Fr. Jerry Kurian is a priest of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church and an alumnus of UTC. He did his BD studies during 1997-2001 and MTh in Communication during 2002-2004 in UTC. He is currently completing his doctoral research in the department of Communication as a registered candidate of the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai. He joined the United Theological College as lecturer in the Department of Communication in May, 2011.
Jerry Kurian taught at the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Theological Seminary (MSOTS) for a period of five years before joining for his research. He has many years of pastoral experience as well. Jerry is now sent by the church to teach in UTC. He functions as the acting chairperson of the Department of Communication.
His research interests include new media, the internet, public speaking, drama, film analysis, communication and mission, alternative media, alternative journalism, traditional media, social networking, blogs, communication and women's liberation and communication and climate change. He is married to Christiane Zidek, who is doing her doctoral research in the Department of Religion and Missions in Heidelberg University. They have a two year old daughter Daya.
Fr. Jerry is serving as priest in the St. Ignatius Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, K.R. Puram, Bangalore. He believes his calling is to teach and pastor towards an inclusive society where everyone will be a part of our spiritual expression and everyone will benefit from the liberative gospel of Jesus Christ. He believes Orthodox Christianity has many things to offer in the diverse ecumenical and religious environment of India. He affirms that proper Communication can lead to a just society.
He worked on the design and implementation of the college web site and is presently maintaining the web site @
http://utc.edu.in/ He also designed and is maintaining and updating the college blog @
http://www.utcbangalore.blogspot.in/
Publications and presentations
Asia Communication Sunday worship order for the WACC Asia
Communication Sunday booklet June, 2010
Presentation on ‘God’s providence and the youth in the
church’ in Yercadu on July 24, 2010.
Meditations for Gurukul Daily Devotion 2011 submitted in
October, 2010.
‘Rights of (Vulnerable) Children and the New Media:
Challenges for the church in India’.
Paper presented in the seminar on ‘Children and their rights: A Theological
exploration’, Chennai on November 15-17, 2010.
‘Examining the claims of the Information Revolution:
Social Revolution or Knowledge Capitalism’. Published in KCC magazine,
November, 2010.
‘The woman and Jesus. A bible study on Luke 7: 36-50’.
Presented for the NCCI workshop on ‘Daring to study scriptures publicly and
sensually’ on 5-2-2011, Chennai. This was later published by NCCI.
‘The essence of Lent: Learning and struggling to bend our
knees, mend our hearts, and lend our hands’. Published in CSI Life magazine,
March, 2011.
Co-edited the WACC Asia Communication Sunday booklet June,
2011.
Poem/song on “Vulnerability in
the midst of Climate Change”, p.8 in Asia Communication Sunday booklet,
Communicating Climate Justice, WACC-AR, June 26, 2011.
Co-edited the Asia Communication
Sunday booklet, 2011.
Bible study for the BTESSC-UTC
workshop on “Online Training Techniques and Different Possibilities” on August
30, 2011.
“Media Ethics, the main line
media and new (social) media: A case for alternative people’s journalism”-
paper presented for the UTC alumni meeting in October, 2011.
Meditations for the Gurukul
Daily Devotion, 2012, GLTC, Chennai, 2012, “Neighbourly Relations and Christian
discipleship”, pp. 289-296.
Article on “Christ the
Revolutionary” published in Assisi Magazine, February-March 2012, Vol.58, Issue
2, Assisi Ashram, Bharananganam, Kottayam, Kerala, pp. 20-22.
Presentation on “Bollywood and
the Construction of Masculinities” in the WCC-SCMI gender training workshop on
March 20, 2012 in UTC, Bangalore.
Article on “Alternative Media
and Journalism as a framework for Communicating Peace” published in the Clark
Journal Of Theology (Theological Reflections on Peace building), Vol. II. No.
1, January- June, 2012.
Article titled
“The Church, Human Sexuality and Challenging the Unchallenged” in the Gurukul
Journal of Theological Studies (Human Sexuality: Theological and Biblical
Reflections), Vol XXIII, No. 2, June, 2012. This was published in December,
2012.
Presentation on “Forms of
spirituality” to 50 ordained pastors from CSI Rayalaseema and Nandyal
Dioceses on July 3, 2012 at Vishranthi Nilayam, Bangalore.
Presented a bible study on
Genesis 4:3-9 titled “Am I the reason for the divide” (A bible study on the
digital divide) for the SCMI Centenary Bible Study workshop on September 6-8,
2012. This was later published by the SCMI and released during its centenary
celebrations.
UTC alumni refresher course
presentation on “Lord Renew the Church: Begin From Me. Empowered by the Spirit
of Renewal: People of God as the True Agents of Change. Internet as a catalyst
for building an alternative community for church renewal” in October, 2012.
Class for youth of Mumbai
diocese of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church on November 16, 17 and 18, 2012
on “Who and what am I for God”.
Took sessions on “Media and
Leadership” and “Cyber ethos and internet de-addiction” for the Fest Zoe 2012
(Ecumenical Youth Leadership Training Camp) with the theme Beyond
Globalization, Youth Culture, Mission
and Leadership on
November 14, 15, 2012. It was conducted by the The CSI Department of Pastoral Concerns and the
Department of Ecumenical Relations & Ecological Concerns in the CSI Synod
Centre, Royapettah, Chennai.
Presented a paper on “The Internet and
Alternative Media for Communicating Peace” for the Faculty Research Seminar in
the UTC on November 28, 2012.
Recorded a Jacobite Syrian Orthodox
worship liturgy cd in English on November 29, 30, 2012. The CD was released on May 5, 2013.
Did a presentation on
“Christian Communication, internet and alternative Communication” and helped in
the sessions on “Reporting and Editing” in the workshop on
“Communicating Ecological Justice”, held at CSI Synod Guest House, 5, Whites Road, Royapettah,
(opp. Express Mall),
Chennai from 3rd to 5th Dec
2012. It was conducted by WACC and the CSI Synod.
Took a session on “Exodus: A
journey to Togetherness” for the youth of the Bangalore diocese of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox
Church on January 26, 2013.
“Lord
Renew the Church: Begin From Me. Empowered by the Spirit of Renewal: People of
God as the True Agents of Change. Internet as a catalyst for building an
alternative community for church renewal” done for the UTC alumni refresher
course was published in the latest issue of the Masihi Sevak, UTC.
Initiated the discussion for
Dr. Joseph George’s faculty research seminar paper on “Changing patterns of
Relationships in the Cyberage: Challenges and Directions for Ministry in India”
on February 27, 2013.
Attended the NCCI sub
committee meetings on March 6, 7, 2013 in Gurukul, Chennai. Apart from the
Commission on Communication, was also nominated to the Centenary Celebrations
sub committee to prepare a documentary on the NCCI.
Paper presented on “An Ecumenical
View on Churches View of the Eucharist. A Critical Discussion” for theologians
across India in the
Ecumenical Christian Centre (ECC), Bangalore
on May 15, 2013.
Presentation on “Church: The
Sacramental Sign of Hope. The church and internet: Hope in the New Age” for the
CSI Central Kerala Youth Pre Assembly in May, 2013.
Presentation on “Media values in India” to a study group from Edinburgh University
in June, 2013.
Retreat for teachers of the CSI
Institute of Technology, Nagercoil on July 8, 2013.
Presentation on “Women and
Migration” for a CSI Synod programme in Vishranthi Nilayam, Bangalore in July, 2013.
Article on “The Internet and
Alternate Media as Christian Communication” published in the National Council
of Churches in India (NCCI) review in July, 2013.
Skit direction and presentation
for the National Council of Churches in India- World Council of Churches pre
assembly seminar in Bangalore
in August, 2013.
Presentation on “Blogs and
writing” and “The Spirituality of writing” in the Writers’ workshop for pastors
conducted by the United Basel Mission and UTC in Mumbai YMCA on September 16,
2013.
Scripted, directed and edited a
documentary on the United Theological College,
Bangalore in
October, 2013. This was screened in the World Council of Churches Assemby in Busan, South
Korea.
Part of the NCCI centenary
documentary team working on a documentary for the NCCI.
Presentation on “Living with God
in the Contemporary World” for the Tangkhul Christian Fellowship, Bangalore on November 1,
2013.
“Media, Culture and Religion:
Alternative Media as a New Religious Expression in India.” Paper presented to the St.
Olaf College, U.S. students in the Ecumenical Christian Centre, Whitefield, Bangalore on November 5,
2013.
“Christian perspective on media
and youth advocacy for social change.” Paper presented to college students from
all over India at the
Student Christian Movement India Centre in Bangalore on November 15, 2013.
Paper on “Orkut, Facebook,
Tumblr: What next?” presented for the National Ecumenical Youth Pre-assembly of
the NCCI in Goa via video conference on Nov
18, 2013.
Chapter on “Media Ethics” in
December, 2013 for Sunday school students of the Kottayam diocese of the
Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church in their book for senior Sunday school
students.
Presentation on “Atrocities
against Women” in ECC, Bangalore
on Feb, 2014.
Article on the Patriarch Ignatius
Zakka I Iwas titled “Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas: The Equinox on which the
Church rode three decades” published in the Malankara World Journal in March,
2014.
Paper presented on “Ecclesiology in
the Cyber Age” in the NCCI seminar held in Bangalore on June 26, 2014.
Paper presented on “Informed Prodigy
or Juvenile Criminal” in the National workshop on Crimes by Juveniles in India
on July 30, 2014.
“Theatre as a pedagogical framework
for theological education”. Faculty seminar presented on October 29, 2014.
"Media, Culture and
Religion". Presentation in ECC for the St. Olaf Seminary students on
November 6, 2014.
Main speaker for the District Youth
Conference of the Marthoma Church in Bangalore on May 14-17, 2015.
Paper presented on “Media and
Spirituality: A journey of the church into the lives of people” on June
27, 2015 in the Marthoma Seminary, Kottayam, Kerala.
Paper presented on “Religion in the
Market Place: The Changing environment of Women in the Church” in the National
Seminar on Role of Women in the Christian Church: An ecumenical perspective,
conducted by BTESSC and the MSOT seminary in the MSOTS, Ernakulam, Kerala on
July 14, 2015.
Presentation made to St. Olaf students on "Media and Spirituality" on October 26, 2015 at the Ecumenical Christian Centre, Whitefield, Bangalore.
Main speaker for the Marthoma Church Regional Youth Conference, Delhi on November 10-13, 2015.
Produced and acted in the College play "The Nation of refugees" on December 3, 2015 in UTC.
Paper titled “Religion in the market place: The
changing environment of women in the church” published in the Bangalore
Theological Forum, Bangalore, Vol. XLVII, No.2, December, 2015.
Produced and acted in the play “The Nation of the
Refugees” in an entire new location and format on March 4 and 5, 2016.
Paper titled “Theatre as a pedagogical expression
for theological education” published in the Hekamtho Theological Journal Vol 1,
No. 2, MSOT Seminary, Ernakulam, Kerala in March, 2016.
Presented a paper on “The Theatrical expression of
the Eucharist” in the National seminar for Theological Students in ECC,
Whitefield, Bangalore on May 18, 2016.
Pastoral duties
Priest in the St. Ignatius
Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, K.R. Puram, Bangalore. Responsibility includes leading
worship, preaching and taking classes for the youth on Sunday. Has also been
taking sessions on “Communication in the family” for the pre-marriage
counselling courses held by the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church diocese in Bangalore”.
Phone: +91-9483966951
E mail: jerryachen@gmail.com
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| Worship CD in English |
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| The Nation of Refugees |
