Diploma in Ecojustice Ministries Programme

Applications are invited for admission to the Diploma in Ecojustice Ministries Programme at the United Theological College. It is a global online study programme particularly meant for pastors, laity, students, professionals and those interested in conversations on ecological concerns.

Interested persons may express their interest through email to: dipemutc@gmail.com. 

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.

Public lecture by the Department of Theology and Ethics and SCMI

The department of Theology and Ethics of the UTC and the Student Christian Movement of India will be jointly hosting a public lecture on "Remembering Ilavarasan, Interrogating Casteism: Re-imagining Christian Public Witness in India" at 5:00 P.M. on Monday, July 22, 2013 at the Ziegenbalgh chapel in the United Theological College.

Rev. Raj Bharath Patta, General Secretary of the SCMI will be delivering the lecture and it will be presided over by Rev. Dr. Mohan Larbeer, the Secretary, Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College. All are invited.

UTC principal's tea and covenant service

The opening of the new academic year was rung in with the principal's tea and covenant service yesterday evening. The session started with prayer by Rev. Dr. Allan Palanna. The principal, Rev. Dr. John Samuel Raj welcomed the students, staff and faculty members and  introduced the new faculty member, registrar and librarian along with their families. Announcements were made by chair persons and those in charge of several responsibilites. The opening session was concluded with prayer. The covenant service followed the tea and opening session.

The new Ethics professor Dr. George Zachariah and his family

The new Registrar Rev. Lalawmpuia Hauhnar and his family

The new librarian Mr. Samuel Raj and his wife

Dr. George Zachariah

Dr. George Zachariah joined the United Theological College, Bangalore as a teaching faculty in the department of Theology and Ethics on 1^st June, 2013. Born and raised in a Mar Thoma family in Kerala, he was nurtured in Christian faith by his family and the Church. During his college days, he got the opportunity to be part of the Student Christian Movement, which widened his perspectives and deepened his commitment to God and God’s world. This new awareness enabled him to dedicate his life to full time ministry witnessing Christ in solidarity with the marginalized in their search for a new world.

After completing his post-graduation in Commerce from the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Dr. Zachariah joined AWAZ, a Christian social action group, and worked among the landless people in the villages of Chattisgarh for three years, organizing them through trade unions and peasant movements. It was a journey of vocational discernment in communion with people at the margins, re-imagining the public witness of the Church, informed by the politics and spirituality of radical societal engagements.  In 1990, he accepted the call to serve the Student Christian Movement of India, Kerala Region, and served SCM as program secretary for three years.  

George Zachariah’s decision to do formal theological studies brought him to the United Theological College, Bangalore in 1993, and he completed his BD studies in 1997. After serving the M.M. Thomas Center in Thiruvalla, Kerala as coordinator and the Theological Literature Council as editor for a short period, he decided to continue his advanced theological studies in the area of Christian Ethics in the United States of America and joined the Union Theological Seminary, New York for STM. Zachariah earned his Ph.D. with distinction in the field of Systematic Theology with special emphasis in Christian Ethics from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, IL, USA, in 2006. His Dissertation was entitled “Towards a Subaltern Earth Ethics: Narmada Bachao Andolan as Text.”

On completion of his doctoral studies, Dr. Zachariah returned to India and served the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai as faculty in the department of theology and ethics for seven years. During that period he held several responsibilities such as head of the department of theology and ethics, staff-in-charge of the Martin Luther Library, and dean of Graduate Studies. He also served as the editor of Gurukul Journal of Theological Studies for a term of three years, and brought out six issues of the journal on various themes. During this period Zachariah also actively participated in the programs of The Senate of Serampore College (University). He was part of the BD Curriculum Revision process and served on the editorial committee. Currently he is a member of the board of studies.

George Zachariah has got sufficient opportunities to present papers at various national and international consultations organized by ecumenical bodies such as the World Council of Churches, Christian Conference of Asia, Council for World Mission, and the Lutheran World Federation. The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and the Chicago Center for Global Ministries invited him to give the 2010 Scherer Lecture. In 2012, he served as visiting scholar at the Goettingen University, Germany in the Intercultural Theology Program. His recent publications include Alternatives Unincorporated: Earth Ethics from the Grassroots, (London: Equinox Press, 2011) and Gospel in a Groaning World: Climate Injustice and Public Witness (Nagpur/Tiruvalla: NCCI/CSS, 2012). His current research areas include Ethical Reflections on Climate Injustice, Human Sexuality, and HIV and AIDS.  

His wife Anshi Zachariah is a theologically trained social worker. Since 2006, she has been working with a faith-based NGO among people living with HIV and AIDS. They are blessed with two daughters; Amritha Mariam (I PUC, Mount Carmel College) and Aruna Elizabeth (IVth Standard, St. Johns High School).

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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