Abraham Malpan

Abraham Malpan
A painting of Abraham Malpan
Born30 May 1796
Died9 September 1845(1845-09-09) (aged 49)
Maramon, Travancore
TitleMalpan
Theological work
EraReformation of Malankara Church (19th century)
Tradition or movementMalankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church (1898)

Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan, (30 May 1796 – 9 September 1845) was an Indian cleric and theologian known for the Reformation movement within the Malankara Church during the 19th century. He was born in the ancient Syrian Christian Palakunnathu family which practiced West Syriac Rite Oriental Orthodoxy after the Coonan Cross Oath of 1653.

Abraham Malpan translated and revised the West Syriac liturgy, restoring the Church to what he considered to be its position before the Synod of Diamper in 1599. He therefore strove for the abolition of auricular confession, prayers for the dead, intercession of saints, and veneration of sacraments. Further he emphasized the reading and study of the Bible, family-worship and evangelistic work. He insisted on a high moral standard of conduct for laity and clergy. All this created a ferment in the Church and its effects are still discernible in the Malankara Church as a whole. This led to the formation of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in 1898.[1]

  1. ^ Mar Thoma Sabha Directory (1999), Page 24.