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E. C. John

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The Reverend
E. C. John
D. D. (Honoris causa)
Born
Elavinakuzhy Cherian John[4]

(1927-11-08)8 November 1927
Travancore
Died29 October 2020(2020-10-29) (aged 92)
Bangalore, Karnataka
NationalityIndian
Other namesECJ
Education
Alma mater
Occupations
Years active1954-2007
SpouseJuliane Hanna John (nee Ehrenberg)
ReligionChristianity
ChurchChurch of South India,[1] Madhya Kerala Diocese[2]
Ordained1954[3]
Congregations served
CSI Church, Tiruvalla (1954-1957)[3]
Offices held
Teacher - in - Old Testament, United Theological College, Bangalore (1959-1993)[3]

E. C. John (8 November 1927 – 29 October 2020) was an Indian Old Testament scholar and a member[8] of the Society for Biblical Studies in India. He was also a member of the George Bell Institute at the University of Chichester,[9] Chichester and the Society for Old Testament Study,[10] England.

He was acknowledged for his scholarship[1] of the Old Testament. G. Babu Rao,[11] one of his earliest pupils specializing in the Old Testament[5] wrote that his professor, E. C. John pointed out parallels for Epiphany and Theophany from Vaishnavism and Saivism respectively.[12]

Writings

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Books written

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  • 1968, Death and life in the prophecy of judgment with reference to Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah,[7]
  • 1983, The Servant of the Lord (Meditations on the Prophets),[13]
  • 1999 (with Juliane Hanna John nee Ehrenberg), To Tell of the Struggle is a Struggle: Resistance, Protest and Witness during the Third Reich,[3]

Books edited

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  • 2006 (with Samson Prabhakar), Christian Identity and Cultural Nationalism: Challenges and Opportunities,[14]

Articles

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  • 1954, On Reviving the Peace Movement for World Peace, UTC (Bangalore) and World Council of Churches (Geneva).
  • 1969, Forgiveness in the Prophecy of Judgment,[15]
  • 1971, Divine Manifestations,[12]
  • 1974, Old Testament understanding of death,[16]
  • 1977, Righteousness in the prophets,[17]
  • 1977, Life and Death in Old Testament Research,[18]
  • 1978, Theological Research and the Churches in India: Old Testament,[19]
  • 1984, Israel and Inculturation: An Appraisal,[20]
  • 1984, Fellowship in the Holy Spirit - Biblical Perspectives,[21]
  • 1985, A vision for the future,[22]
  • 2004, The Reception of the Old Testament in India,[23]
  • 2007, Reading the Old Testament from a Dalit Perspective,[24]

Studies

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After completing graduate studies in sciences leading to B.Sc.,[1] E. C. John chose priesthood as a full time vocation and went for spiritual formation in Bangalore.

Spiritual studies

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John studied theology at the United Theological College, Bengaluru from 1951 to 1954 when Max Hunter Harrison was its Principal.[5] From 1954 to 1957[3] he served as a presbyter of the Church of South India in Tiruvalla.

Advanced spiritual studies

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In 1957[3] he was sent to the University of Cambridge, Cambridge where he pursued both graduate and postgraduate studies leading to B. A.[6] (1959)[6] and M. A.[6] (1963)[6] specializing in Old Testament (MA Tripos part iii).[1] During John's stay at the University of Cambridge, the decennial Lambeth Conference took place which John attended it as a guest along with Leslie Brown, and Lesslie Newbigin.[25]

Doctoral research

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While teaching at the Seminary in Bengaluru, he applied for the Alexander von Humboldt research fellowship[3] and went on study leave from the Seminary to the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg[1] for doctoral studies in Old Testament[3] where he studied with Claus Westermann and Gerhard von Rad who were experts in Old Testament studies. During John's study period in Heidelberg, his companions included Ulrich Bergmann (Neuendettelsau Mission), Ms Whittaker, Nicholas J. Tromp, who spent a period of study at the university.[26] Upon completion of his doctoral studies in 1968, John's thesis was published with the title, Death and life in the prophecy of judgment with reference to Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah,[7] E. C. John returned to Bengaluru and continued teaching in the United Theological College till his retirement in 1993.

Contributions

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Teaching

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After John completed his studies in Cambridge University in 1959, he began teaching the Old Testament in Bangalore for generations of students both at the graduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. In 1983[1] E. C. John took charge as principal of the United Theological College, Bengaluru from his predecessor Joshua Russell Chandran and continued as principal until 1993 when he relinquished charge and handed over the baton to Gnana Robinson.

John's legacy of teaching has passed on to his postgraduate[27] students who specialized in the Old Testament and Hebrew language, which continued through those who took up teaching at seminaries elsewhere comprising,[5]

Commentary

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John led the editorial team comprising M. J. Joseph, K. V. Mathew, Jacob Verghis, Saphir P. Athyal and Mathew P. John that worked to bring out the One volume Malayalam Bible Commentary with contributions from 47 Scholars and published in 1979 through the Theological Literature Committee, Tiruvalla.[31]

Peace studies

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John worked with an international community of theologians at United Theological College, on the peace movement and peace for the people, in association with the World Council of Churches, and their advisory responsibilities with the United Nations Organization.

Hobbies

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John was an avid gardener and enthusiastic tennis and volleyball player. He taught himself to play the flute.

Honours

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In the Senate of Serampore College (University) Convocation 2009 held at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, Madurai, John was awarded a Doctor of Divinity honoris causa.[32]

Reminisce

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Talathoti Punnaiah who studied a postgraduate course leading to Master of Theology at the United Theological College, Bangalore from 1989-1991 recalls his association with John, "E. C. John was my Principal at the College. He was a good Administrator."[33]

Professional and academic associations
Preceded by President,
Society for Biblical Studies in India
1970–1972 		Succeeded by
Academic offices
Preceded by Teacher - in - Old Testament,
United Theological College,
Bengaluru (Karnataka)
1959–1993 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Principal,
United Theological College,
Bengaluru (Karnataka)
1983–1993 		Succeeded by

References

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Notes
  1. ^ a b c d e f g The National Council of Churches Review, Volume 103, Nagpur, 1983
  2. ^ "Clergy of the Madhya Kerala Diocese". Madhya Kerala Diocese. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Juliane H. John and E. C. John, To Tell of the Struggle is a Struggle: Resistance, Protest and Witness during the Third Reich, Published by the Authors, Bengaluru, 1999. [1]
  4. ^ E. C. John, Samson Prabhakar (Edited), Christian Identity and Cultural Nationalism: Challenges and Opportunities, BTESSC/SATHRI, Bangalore, 2006.[2]
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), The United Theological College, Directory 1910–1997, Bengaluru, 1997. pp.6 and 25. [3]
  6. ^ a b c d e f The Cambridge University List of Members for the Year 1991, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1991, p.711.[4]
  7. ^ a b c E. C. John, Death and life in the prophecy of judgment with reference to Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 1968.[5]
  8. ^ Fr. Max Gonsalves (Ed.), Society for Biblical Studies in India Directory 1998.
  9. ^ "Fellows and Scholars". University of Chichester. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014.
  10. ^ "2004 Conference of the SOTS". Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
  11. ^ G. Babu Rao, Content Analysis of Theological Syllabi – Old Testament in Religion and Society, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, Bangalore, 1985. [6]
  12. ^ a b E. C. John, Divine Manifestations, Bangalore Theological Forum, III/2, Bengaluru, July 1971. p.19. Cited by G. Babu Rao in Wisdom Tradition and the Indian Parallels with special reference to Telugu literature, Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad, 1990. [7] Archived 7 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ E. C. John, The Servant of the Lord (Meditations on the Prophets), The Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1983.[8]
  14. ^ E. C. John, Samson Prabhakar (Edited), BTESSC/SATHRI for Ecumenical Christian Academy, Bengaluru, 2006.
  15. ^ E. C. John, "Forgiveness in the Prophecy of Judgment", Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 18, Issue 2-3, April–September 1969, pp. 206–218. Cited by Claus Westermann in "Genesis 12–36: a Commentary" in John Scullion Volume 2 of Genesis: a Commentary, Augsburg Publishing House, 1985. p.316. [9][10]
  16. ^ E. C. John, Old Testament understanding of death, Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 23, Issue 1-2, January–June 1974, pp.123-128.[11]
  17. ^ E.C. John, Righteousness in the prophets, Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 26, Issue 3-4, July–December 1977, pp.132-142.[12]
  18. ^ E. C. John, Life and Death in Old Testament Research, Bangalore Theological Forum, Volume 9, 1977, pp.13-27. Cited by Monica J. Melanchthon, Graduate Biblical Studies in India, in Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Kent Harold Richards (Edited), Transforming Graduate Biblical Education: Ethos and Discipline, Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2010, p. 129.[13]
  19. ^ E. C. John, "Theological Research and the Churches in India: Old Testament", Bangalore Theological Forum, Volume 10, 1978, pp.6-11. Cited by Monica J. Melanchthon, Graduate Biblical Studies in India, in Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Kent Harold Richards (Edited), Transforming Graduate Biblical Education: Ethos and Discipline, Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2010, p. 129.[14]
  20. ^ E. C. John, Israel and Inculturation: An Appraisal, Bangalore Theological Forum, Volume 14, 1984, pp.87-94. Cited by Monica J. Melanchthon, Graduate Biblical Studies in India, in Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Kent Harold Richards (Edited), Transforming Graduate Biblical Education: Ethos and Discipline, Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2010, p. 129.[15]
  21. ^ E. C. John, Fellowship in the Holy Spirit - Biblical Perspectives, National Council of Churches Review, Volume 104, Wesley Press, Mysore, 1984, pp.202-208. [16]
  22. ^ E. C. John, A vision for the future in To serve, not to be served, United Theological College, Bangalore, 1985.[17]
  23. ^ E. C. John, The Reception of the Old Testament in India, Unpublished paper at the Society for Old Testament Study meeting, 2004. [18]
  24. ^ E. C. John, Reading the Old Testament from a Dalit Perspective, Unpublished paper at the Society for Old Testament Study meeting, 2007. [19]
  25. ^ Lesslie Newbigin, Unfinished Agenda: An Updated Autobiography, Saint Andrews Press, England, 1993, p.153.[20]
  26. ^ Nicholas J. Tromp, Primitive Conceptions of Death and the Nether World in the Old Testament, Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, 1969, pp.31, 165.[21]
  27. ^ Zaihmingthanga (Edited), M. Th. / D. Th. Thesis Titles, BTESSC, Bangalore, 1990, pp.1-4.
  28. ^ The Rev. John Guy Bookless in Church Times, 2 November 2006
  29. ^ The Story of Serampore and its College, Council of Serampore College, Serampore (Fourth Edition), 2005, p.92.
  30. ^ J. B. Jeyaraj, The People of God in the Priestly Source in Indian Journal of Theology.[22]
  31. ^ E. C. John (Edited), One volume Malayalam Bible Commentary, The Theological Literature Committee, Tiruvalla, 1979. Reviewed in Scripture Bulletin, Volume XI, Number 1, Summer 1980, p.25.[23]
  32. ^ R. Christopher Rajkumar, Serampore College Convocation 2009 and forty years journey of Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, NCCI Newsletter/Easter 2009, Nagpur, 2009. p.7. "National Council of Churches in India newsletter of Easter 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  33. ^ Talathoti Punnaiah, My Memoir, Ministry and Message: (60 years Life Experiences 1950-2010), Kakinada, 2010, pp.85-86.
Further reading
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