Regunta Yesurathnam (16 October 1941 – 8 August 2011)

Senate of Serampore College (University) 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 ...

, ''Minutes of the Eighty-sixth meeting of the

held on 9 and 10 February 2012 at the New Theological College,

Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislativ ...

'', 2012.

/ref> was a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

hailing from the

Diocese of Medak of the Church of South India The Diocese of Medak is one of the prominent Dioceses in the Church of South India, a Protestant Uniting Church with its headquarters in Medak comprising nearly 200 Presbyters ministering to Telugu, Lambadi, Tamil,P. Y. Luke, J. B. Carman, ''Vi ...

, headquartered in Medak, notable as a

systematic theologian Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topic ...

Charles E. Van Engen, ''Five Perspectives of Contextually Appropriate Missional Theology'' in Charles H. Kraft (Edited), ''Appropriate Christianity'', William Carey Library, Pasadena, 2005, p.19

/ref> who served as Faculty Member from 1974 through 2001 in

Secunderabad Secunderabad, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South Central Railway ...

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and ...

, India, at the

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 Universi ...

, affiliated to the

. Yesurathnam has been acknowledged for his contribution to the disciplines of Dialogical Theology and

Comparative religion Comparative religion is the branch of the study of religions with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices, themes and impacts (including migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study of religion yie ...

. As a pupil of another CSI systematic theologian, Joshua Russell Chandran, under whom he was groomed in the 1960s, Yesurathnam established himself as a scholar and during the subsequent decade, as evidenced by his interest in Dialogical Theology, Yesurathnam seemed to have been influenced by the religious scholars Stanley Jedidiah Samartha, of the

Church of South India The Church of South India (CSI) is a united and uniting churches, united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Christian denomination, mainline Protestant denominations in South India after independence. The Chur ...

(CSI), Herbert Jai Singh, of the

Methodist Church in India Methodist Church in India is a Protestant Christian denomination of India. The Methodist Church in India's roots originate in American Methodist missionary activity in India, as opposed to the British and Australian conferences of the Methodi ...

(MCI) and David C. Scott, also of the MCI. During the initial years of his doctoral research in the 1970s, it was

Arvind P. Nirmal Arvind P. Nirmal, (1936–1995) was a Dalit Christian theologian and a minister of the Church of North India. He questioned the Christian conversion of the upper castes, especially the Brahmin. A major proponent of Dalit theology, Nirmal argued ...

, CNI (the proponent of Dalit theology) who supervised and enabled Yesurathnam to push through his doctoral studies.

Contribution

Dialogical theology

In a work about Dialogical Theology, with special reference to the activities of the

World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most ju ...

and its unit on Dialogue, Professor Jutta Sperber, of the

University of Münster The University of Münster (german: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, WWU) is a public research university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. With more than 43,000 students and over 120 fields of stud ...

, Germany, has quoted the work of Yesurathnam on the Christian- Muslim dialogue. Similarly, Sonia CalzaSonia Calza, ''La contemplazione: via privilegiata al dialogo cristiano-induista : Sulle orme di J. Monchanin, H. Le Saux, R. Panikkar e B. Griffiths'', Pauline, Milan, 2001, p.35

/ref> while researching on interfaith dialogue with reference to

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...

and Christianity, referred to Yesurathnam's work on Dialogical Theology while writing about the contribution of

Henri Le Saux Abhishiktananda ( sa, अभिषिक्तानन्द, Abhiṣiktānanda; 30 August 1910, in Saint Briac, Brittany – 7 December 1973, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India), born Henri Le Saux, was a French monk who, having moved to In ...

Comparative religion

Yesurathnam, also wrote on the work on the concept of Avatara, which has been cited by other scholars. Bob RobinsonBob Robinson, ''Christians Meeting Hindus: An Analysis and Theological Critique of the Hindu-Christian Encounter in India'', Regnum,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

, 2004, p.27

/ref> noted this work with special emphasis on the relationship to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...

and Steven Tsoukalas quoted Yesurathnam's work on the forms of Avatara.

Contextualization

Inter-disciplinary writings by Yesurathnam have struck new ground in inculturation as espoused by Swamy Amalorananda and the

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 Christ ...

Scholar Suppogu Joseph, STBC (2007)S. Joseph, ''Adaptation of the Gospel Tradition in Luke'', ISPCK, 2007
had made a sustained research exploring possibilities for the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

to adapt itself to the multi-religious ethos of India. Earlier proponents who experimented with

Contextualization Contextualization may refer to: * Contextualization (Bible translation), the process of contextualising the biblical message as perceived in the missionary mandate originated by Jesus * Contextualization (computer science), an initialization phas ...

, emphasizing on the presentation of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religi ...

adapting to the

Indian culture Indian culture is the heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, belief systems, political systems, artifacts and technologies that originated in or are associated with the ethno-linguistically diverse India. The term al ...

, were Robert de Nobili, SJ,

E. Stanley Jones Eli Stanley Jones (1884–1973) was an American Methodist Christian missionary, theologian, and author. He is remembered chiefly for his interreligious lectures to the educated classes in India, thousands of which were held across the Indian subco ...

, MCI, and

B. V. Subbamma B. V. Subbamma also known as Bathineni Venkata Subbamma (1 July 1925 – 12 January 2009) was an Indian theologian and scholar. Noted for founding Christian ashrams, she was widely recognized for her analysis of Christianity from a cultural pers ...

, AELC, who together were known for their contribution to the Christian Ashram Movement in India. Yesurathnam's definition of

has been acknowledged by scholars as a resourceful addition. Charles E. Van Engen and Akintunde E. Akinade refer to the word ''contextualization'' as defined by Yesurathnam.

Renewal of the Church

Yesurathnam cautioned the Church against falling into traditionalism. During the Golden Jubilee of the founding of the

Uniting church The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) was founded on 22 June 1977, when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost all the churches of the Congregational Union ...

, the CSI held in

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of ...

in 1997, Yesurathnam spoke on the ills befalling the Church in India, Echoing the apprehensions by Yesurathnam, Stanley Jedidiah Samartha who was also present at the Jubilee in

, pointed out that one must first introspect before raising

cudgels A club (also known as a cudgel, baton, bludgeon, truncheon, cosh, nightstick, or impact weapon) is a short staff or stick, usually made of wood, wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times. There are several examples of blunt-force trauma caused ...

against the Indian caste system and believed that one failed to notice the gradual transformation of the

episcopacy A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

into such a system. Yesurathnam, in an introduction to the book ''Jesus' Tears!'' by Elizabeth Thelma Johnson (2007), has highlighted the work of a

Laity In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother. In both religious and wider secular usage, a laype ...

and appreciated their contribution towards the

Christian missions A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such a ...

Studies

From his youth, Yesurathnam was inspired by the work of the

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

and

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

Christian mission A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such as ...

s in Telangana. He entered the ministry of the

Protestant Church Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

through the

Diocese of Medak The Diocese of Medak is one of the prominent Dioceses in the Church of South India, a Protestant Uniting Church with its headquarters in Medak comprising nearly 200 Presbyters ministering to Telugu, Lambadi, Tamil,P. Y. Luke, J. B. Carman, ' ...

, becoming a ministerial candidate during the bishopric of Frank Whittaker, the first Bishop-in-Medak. He studied at a

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 ...

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

for spiritual formation and was ordained in 1967 by

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

Eber Priestley Eber Priestley was the first successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak The Diocese of Medak is one of the prominent Dioceses in the Church of South India, a Protestant Uniting Church with its headquarters in Medak comprising nearly 2 ...

, the then Bishop-in-Medak.

Graduate

After initial schooling at the mission schools founded by the

Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles We ...

(WMMS) in Telangana, Yesurathnam decided to take up priesthood. Bishops Frank Whittaker and

, successively, became his Spiritual Confessors and led him to take up spiritual studies at the

United Theological College, Bangalore United Theological College (UTC) is an Eccumenical Christian seminary founded in 1910 situated in the southern city of Bangalore in the state of Karnataka in South India and affiliated to India's first Theological University, the Senate of Seram ...

during 1963–1967. He was awarded a

B. D. In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...

degree.

Postgraduate

In 1969, Yesurathnam was recalled from parish work and sent to the Protestant Regional Theologiate in

for further spiritual studies that lasted until 1972 and resulted in the award of a

Master of Theology Master of Theology ( la, Theologiae Magister, abbreviated MTh, ThM, or MTheol) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a stand ...

degree after research under Joshua Russell Chandran of the CSI.

Doctoral

After a five-year teaching ministry that began in 1974 at the Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad, Yesurathnam qualified to undertake doctoral level research in 1978 and was granted a five-year study leave.R. Yesurathnam, ''Religious Pluralism: Some Implications for the Mission of the Church'' in

H. S. Wilson H. S. Wilson ''(born 1946)'' is Executive Director of Foundation for Theological Education in the Southeast Asia based in Philadelphia. Wilson is widely known in India for his contribution to theological education in India as Director (1980 thr ...

(Edited), ''The Church on the Move: A Quest to Affirm the Biblical Faith'', Christian Literature Society, Chennai, 198

/ref> Yesurathnam's Bishop during that period, B. G. Prasada Rao, made efforts to ensure that Yesurathnam was able to join his '' alma mater'', the United Theological College, Bangalore, where he was able to take up research in the discipline of systematic theology under the guidance of Arvind P. Nirmal, CNI. Yesurathnam also came under the tutelage of Stanley Jedidiah Samartha, a leading authority on Dialogical Theology.Hans Schwarz, ''Theology in a Global Context: The Last Two Hundred Years'', William B. Eerdmans,

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

, 2005. pp.523-526

/ref> During the research period between 1978 and 1982, Yesurathnam was also sent to the

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...

, England, in 1979 for a two-year research exposure through the efforts of Gordon Shaw who ensured his overseas travel and stay in England at Kingsmead College under the

Selly Oak Colleges Selly Oak Colleges was a federation of educational facilities which in the 1970s and 1980s was at the forefront of debates about ecumenism - the coming together of Christian churches and the creation of new united churches such as the Church of S ...

, where he was supervised by Walter Jacob Hollenweger, a leading authority on

Pentecostalism Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movement 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 Christ ...

scholar, K. David,

CBCNC The Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars (CBCNC) is a Baptist Christian denomination in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. The churches are part of the Telugu Christian community of Southern India. Its language is Telugu. It is affiliat ...

and took up his teaching role in systematic theology, but was able to submit his doctoral thesis to the university through his supervisor at the United Theological College and finally in 1987, much before nearing a decade of registering with the university, it awarded the degree of

Doctor of Theology Doctor of Theology ( la, Doctor Theologiae, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology. The ThD, like the ecclesiastical Doctor of Sacred Theology, is an advanced research degree equiva ...

.Senate of Serampore College, ''List of the Recipient of the Degree of Doctor of Theology''.

/ref> Though Yesurathnam sought permission from the Senate of Serampore College to publish his doctoral work nearly two decades later, in 2006. His thesis was already being referred by research scholars on works relating to the contribution of

Swami Abhishiktananda Abhishiktananda ( sa, अभिषिक्तानन्द, Abhiṣiktānanda; 30 August 1910, in Saint Briac, Brittany – 7 December 1973, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India), born Henri Le Saux, was a French monk who, having moved t ...

Ministry

Pastoral ministry

Yesurathnam was ordained in 1967 by Priestley, then Bishop-in-Medak, and was assigned ministerial functions in the parishes falling under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of Medak and served in Sangareddy and other towns shepherding congregations for nearly a decade until he was recalled in 1974 by then Bishop,

H. D. L. Abraham Henry Diwakar Luther Abraham (8 February 1908 – 1 January 1987) (H. D. L. Abraham; known as Luther) was the second successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak and an able administrator.K. M. George, ''Church of South India: Life in Union, ...

, and reassigned the role of a Spiritual Formator. In 1992, when

Victor Premasagar Victor Premasagar (1927–2005) was the fourth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak. He was an Indian churchman and Old Testament scholar who made major contributions to research on the Old Testament and to the field of theology. Prem ...

vacated the bishopric of Medak on attaining superannuation, the ensuing

Sede vacante ''Sede vacante'' ( in Latin.) is a term for the state of a diocese while without a bishop. In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the term is used to refer to the vacancy of the bishop's or Pope's authority upon his death or resignation. H ...

was contested among whom Yesurathnam stood in the fray for the vacant bishopric, which was overseen by Ryder Devapriam, then Moderator of the

Church of South India Synod Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA) Director board is the highest administrative body of CSI (Church of South India). Synod (CSI Synod) is the annual general meeting of CSI. Moderator of the Synod is a Bishop who is a presiding officer ...

and a former colleague of Yesurathnam at the Protestant Regional Theologiate. However, the sudden death of Devapriam on 4 September 1992Diocese of Nandyal
while in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

turned the tides for those in fray, resulting in the appointment and subsequent consecration of

B. P. Sugandhar B. P. Sugandhar (28 September 1943 – 5 December 2017) was the fifth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop - in - Medak of the Church of South India whose bishopric lasted for more than a decade and half from 1993 through 2009 coinciding wi ...

Teaching

The Andhra Christian Theological College (ACTC) relocated from

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 Raj ...

to Secunderabad. Yesurathnam was invited to join the college in 1974, during the Principalship of

.William Gordon Carder, ''On theological education 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 t ...

of the Canadian Baptist Mission

Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars The Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars (CBCNC) is a Baptist Christian denomination in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. The churches are part of the Telugu Christian community of Southern India. Its language is Telugu. It is affilia ...

1880-1975'' in ''Indian Church History Review'', Volume 13, Issue 1, 1979, pp.70-8

/ref> In 1993 he was appointed guest professor at the Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal/Bethel in Germany,Matthias Freudenberg, ''Anniversary letter to Jürgen Fangmeier'', 2011, p.

/ref> where he taught until 1994. He then returned to ACTC and was appointed principal under the institution's policy of rotating that office between the various constituent churches in four-year cycles. Yesurathnam took a year's sabbatical leave in 1998 to the Overseas Ministries Study Center,

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

, to continue his research pursuitsR. Yesurathnam, ''Book Review: Relevant Patterns of Christian Witness in India: People as Agents of Mission'', International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Volume 25, Issue 88, 2001.

/ref> and rejoined the Theologiate in Secunderabad to teach for two more years until 2001.

Missionary service

When the

Council for World Mission The Council for World Mission (CWM) is a worldwide community of mainly protestant Christian churches. The 32 members share their resources of money, people, skills and insights to carry out their mission work. Leadership The 32 member churches a ...

(CWM) sought missionaries from the CSI, Yesurathnam moved to the International University of the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica, where he began his sojourn in the New millennium and served as a theological educator for nearly a decade

Annual Review 2009'', ''Missionaries serving with CWM, 2009, pp. 18, 2

/ref> until his death on 8 August 2011 at the Yashoda Hospitals,

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 (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

Writings

Yesurathnam's works are available in nearly 35 research institutes, comprising seminaries, state universities and research academies across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

WorldCat WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the O ...

search on "Regunta Yesurathnam

/ref> *1972, ''

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Pierre Teilhard de Chardin ( (); 1 May 1881 – 10 April 1955) was a French Jesuit priest, scientist, paleontologist, theologian, philosopher and teacher. He was Darwinian in outlook and the author of several influential theological and philo ...

's concept of man and its relevance for a Christian interpretation of man in India'' *1987, ''The adequacy of the concept of Avatara for expounding the Christian doctrine of incarnation'' *1987, ''The Mythic Symbol Avatara in Indian Conceptual Formulations'' *1988, ''Religious Pluralism: Some Implications for the Mission of the Church'' *1990, ''Abhishiktānanda : An Indian Christian Theologian with a difference'' *1993, ''Contours of the emerging Indian Church: Problems and Possibilities'' *1998, ''Liberation from Jubilee Perspective'' *1999, ''Can the Clergy make it ?'' *1999, ''Book Review: Mission Today, Challenges and Responses'' *2000, ''Contextualizing in Mission'' *2001, ''Book Review: Relevant Patterns of Christian Witness in India: People as Agents of Mission'' *2001, ''Channels of Peace: A Theological Perspective'' *2003, ''The Cross of Christ as the Anchor of Hope in Suffering'' *2006, ''A Christian Dialogical Theology: The Contribution of Swami Abhishiktananda (Henri Le Saux)''