Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.4/5)
Genre: History, Church History, Sri Lankan History, Religion

Book Review:
S. G. Perera's ''Historical Sketches (Ceylon Church History)'' is a classic and indispensable work for anyone seeking a rigorous, evidence-based understanding of the history of Christianity in Sri Lanka. Written by a Jesuit scholar with a deep commitment to historical accuracy, this book cuts through myth and conjecture to present a clear and critical account based on reliable records.

Fr. Perera's approach is refreshingly skeptical. He firmly dismisses the popular theory that an ''Eastern'' form of Christianity existed in Lanka for a millennium before the arrival of the Portuguese, arguing that there is simply no historical foundation for such a claim. While acknowledging evidence of a Persian Christian church in the 6th century, he notes the complete absence of any record of native converts or of the church's subsequent fate. This commitment to saying no more than the evidence allows is the hallmark of his scholarship.

Similarly, Fr. Perera adopts a nuanced and critical stance towards the Portuguese colonial period. He does not hesitate to censure the Portuguese for their atrocities, but he also questions the simplistic narrative of conversion ''at the point of the sword,'' demanding a more complex and historically grounded analysis. His arguments are always based on the solid premise that history must be built on reliable records, not on prejudice or conjecture.

As Aloysius Pieris notes in his foreword, whether one agrees with Perera or not, his work is a model of historical integrity. ''Historical Sketches'' is essential reading for students of Sri Lankan history, church history, and the colonial encounter. It is a testament to the power of rigorous scholarship to challenge comfortable myths and illuminate the complex past.