Thomas Aykara

Thomas Aykara
Born (1937-01-23) 23 January 1937
Nationality Indian
Occupation Professor of philosophy
Known for Philosophy and Comparative Religion

Thomas Aykara CMI (born 23 January 1937) is the rector of Dharmaram College in Bengaluru, India.[1] He is a Catholic priest of the Syro-Malabar Church. He joined the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI)Carmelites of Mary Immaculate congregation, St. Joseph’s Province Kottayam in 1954. He is a philosopher, theologian and religious. He is an scholar, teacher, author and thinker. Several academic centres in India and abroad originated through the efforts of Thomas Aykara.

Birth and family

Thomas Aykara was born to Joseph and Elisabeth on January 23, 1937 in Mutholy, Palai, Kottayam district in Kerala, India. His siblings are Philip, Kuruvila, Joseph, Sr. Alphrida Congregation of Mother of Carmel, Annakutty, Sr. Gailsw Congregation of Mother of Carmel, Mariyakutty, Sr. Josita Congregation of Mother of Carmel.

Education

He completed his SSLC from St Antony High School, Mutholy. He joined the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) congregation, St. Joseph’s Province Kottayam in 1954. He studied Latin, Syriac and English languages. He received a Licentiate in Philosophy and a Licentiate Theology, from Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pontifical Atheneum, in Pune, India. He was sent to the Université Catolique de Louvain, Belgium in 1966, where he pursued his PhD in Philosophy on Alfred Schutz, a German Philosopher, in 1970, under the guidance of Jean Ladriere. Afterwards, he was sent to the Oxford University in 1970, where he pursued a PhD in Theology on Cosmic Consciousness:A Study on Sri Aurobindo and Teilhard De Chardin under the guidance of John Macquarrie in 1975.

Later career

Thomas Aykara made his first religious profession on May 16, 1957 and was ordained[2] on April 6, 1964. He was the Prior General of the CMI congregation and Vice-Chancellor of Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram from 1978-1984. He was the Provincial of St. Joseph’s Province Kottayam from 1984-1987. He also served DVK as its President[3] from 1991-1997. During this period he made seven main endowments by making a trust, namely, Bishop Jonas Thaliath[4] Endowment Lectures Fund, and Fund for Library,[5] Fund for PG Students, Fr. Pried Lectures Fund, Fr. Roger Memorial Fund, and Biblical Studies Fund. He was appointed as the Managing Editor of Deepika, the earliest daily newspaper of Kerala. Later, he served as the Chairman and Director of Rashtra Deepika Company Ltd. during 1989-2001. He was appointed the Director of Centre for the Study of World Religions (CSWR), Bengaluru, India, in 1975-78. He became the National President of the Conference of Religious India (CRI) in 1978-83. In 1978-82, he was the State President of Kerala Conference of Major Superiors (KCMS) and also founder President of the Syro-Malabar Religious Conference (SMRC). He was the member of National Governing Body, Indian Newspaper Society since 1988-97. He was the member of International Federation of Catholic University since 1991-97. In 2011, he became the Rector of Dharmaram College.[1]

Teaching experience

He was a teacher at Dharmaram, Bengaluru, India (1965–67, 1975–78, 1990–97). He also taught in Darsana Institute of Philosophy, Wardha, India(1984–85,1990) . He taught various theological subjects at CRI Brothers’ Theology Institute, Bengaluru (1990). Earlier, he taught at the University of Oxford (1973–74) and the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Rome (1998-2002).

Academic initiatives and new institutes and centres'

  1. Journal of Dharma,[6] a Research Quarterly, Published by Dharma Research Association, Bengaluru, 1974.
  2. Centre for the Study of world Religions (CSWR),[7] Bengaluru, India, 1971.
  3. Centre for Indian and Inter Religious Studies (CIIS),[8] Rome, 1977.
  4. Darsana Cultural Centre,[9] Kottayam, Kerala, India, 1984.
  5. Vinayasadana(One year Diploma Course informative Spirituality),[3] at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram , Bengaluru, India, 1992.
  6. Sakshatkkara, Centre for the Spiritual Realization (CSR), Pariyaram, Kerala, 1979.
  7. Darsana Institute of Philosophy ,[10] Wardha, M.S., India, 1982.
  8. RashtraDeepika Company Ltd.,[11] Kottayam, 1989.
  9. Dharma Endowment Lectureshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9LbzWeR3hk,[12] Faculty of Philosophy, DVK, 1993.
  10. Bishop Jonas Thaliath[13] Memorial Lectures, Faculty of Theology,[14] DVK, Bengaluru, 1994.
  11. Regional Theologate http://trade.indiamart.com/details.mp?offer=6425681455, Bhopal, 1983.
  12. Anudhavana, First Mission Novitiate at Mancherial (AP)[15] 1982.
  13. Purchase, Developing Starting of St. Kuriakose Elias ChavaraKuriakose Elias Chavara Shrine at KainakariKainakary , 1983.
  14. Sevasadan, CMI Transit Househttp://www.devamatha.in/index.php/site/house/45 at Malad East,[16] Bombay, 1980.
  15. Dharma Nivas, New CMI Center in New Jersey,[17] USA, 1981
  16. Purchase New Flat in Rome, 1981.
  17. CMI Centre in Bonn,[18] Friesdorf, Germany, 1981.
  18. Collaborated in the purchase of the Second Flat in Rome,[18] 1998.

Publications

Books

Article

References

  1. 1 2 "Administration". Dharmaram College. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  2. ↑ http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/directory.php?type=priests
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Thomas Aykara". Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  4. ↑ Dharma Endowment Lectures Fund
  5. ↑ http://www.dvk.in/centrallibrary.aspx
  6. ↑ http://www.dharmaramjournals.in/journalofdharma/
  7. ↑ http://www.dvk.in/Centers.aspx
  8. ↑ http://chavarainstitute.blogspot.in/p/about-us.html
  9. ↑ http://darsanaculturalcentre.com/darsanaacademy/1default.asp
  10. ↑ http://www.darsanawardha.org/
  11. ↑ http://www.tradeindia.com/Seller-5387178-Rashtra-Deepika-Ltd-/
  12. ↑ http://facultyofphilosophydvk.blogspot.in/2010/08/dharma-endowment-lectures-2010-2011_26.html
  13. ↑ http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bthaliath.html
  14. ↑ http://www.dvk.in/FacultyDetails.aspx?FacultyId=1
  15. ↑ http://indiancatholiconline.com/Institution/Details/8024?it=r&iti=23&dn=Adilabad&pn=Mancherial
  16. ↑ https://www.zomato.com/mumbai/malad-east-restaurants
  17. ↑ http://www.indeed.com/q-Cmi-l-New-Jersey-jobs.html
  18. 1 2 http://www.managers.org.uk/login.aspx?item=%2feducation-providers%2fexisting-cmi-centres%2fsupporting-you-and-your-learners%2fcentre-directory&user=extranet%5cAnonymous&site=website
  19. ↑ https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Living_Flame.html?id=2MnPHAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y
  20. ↑ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cosmic-consciousness-comparative-Teilhard-Aurobindo/dp/8186861025
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