Professorial lecture of Dr. George Zachariah

The professorial lecture of Dr. George Zachariah will be be held on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at the Tagore Hall, UTC at 4:30 P.M. Dr. George Zachariah will lecture on the topic "The Vocation of Theological Education In the Context of Fascism and Conformism". Dr. Gladson Jathanna will respond to the lecture and Rev. Dr. Allan Palanna will moderate the session. Tea and snacks will be served at 4:15 P.M. All are welcome.

Inter Sunday School Competition held

The Inter-Sunday school competition of the UTC was held on November 16, 2013. The St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Cathedral, Queen's Road, Bangalore won the over all championship. East Parade Malayalam CSI church was runner up. The Inter-Sunday school competition is held every year and many churches in Bangalore participate. This year 28 churches participated. Children, Sunday school teachers and parents came together for an entire day in UTC.

UTC was full of children in the morning itself and the programme was inaugurated by the student co-ordinator Mr. Manoj M, the Carey society secretary Mr. Manda Prashanth Babu and the faculty advisor Fr. Jerry Kurian. This was followed by a string of competitions in the main hall, Tagore Hall and the JR Chandran Academic block. The competitions were so close as the children reminded everyone that they were very talented. Group song and choreography was  keenly watched as were other competitions.

The closing function was held at 6:00 P.M. and the co-ordinator thanked the churches who accepted UTC's invitation and participated. The students worked the entire night to have the hall ready and many BD and MTh students helped in the logistics and arrangements on the competition day.

Photo credits- Calvin Sushith Ambler, BD III
                       Joe Jacob

JK

Remembering Ilavarasan, Interrogating Casteism: Reimagining Christian Public Witness in India

Dr. Mohan Larbeer

Rev. Raj Bharath Patta

A public lecture on the topic "Remembering Ilavarasan, Interrogating Casteism: Reimagining Christian Public Witness in India" was held in UTC at 5:00 P.M. yesterday. Rev. Raj Bharath Patta, the General Secretary of the Student Christian Movement India (SCMI) gave the main lecture and it was moderated and commented on by Dr. Mohan Larbeer, the secretary of the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College (BTESSC). The lecture was jointly conducted by UTC and SCMI.

Rev. Raj Bharath Patta explained the loss of life of Ilavarasan, a dalit man, as a murder and something for which all are responsible. He gave a blow by blow account of the issue which lead to the death of Ilavarasan. The violence of the Vaniyars against dalits was brought out clearly. He saw the incident as
1. The violence against dalit communities after inter caste marriages.
2. There is a anti-dalit hate campaign and also an attempt to say that they are coming up and dressing up like others.
3. There is a political conspiracy to spit venom against dalit communities and this is for the creation of an electoral constituency.
4. There is an ongoing increase of suicides among dalits in various places.
5. There is a nexus between caste and politics, caste and patriarchy and caste and power.

For Raj Bharath the need to remember Ilavarasan today is that he reminds us of several others and their struggles against injustice. Ilavarasan reminds us of Rosa Parks, the modern civil rights movement and the life of resilience. Ilavarasan also reminds us of Nelson Mandela and archbishop OscarRomero. Rev. Bharath pointed out that high caste Hindu educated youth are campaigning against inter caste marriages and saying that their crusade is to preserve Indian traditions. He therefore said that inter caste marriages are the need of the hour if we have to thwart false traditions. Dr. Ambedkar also had such a view.

Rev. Bharath then articulated the problem of caste with what Felix Wilfred and Satish Deshpande have written and talked about as our silence on caste. Rev. Bharath finally brought in an analysis from the bible in the form of the story of Cain and Abel and said that Ilavarasan's death is like Abel's death. It was not death but murder. The retort of Cain "Am I my brother's keeper?" is what we are doing by not talking about Ilavarasan. Good news for the poor is bad news to the rich.

He then talked of a positive story in the bible regarding Ruth and Boaz and how their marriage was inter-territorial and went beyond set boundaries. This is the same route the church must take in India. He ended with a letter written to Ilavarsan confessing our inability to help him and affirming that Ilavarasan is now an epitome of hope to the community.

Dr. Larbeer started by saying that he has always been a supporter of inter caste love marriages. He gave a succint report on the real situation of caste in Tamil Nadu referring to the problem between the Vaniyar dominated PMK and the dalits. He brought out the key issue of the economics of caste and how this was also very much an issue of how the social upward mobility of the dalits was a problem to other castes. He also reminded those present of the new expression of dalit capitalism. He ended by saying "No one can murder or kill love." Students and faculty from UTC and the SCMI unit from Goodwill Women's Christian College attended the lecture.

Dr. Sahayadhas introduced the speakers, Dr. Allan Palanna and Dr. George Zachariah made venue arrangements and took care of logistics, Ms. Veronica, MTh II and Mr. Paul Karunakar, BD III helped in the conduct of the programme and Rev. Dinesh, MTh II offered prayer.

Rev. Dr. Allan Samuel Palanna

Rev. Dr. Allan Samuel Palanna with his wife Arpana and their son Advik

His Profile:

The Rev. Dr. Allan Samuel Palanna, B. D., Th. D.,

He did his Bachelor of Divinity from the United Theological College, Bangalore

He is an ordained minister of God. He was ordained on 16^th October, 2005 by His Excellency The Rt. Rev. Devaraj Bangera, Bishop of Karnataka Southern Diocese.

He has received his Doctoral Degree from University of Kent, Canterbury

He joined UTC on 1^st May 2011 and teaching in the Department of Theology and Ethics

His Family:

Dr. Allan is married to Arpana working as a teacher in St. John’s High School, Bangalore. And they have a son called Advik Palanna studying in Bishop Cotton’s Boys School, Bangalore.

Encouraging Verse for Ministry:

I Timothy 1:12: “I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service.”

Position in UTC and Additional Responsibilities:

            Dr. Allan is a lecturer in the department of Theology and Ethics. Along with that he is the Worship Convener and the Faculty Vice-President in the Carey Society for the academic year 2012 – ’13. 

Achievements in Recent Past: 2012-2013 Publications

 ‘The Nadir of Vulnerability at the Margins: Persons with Mental Illness and Representational Discourses in the Synoptic Healing Stories.’ In Jospeh Prabhakar Dayam and P. Mohan Larbeer (ed.) Margins in Conversation: Methodological Discourses in Theological Disciplines. Bangalore: BTESSC, 2012.

‘Zest for Life: Youth and the Church.’ In T. I. James (ed.) Companion to Confirmation. Chennai: CSI Synod/ISPCK , 2012.

‘Choices and Consequences.’ In T. I. James (ed.) Companion to Confirmation. Chennai: CSI Synod/ISPCK , 2012.

‘Response to “Zionism”: The Politico-Racist Hurdle to World Peace.’ In Viji Varghese Eapen (ed.) Hindutva, Zionism and Cultural Nationalism. Chennai: CSI, 2012.

‘Paul Tillich’s Tryst with Psychology: Implications for the Continuing Conversations between Science and Theology’. Bangalore Theological Forum. XLIV/1 (June 2012): 55-65.

‘I Believe, Help my Unbelief’: Delineating (Mental) Health Care and Faith-Based Engagement’ in Kondasingu Jesurathnam, Abraham Saggu and Hrangthan Chhunghi (ed.) Liberation Hermeneutics in the Indian Interpretation of the Bible. Bangalore and Tiruvalla: SBSI and CSS, 2012.

 ‘Being Wed to Ashes,’ CSI Life, XII/2 (Feb 2013): pp, 7-8.

Engagements in 2012-2013

‘Ecumenism, Ecology and Economics’. Presentation in Institute on Ecumenism, Organized by CSI Synod and ECC, Bangalore. 30^th July-3^rd August, 2012.

Speaker, Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College and YWCA. Youth Gathering, 30^th August, 2012.

Presenter, SCMI, Bangalore.  Bible Study Workshop, 6^th-7^th September, 2012.

Resource Person, BTESSC/CSI Synod. Climate Justice Bible Study Workshop, 20^th-22^nd September, 2012.

‘Theological response to Waste Management’, Paper presentation at National Workshop on, Waste Management in India: Options and Opportunities, 25^th-27^th September, 2012, ECC, Whitefield Bangalore.

‘Past Imperfect’: Responses to Gender Issues in the Early Church’, Paper presentation at National Workshop on, Gender Issues: Challenges of Change, Faith and Development, 8^th-10^th October, 2012, ECC, Whitefield Bangalore.

‘Life Together in Faith: Unity and Mission-A Reflection,’ Paper presentation at Centenary Ecumenical Responses on “God of life, lead us to justice and peace” Nov. 1^st -3^rd, 2012, Students Christian Movement of India, Bangalore.

‘Environmental Justice: Ecological problems, importance of Conservation’, Paper presentation at Institute on Ecumenism: Participating in God’s Holistic Mission of Reconciling the Whole World, Jointly organized by CCA, NCCI and ECC, ECC Whitfield, 19^th Nov-1^st Dec, 2012

‘Urbanization and concerns of Migrant Workers in India: A Theological Reflection’, Paper presentation at National workshop on Urbanization and concerns of Migrant Workers in India, 5^th December, 2012, ECC, Whitefield Bangalore.

‘Climate Change and Health Issues’, Presentation at the National Seminar on Climate Justice, Organized by CSI and BTESSC, 25^th-27^th January, 2013, CSI Synod, Chennai.

‘Managerial Ethics’, Presentation at the Conference on Management and Indian Ethos, Organized by TMA Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), 8^th February, 2013, Manipal.

‘Health Justice and Christian Ethics’, Presentation at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai, 22^nd February, 2013.

Memorable Events/Moments:

Serving rural parishes in Mandya district, Karnataka.

Message to the UTC, Youngsters, Upcoming Pastors and Nation:

“The One who has called us is faithful” and therefore let us also be faithful in whatever work we are assigned to do, be it studying or teaching.

Phone: 8553616309
Email: allan_samuel@rediffmail.com

Prepared by Raja Samuel, BD III

Raja Samuel, BD III

College opening and covenant service

Welcoming the students

 

The re-opening of the United Theological College, Bangalore was held with the traditional principal’s tea, introduction of students and staff, and the covenant service on Sunday evening. The opening tea which brought all members of the community together was held at 4:30 P.M. while the service was held at 6:30 P.M. in the Tagore Hall. The old students are back after a two month vacation and the new students joining for the BD, MTh and DTh programmes have just arrived. The principal Rev. Dr. John Samuel Raj along with Rev. Dr. Sahayadas and Rev. Dr. Allan Samuel Palanna led the covenant service. 

Covenant service

Holy Communion

Communion

The principal also introduced the new faculty member for the  department of Mission and Ecumenics, Sr. Dr. Rani Joseph Mary Shruti. She is a member of the Congregation of Sisters of Notre Dame, Coesfeld, Germany. This is the first time that a Roman Catholic nun has been appointed as a full time faculty member of the UTC. Sr. Dr. Rani has taught in two theological seminaries in India and has worked among the tribals in West Bengal and other parts of North India.  

The principal welcoming Sr. Dr. Rani Joseph Mary Shruti