Mar Aprem Mooken (born George Mooken) is a prelate who served as the Metropolitan of the

Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East (ACOE), sometimes called the Church of the East and officially known as the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, is an Eastern Christianity, Eastern Syriac Christianity, Syriac Christian denomin ...

() in India (

Chaldean Syrian Church The Chaldean Syrian Church of India (; ) is an Eastern Christian denomination, based in Thrissur, in India. It is part of the greater Assyrian Church of the East and is organised a singular Metropolitan (Archdiocese) See of India, and represen ...

Early life

George Mooken was born on 13 June 1940 in

Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...

Kingdom of Cochin The kingdom of Cochin or the Cochin State, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It originated in the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until i ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

. Educated in India, England, and America, he specialized in Church History. He served as President of the Church History Association of India between 1976 and 1982. He studied at Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur for B.D. George Mooken gained

master's degrees A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in Church History from both the

United Theological College, Bangalore United Theological College (UTC) is an ecumenical Mainline Protestant, mainline seminary founded in 1910. It is situated in the southern city of Bangalore in the state of Karnataka in South India and affiliated to India's first Theological Unive ...

(1966) and the

Union Theological Seminary, New York Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Union ...

(1967). He was ordained a deacon on 25 June 1961, and a priest four years later on 13 June 1965. He was consecrated Bishop on 21 September 1968, by Mar Thoma Darmo, Catholicos Patriarch of the

Ancient Church of the East The Ancient Church of the East (ACE) is an Eastern Christian denomination. It branched from the Assyrian Church of the East in 1964, under the leadership of Mar Toma Darmo (d. 1969). It is one of three Assyrian Churches that claim continuit ...

, taking the name Mar Aprem Mooken, and promoted as a

Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

of the

eight days later in Baghdad.Aprem, ''The Assyrians in Iraq'', 39–41 Then later, in 1999, Mooken rejoined the Assyrian Church of the East. He was instrumental in healing the rift that had developed in the church over the question of hereditary appointments since the 1960s.

Publications

Mar Aprem is the author of 65 books on topics which include church history, theology, social issues, and humour.

Selected works

Biographies

* * * * * *

Church History

* * * * *''Sacraments of the Church of the East''. 1978. *''Nestorian Theology''. 1978. *''Nestorian Lectionary & Julian Calendar''. 1982. *''Western Missions Among Assyrians''. 1982. *''A Nestorian Bibliography''. 1982. * * *''Good News Festivals in India''. 1984. *''Indian Christian Directory''. 1984. *''Mar Aprem, Theologian & Poet''. 1990. * *''Lectures on Indian Church History''. 2007.

Travelogues

*''America Revisited'', 1977. *''Germany via Vienna: A Travelogue''. 1980. *''From Baghdad to Chicago: A Travelogue''. 1985. *''Australian Assyrians''. 1988. *''Belgium and Holland via U.K. & U.S.A.: A Travelogue''. 1989. *''Sydney to Canberra: A Travelogue''. 1989. *''The Assyrians in Iraq''. 1989. *''Washington New York: A Travelogue''. 1992. *''London to Moscow: A Travelogue''. 1994. *''Los Angeles to Tokyo: A Travelogue''. 1993. *''Oxford to Austria: A Travelogue''. 1995. *''Salzburg to Boston: A Travelogue''. 1995. *''Israel, Scandinavia & U.S.A.: A Travelogue''. 1996. *''Hassake to Hollywood: A Travelogue''. 1998. *''Italy, Liban & Iran: A Travelogue''. 1998. *''To U.K. Via U.S.A.: A Travelogue''. 1999. *''USA, Canada, Europe & Thailand: A Travelogue''. 2000. *''Austria to Australia: A Travelogue''. 2001. *''India to Indiana: A Travelogue''. 2002. *''Two Trips in 2002: A Travelogue''. 2003. *''Budapest to Rugby: A Travelogue''. 2003. *''UAE via U.K. and USA: A Travelogue''. 2005. *''Sharjah, Qatar & Brazil: A Travelogue''. 2006. *''Wiesbaden to Moscow: A Travelogue''. 2007. *''Dubai to Duhok: A Travelogue''. 2009. *''Sydney, Melbourne & Perth: A Travelogue''. 2009. *''Chicago via Abu Dhabi: A Travelogue''. 2010. *''Los Angeles to Dubai: A Travelogue''. 2012. *''Rugby to Rome: A Travelogue''. 2012. *''14th Holy Synod & Sir Baniyas Monastery: A Travelogue''. 2013. *''Muscat and Sri Lanka: A Travelogue''. 2014.

Humour

*''Bishop's Jokes.'' 3rd ed., Bombay: Light of Life Magazine''.'' 1983. *''Laugh with the Bishop.'' 8th ed., Bombay: St.Paul's''.'' 1988. *''Laugh to Health.'' Madras: C.L.S.. 1992. *''Holy Humour.'' 1993. *''Joy to the World.'' 1994. *''Holy Smile''. 1997. *''Not So Funny.'' 2004.

Malayalam

*''An Introduction to the History of the Eastern Churches.'' 1976. *''Christeeya Bhakti Ganangal.'' 1985. *''Sabha Charitra Dictionary.'' 1985. *''Christuvinte Kalpadukalilude: A Travelogue.'' 1985.

General

*''From Relief to Development''. 1979. *''Teach Yourself Aramaic''. 1981. *''Behold the Cross of Calvary''. 1987. *''Sermons From the Gospels ol. Ifrom Advent to Pentecost''. 1988. *''Sermons From the Gospels ol. II'' 1988. *''The Nestorian Canon Law.'' 1990. *''Mesopotamia Light''. 1993. *''Voices of the East''. 1998. *''Mother of the Motherless''. 2002. *''Poems and Prayers''. 2002. * *''Assyrian Manuscripts in India.'' 2011.

Notes

References

In Depth Biography Aprem Mooken

External links

Documentary:'Humour, Music, Scholastic Divinity: A Day in the Life of His Grace Mar Aprem Metropolitan of Malabar and India Assyrian Church of the East'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mooken, Aprem Living people 1940 births 21st-century bishops of the Assyrian Church of the East Church of the East in India Christian clergy from Thrissur Senate of Serampore College (University) alumni St. Thomas College, Thrissur alumni Leonard Theological College alumni