. It is classified as Oriental Protestant — neither Nestorian nor Monophysite — holding the ancient Apostolic faith alongside evangelical convictions born of the 19th-century Reformation.
Core theological principles
The church affirms the Nicene Creed: one God eternally existing as three co-equal, co-eternal Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Only the Councils of Nicea, Constantinople, and Ephesus are commemorated in the Eucharist. The Trinity is the centre of all Mar Thoma worship and theology.
The Holy Bible is the supreme authority for all matters of faith and doctrine. The church accepts the principle of Sola Scriptura in the sense that Scripture governs all teaching. The original Bible used was the Peshitta in Estrangelo Syriac; by 1841 a full Malayalam translation had been completed.
Jesus Christ is confessed as fully God and fully human — the eternal Son of God incarnate, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, risen, and ascended. The Mar Thoma Church is neither Nestorian nor Monophysite but affirms a balanced Christology in line with the early Councils. Christ is the sole mediator between God and humanity.
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ — not by human works or religious merit. This is central to the reformed identity of the church. The sacraments are means of grace but do not mechanically confer salvation. True faith, repentance, and personal relationship with Christ are essential.
The church emphasises the priesthood of all believers — every member of the church shares in Christ's priestly ministry. The laity has full participation in the life and ministry of the church. They are called to profess and practise Christian truths in their daily life, and to co-operate in the general administration of the church.
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, fully divine, dwelling within believers and enabling holiness, prayer, and understanding of Scripture. The Spirit was poured out at Pentecost and continues to animate the church's worship, mission, and life.
The Holy Qurbana (Holy Communion) is a Dominical Sacrament — divinely instituted by Christ — and must be observed with the utmost spiritual reverence, not as a mere ritual. The church does not subscribe to the concept of Eucharistic Sacrifice. The experience of communion is regarded as a "Sacred Mystery" and the church gives believers freedom regarding the understanding of Christ's presence.
Child Baptism is upheld for children born in Christian families. Adult Baptism is given to new believers coming from other religions. Baptism signifies initiation into the Body of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Confession is general — said through prayer before the Holy Communion, not through auricular (private) confession to a priest.
The church accepts the Perpetual Virginity, Divine Motherhood, and Assumption of Mary, but holds that these have nothing to do with saintly intercession or a mediatrix role. Mary is recognised as the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Christ who is God — the title "Mother of God" is affirmed in the patristic sense. She is honoured but not invoked in prayer.
The church endorses remembrance and respect for saints and martyrs and acknowledges their feast days, but prohibits veneration and intercession through them. Saints declared by all Christian denominations are called Saints with respect. Iconography (icons, images, drawings) is understood as Christian art — spirituality expressed visually — but not used for worship.
Remembrance of departed loved ones is natural and human, but prayers for the dead were removed by the 19th-century Reformation to signify that salvation does not occur after death. There is no belief in purgatory. Salvation is completed in this life through faith in Christ.
The mission of spreading the Gospel is a core duty of the church. "The Church must work with an evangelical zeal." The Mar Thoma Voluntary Evangelistic Association (MTVE) and Samajam carry the church's mission. Social action — hospitals, nursing homes, schools — is understood as a response to the Gospel, not a substitute for it.
Recited during the Holy Qurbana, the Nicene Creed is the shared confession of faith across all Mar Thoma congregations worldwide. The church accepts it as the basis of all doctrine, formulated in accordance with Holy Scripture.
"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds… who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures… We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father… We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the Resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen."
How the Mar Thoma Church stands on particular theological questions
| Topic | Mar Thoma Position |
|---|---|
| Justification | By faith alone (Sola Fide) |
| Salvation | By grace alone (Sola Gratia) |
| Mediation | Christ alone — no saintly intercession |
| Scripture | Highest authority in all matters of faith and doctrine |
| Eucharist | Sacred Mystery; no Eucharistic Sacrifice; freedom on substantiation |
| Confession | General confession in prayer; no auricular confession to priests |
| Baptism | Infant baptism (for Christian families) and adult baptism (for converts) |
| Purgatory | Rejected; no prayers for the dead |
| Mary | Honoured as Blessed Virgin, Mother of Christ; no intercessory role |
| Icons/Images | Recognised as Christian art; not used for worship |
| Clergy | Married clergy permitted; celibate bishops not required |
| Councils | Nicea, Constantinople, and Ephesus commemorated in the Eucharist |
| Christology | Neither Nestorian nor Monophysite — Oriental Protestant |
| Church polity | Episcopal — bishops, priests, deacons in apostolic succession |
| Governance | Democratic — laity and clergy share in administration |
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