Now that 'Smash 2007,' a Volleyball tournament at SAIACS, is over, at least one baggage seems reduced from my lean shoulders. Though, it may make no big difference compared to the overwhelming amount of energy and time my thesis-project demands. I felt guilty that I could not contribute anything to e-board during this tournament. It was simply because I thought of giving up blogging for sometime and concentrate more on my thesis.
Today, however, I felt to blog. Reason? - because today is the 45th death anniversary of our own Indian Christian theologian, Paul David Devanandan (1901-1962). Born in Madras to well-educated parents, he developed interest in the political and religious life of India right from his childhood. He was brought up in Western education, but in Indian home; this context was an asset to develop a theologian out of him. This context was perhaps a miniature of the context of India. India was absorbing western values, but was not willing to give up its own cultural heritage. This led to self-pride, nationalism and religious resurgence. The nationalistic feelings ran so high, that everything foreign was looked at with suspicious eyes, and everything 'Indian' as perfect, demanding no criticism. Christianity was, sadly, considered a part of this foreign package.
Devanandan spent a great deal of time studying this situation. He responded to the charges of both Nationalistic and Orthodox Hinduism. However, he supported a group of Hindus that advocated reform within Hinduism and absorbed Christian Western values, like abolition of Caste and Sati. Devanandan saw the hand of God in Hindu reforms, and asked the Christians to be supportive to these reforms. Did he think this was the way to bring the Hindus closer to Christ? May be. Whether this would have worked/ has worked is a question, but he did consider this to be a common ground for all religions - to bring social reforms, uplift the poor and striving for just and equal society. Today's India is passing through similar situation as that of Devanandan, and no Indian Christian would make a mistake in appraising his theology for our times.
Assessing Devanandan, it would be good to quote his own sentence, written in praise of Tagore - "A truly great men have been great because they have completely identified themselves with true humanity.... Here then is the paradox of human work; the greater the man and the farther removed from us of common mould and feeble frame, the closer he comes to the innermost being of ordinary humanity," and so was Devanandan. He stands as a source of encouragement to all those who are excited at the thought of developing Indian Christian theology. Hats off to Devanandan.
For the collection of his writings refer to:
Joachim Wietzke, Paul D. Devanandan, Vol.1 & 2 (Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1983 & 1987).
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2 comments:
Hey Charles—It was a pleasure, like always, to read your blog. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think the issue that you bring up is of great GREAT importance. I have been reading a small biography of Narayan Vaman Tilak by J. C. Winslow and share with you the thoughts that you have expressed here. There is a urgent need to seriosuly study the lives and works of such pioneers. Keep reading and keep sharing.
hey Guru Ashish,
Thanks for the feedback. It is both strange and sad that I am becoming aware of Indian theologians only at this stage of theological studies (but thank God, at least at this stage). Yes, there is a lot to recover and learn from them.
by the way, I have also edited the complete shayari sent by you. Appreciate that. Thanks.
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