Eric J. LottShobha Warrier,

, Interview (Rediff on the Net), 1 November 1999. (born 27 May 1934 in North Devon, England)David C. Scott, Israel Selvanayagam, eds.,
Re-Visioning India's Religious Traditions – Essays in honour of Eric J. Lott
', UTC / ISPCK, Bengaluru, 1996. is a religious scholar who taught in

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

and

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

. Of the Indian languages, he knew

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

and

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

Background

After theological studies at Richmond Methodist Theological College, he joined a graduate course in divinity at

King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King G ...

Joseph George (Ed.),
The God of All Grace, Essays in Honour of Origen Vasantha Jathanna
', Asian Trading Corporation, Bengaluru, 2005. p.573. and earned a B. D. degree in 1959. The Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society designated Lott as a missionary to India and sent him in 1959 to minister in the Diocese of Dornakal of the Church of South India. Lott was ordained in 1962 in the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Dornakal during the Bishopric of P. Solomon, as a Presbyter of the Church of South India.

Contribution

Andhra Pradesh

Lott first taught at the Andhra Union Theological College, Dornakal from 1962 to 1964Eric J. Lott, ''Biblical Faith and Cultural Pluralism: An Integrative Interpretation of Primal Imagery'' in H. S. Wilson (Ed.),
The Church on the Move: A Quest to Affirm the Biblical Faith
', Essays in honour of Peddi Victor Premasagar, Christian Literature Society, Chennai, 1988. Reprinted 1999. p.66. along with Victor Premasagar, then Lecturer of Old Testament. The Principal of the College in Dornakal at that time was C. S. Sundaresan and the College was affiliated to the

Senate of Serampore College The Senate of Serampore College (University) is located in Serampore in West Bengal, India. Serampore was granted the status of university in 1829, making it India's first institution to have the status of a university.Government of India, Mini ...

. With the 1964 merger of the College in Dornakal into the newly formed ecumenical

Andhra Christian Theological College Andhra Christian Theological College (ACTC) is a seminary in Telangana which was founded in 1964. It is affiliated with India's first university, the Senate of Serampore College (University) (a university under section 2(f) of the University G ...

Rajahmundry Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Rajah ...

, then headed by W. D. Coleman, Lott began taking classes in the river town of Rajahmundry. Later in 1972, Lott moved to Hyderabad along with the College when it was relocated to

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...

. During Lott's teaching career in

from 1962 to 1976, Lott taught

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

and Religions to students pursuing L.Th., B.Th., and BD in Dornakal, Rajahmundry, and Hyderabad. In 1973, the

released ''Service for All Seasons'',Eric J. Lott,
Service for All Seasons
', Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad, 1973. Lott's ecumenical worship book, which continues to be the primary worship book for students of

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, Anglican,

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

, and

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

backgrounds studying theology at the

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

in Hyderabad. The book was also adopted in a Church setting by the United Church in Defence Colony in

Sainikpuri Sainikpuri is a residential neighbourhood in the northeastern part of Hyderabad City. It falls under Kapra mandal of Medchal-Malkajgiri District, and is currently administered under GHMC East Zone. It started as a co-operative housing society v ...

, Hyderabad, which serves an ecumenical congregation.

Karnataka

From 1977, Lott began teaching Religions at the United Theological College, Bengaluru along with G. D. Melanchthon, then Professor of Religions. The college enjoyed autonomous status with the Senate of Serampore College. Lott mentored students pursuing theology who came from diverse backgrounds. During the late 1970s during the Principalship of

Joshua Russell Chandran Joshua Russell Chandran (1918–2000) was an Indian Christian theologian, who served as President of Senate of Serampore College, Bengal (1970–1), and as President of the United Theological College, Bangalore (1954–83), and was for some year ...

, Lott encountered a student who would not complete his M.Th. thesis in Religions. The student's thesis was on self-proclaimed

avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...

Sai Baba Sai Baba or Saibaba ( hi, साईं , "Swami", and , " Baba") is an honorific term for ascetics in India. It may refer in particular to: People * Sai Baba of Shirdi (–1918), Indian guru * Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011), born Sathya Narayana Ra ...

; when Lott offered revision suggestions, the student balked, since he believed that the "spirit of Sathya Sai Baba" had already taken control of the thesis and it could not be revised, lest the spirit got disturbed.

Higher studies

While teaching at Rajahmundry, Lott took study leave for the academic year 1969–1970 and completed postgraduate studies ( M.Litt.) at the

University of Lancaster , mottoeng = Truth lies open to all , established = , endowment = £13.9 million , budget = £317.9 million , type = Public , city = Bailrigg, City of Lancaster , country = England , coor = , campus = Bailrigg , faculty = ...

in England. His dissertation was later published under the title ''God and the Universe in the Vedāntic Theology of Rāmānuja''.Eric J. Lott,
God and the Universe in the Vedāntic Theology of Rāmānuja: A Study in his Use of the Self-body Analogy
', Ramanuja Research Society, Chennai, 1976. In 1975, Lott again went on study leave to the University of Lancaster to pursue doctoral studies. His 1977 doctoral dissertation was entitled ''Vedāntic approaches to God''.Eric J. Lott,
Vedāntic approaches to God
', Barnes & Noble, Liverpool, 1980.

Writings

* 1973 – ''Service for All Seasons'' * 1975 – ''India's Religions'' (in Telugu) * 1976 – ''God and the Universe in the Vedāntic Theology of Rāmānuja: A Study in his Use of the Self-body Analogy'' * 1980 – ''Vedāntic Approaches to God'' * 1986 – ''Worship in an Indian Context: Eight Intercultural Liturgies'' * 1988 – ''Vision, Tradition & Interpretation: Theology, Religion & Religious Studies'' * 1998 – ''Healing Wings: Acts of Jesus for Human Wholeness'' * 2005 – ''Religious Faith, Human Identity: Dangerous Dynamics in Indian & Global Life'' * 2008 – ''Faces of Vision: Images of Life and Faith (with Jyoti Sahi)''

Ornithology

An amateur ornithologist, Lott contributed to knowledge on several Indian bird species through his observations and writings, which include: * "On the Occurrence of White-naped Tit ''Parus nuchalis'' in Southern India" * The Birds of the Cauvery Valley

Honours

In 1985 the Indian Institute of World Culture, Bengaluru, invited Lott to deliver the Justice B. Vasudevamurthy Memorial Lecture.Th
Indian Institute of World Culture
was established in 1945 in Basavanagudi, Bengaluru. In 1996 David C. Scott and Israel Selvanayagam brought out a ''

festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

'' published for the United Theological College and entitled ''Re-Visioning India's Religious Traditions'' in Lott's honour on his turning 60. In 1998 and 2000 Lott delivered the Cambridge Teape Lectures in Cambridge and India respectively.

Retirement

Lott retired on health grounds in 1988 from the United Theological College. From 1989 he began pastoral work in the inner city community of Leicester in England.

Reminisce

Talathoti Punnaiah who studied a 3-year theology course leading to

Bachelor of Theology The Bachelor of Theology degree (BTh, ThB, or BTheol) is a three- to five-year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines and is typically pursued by those seeking ordination for ministry in a church, denomination, or parachurch organization. ...

at the

, both at

and at

from 1970-1973 recalls his association with Lott,

References

;Notes ;Further reading * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lott, Eric J. Indian Christian theologians Christian clergy from Karnataka Indian ornithologists Living people 1934 births People from North Devon (district) Alumni of King's College London Alumni of Lancaster University 20th-century Indian zoologists Academic staff of the Senate of Serampore College (University)