E. C. John

E. C. John
Born	Kerala
Other names	Achen
Education	[1] University of Travancore, Thiruvananthapuram (BSc) United Theological College, Bengaluru (BD) University of Cambridge, Cambridge (MA) University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Dr. Theol.)
Church	Church of South India,[1] Madhya Kerala Diocese[2]
Writings	See Section
Offices held	Professor of Old Testament and Principal, United Theological College, Bengaluru[1]
Title	Reverend Doctor

E. C. John (1927) is an Indian Old Testament scholar and a member^[3] of the Society for Biblical Studies in India. He was also a member of the George Bell Institute at the University of Chichester,^[4] Chichester and the Society for Old Testament Study,^[5] England.

He was acknowledged for his scholarship^[1] of the Old Testament. His former pupil G. Babu Rao wrote that E. C. John pointed out parallels for Epiphany and Theophany from Vaishnavism and Saivism respectively.^[6]

Writings

• Forgiveness in the Prophecy of Judgment^[7]
• Christian Identity and Cultural Nationalism: Challenges and Opportunities^[8]

Studies and teaching

E. C. John studied theology at the United Theological College, Bengaluru from 1951 to 1954 when Max Hunter Harrison was its Principal.^[9] From 1954 to 1957^[10] he served as a Presbyter of the Church of South India in Tiruvalla. In 1957^[10] he was sent to the University of Cambridge, Cambridge where he pursued postgraduate studies in Old Testament (MA Tripos part iii)^[1] and upon returning to India he was assigned a teaching role in the United Theological College, Bengaluru.

While teaching at the Seminary in Bengaluru, he applied for the Alexander von Humboldt research fellowship^[10] and went on study leave from the Seminary to the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg for doctoral studies in Old Testament.^[10] At the University of Heidelberg,^[1] E. C. John studied under Claus Westermann and Gerhard von Rad who were experts in Old Testament studies. Upon completion of doctoral studies, E. C. John returned to Bengaluru and continued teaching in the United Theological College till his retirement in 1993.

In 1983^[1] E. C. John took charge as Principal of the United Theological College, Bengaluru from his predecessor Joshua Russell Chandran and continued as Principal until 1993 when he relinquished charge and handed over the baton to Gnana Robinson.

In the Senate of Serampore College (University) Convocation 2009 held at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, Madurai, E. C. John was awarded a Doctor of Divinity honoris causa.^[11]

Reminisce

Talathoti Punnaiah who studied a postgraduate course leading to Master of Theology at the United Theological College, Bangalore from 1989-1991 recalls his association with E. C. John,

E. C. John was my Principal at the College. He was a good Administrator.^[12]

References

Notes

1. The National Christian Council Review, Volume 103, Nagpur, 1983
2. Clergy of the Madhya Kerala Diocese
3. Fr. Max Gonsalves (Ed.), Society for Biblical Studies in India Directory 1998.
4. Fellows and Scholars
5. 2004 Conference of the SOTS
6. E. C. John, Divine Manifestations, Bangalore Theological Forum, III/2, Bengaluru, July 1971. p.19. Cited by G. Babu Rao in Wisdom Tradition and the Indian Parallels with special reference to Telugu literature, Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad, 1990.
7. E. C. John, Forgiveness in the Prophecy of Judgment, Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 18, Kolkata, 1969. pp.206–218. Cited by Claus Westermann in Genesis 12–36: a Commentary in John Scullion Volume 2 of Genesis : a Commentary, Augsburg Publishing House, 1985. p.316.
8. E. C. John, Samson Prabhakar (Edited), BTESSC/SATHRI for Ecumenical Christian Academy, Bengaluru, 2006.
9. The United Theological College, Directory 1910–1997, Bengaluru, 1997. p.6 and p.25.
10. Juliane H. John and E. C. John, To Tell of the Struggle is a Struggle: Resistance, Protest and Witness during the Third Reich, Published by the Authors, Bengaluru, 1999.
11. R. Christopher Rajkumar, Serampore College Convocation 2009 and forty years journey of Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, NCCI Newsletter/Easter 2009, Nagpur, 2009. p.7. Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
12. Talathoti Punnaiah, My Memoir, Ministry and Message: (60 years Life Experiences 1950-2010), Kakinada, 2010, pp.85-86.

Further reading

• Steven Andrés, Brian Kenyon (2004). "Security Sage's guide to hardening the network infrastructure".