E. C. John
{{Short description|Indian Old Testament scholar}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox clergy
| honorific_prefix = The Reverend
| name = E. C. John
| honorific_suffix = D. D. (Honoris causa)
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Elavinakuzhy Cherian JohnE. C. John, Samson Prabhakar (Edited), Christian Identity and Cultural Nationalism: Challenges and Opportunities, BTESSC/SATHRI, Bangalore, 2006.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ISLgoAEACAAJ]
| birth_date = {{birth date |df=yes|1927|11|08}}
| birth_place = Travancore
| death_date = {{death date and age |df=yes|2020|10|29 |1927|11|08}}
| death_place = Bangalore, Karnataka
| nationality = Indian
| other_names = ECJ
| citizenship =
| education =
- B.Sc. (Travancore),
- B.D. (Serampore),
- B.A. (Cantab.),
- M.A. (Cantab.),
- Dr. Theol. (Heidelberg)
| alma_mater =
- University of Travancore, Thiruvananthapuram,
- United Theological College, Bangalore,
- University of Cambridge (United Kingdom),
- University of Heidelberg (Germany)
| occupation = {{hlist|Priesthood|Theology|Church}}
| years_active = 1954-2007
| religion = Christianity
| parents =
| church = Church of South India,[https://books.google.com/books?id=6_3YAAAAMAAJ The National Council of Churches Review, Volume 103, Nagpur, 1983] Madhya Kerala Diocese{{cite web |url=http://www.csimkd.org/Clergy.html |title=Clergy of the Madhya Kerala Diocese |publisher=Madhya Kerala Diocese |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914093902/http://www.csimkd.org/Clergy.html |archivedate=14 September 2013}}
| congregations = CSI Church, Tiruvalla (1954-1957)
| offices_held = Teacher - in - Old Testament, United Theological College, Bangalore (1959-1993)
| spouse = Juliane Hanna John (nee Ehrenberg)
| website =
| signature_alt =
| footnotes =
}}
E. C. John (8 November 1927 – 29 October 2020) was an Indian Old Testament scholar and a memberFr. Max Gonsalves (Ed.), Society for Biblical Studies in India Directory 1998. of the Society for Biblical Studies in India. He was also a member of the George Bell Institute at the University of Chichester,{{cite web |url=http://www.chi.ac.uk/specialisms/research-centres/george-bell-institute-1/fellows-and-scholars |title=Fellows and Scholars |publisher=University of Chichester |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322002053/http://www.chi.ac.uk/specialisms/research-centres/george-bell-institute-1/fellows-and-scholars |archivedate=22 March 2014}} Chichester and the Society for Old Testament Study,{{Cite web |url=http://www.sots.ac.uk/conf/conferences2004.html |title=2004 Conference of the SOTS |access-date=30 December 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913112347/http://www.sots.ac.uk/conf/conferences2004.html |archive-date=13 September 2012 |url-status=dead }} England.
He was acknowledged for his scholarship of the Old Testament. G. Babu Rao,G. Babu Rao, Content Analysis of Theological Syllabi – Old Testament in Religion and Society, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, Bangalore, 1985. [https://books.google.com/books?um=1&q=g.babu+rao+doctoral+studies&btnG=Search+Books] one of his earliest pupils specializing in the Old Testament wrote that his professor, E. C. John pointed out parallels for Epiphany and Theophany from Vaishnavism and Saivism respectively.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. [http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3540] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007194352/http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3540 |date=7 October 2009 }}
Writings
=Books written=
- 1968, Death and life in the prophecy of judgment with reference to Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah,E. C. John, Death and life in the prophecy of judgment with reference to Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 1968.[https://books.google.com/books?id=88g_uAAACAAJ]
- 1983, The Servant of the Lord (Meditations on the Prophets),E. C. John, The Servant of the Lord (Meditations on the Prophets), The Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1983.[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/228099033]
- 1999 (with Juliane Hanna John nee Ehrenberg), To Tell of the Struggle is a Struggle: Resistance, Protest and Witness during the Third Reich,
=Books edited=
- 2006 (with Samson Prabhakar), Christian Identity and Cultural Nationalism: Challenges and Opportunities,E. C. John, Samson Prabhakar (Edited), BTESSC/SATHRI for Ecumenical Christian Academy, Bengaluru, 2006.
=Articles=
- 1954, On Reviving the Peace Movement for World Peace, UTC (Bangalore) and World Council of Churches (Geneva).
- 1969, Forgiveness in the Prophecy of Judgment,E. C. John, "Forgiveness in the Prophecy of Judgment", Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 18, Issue 2-3, April–September 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. [https://books.google.com/books?id=I8_YAAAAMAAJ][http://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ijt/18-2-3_206.pdf]
- 1971, Divine Manifestations,
- 1974, Old Testament understanding of death,E. C. John, Old Testament understanding of death, Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 23, Issue 1-2, January–June 1974, pp.123-128.[http://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ijt/23_1-2_123.pdf]
- 1977, Righteousness in the prophets,E.C. John, Righteousness in the prophets, Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 26, Issue 3-4, July–December 1977, pp.132-142.[http://biblicalstudies.org.uk/articles_ijt_03.php]
- 1977, Life and Death in Old Testament Research,E. C. John, Life and Death in Old Testament Research, Bangalore Theological Forum, Volume 9, 1977, pp.13-27. Cited by Monica J. Melanchthon, Graduate Biblical Studies in India, in Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Kent Harold Richards (Edited), Transforming Graduate Biblical Education: Ethos and Discipline, Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2010, p. 129.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Nzhvp2AtOCgC&dq=e.c.john+old+testament&pg=PA129]
- 1978, Theological Research and the Churches in India: Old Testament,E. C. John, "Theological Research and the Churches in India: Old Testament", Bangalore Theological Forum, Volume 10, 1978, pp.6-11. Cited by Monica J. Melanchthon, Graduate Biblical Studies in India, in Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Kent Harold Richards (Edited), Transforming Graduate Biblical Education: Ethos and Discipline, Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2010, p. 129.[https://books.google.com/books?id=Nzhvp2AtOCgC&dq=e.c.john+old+testament&pg=PA129]
- 1984, Fellowship in the Holy Spirit - Biblical Perspectives,E. C. John, Fellowship in the Holy Spirit - Biblical Perspectives, National Council of Churches Review, Volume 104, Wesley Press, Mysore, 1984, pp.202-208. [https://books.google.com/books?id=u_7YAAAAMAAJ&q=biblical+perspectives]
- 1985, A vision for the future,E. C. John, A vision for the future in To serve, not to be served, United Theological College, Bangalore, 1985.[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/294988684]
- 2004, The Reception of the Old Testament in India,E. C. John, The Reception of the Old Testament in India, Unpublished paper at the Society for Old Testament Study meeting, 2004. [http://sots1917.org/meeting-2004/]
- 2007, Reading the Old Testament from a Dalit Perspective,E. C. John, Reading the Old Testament from a Dalit Perspective, Unpublished paper at the Society for Old Testament Study meeting, 2007. [http://sots1917.org/meetings-2007/#summer07]
Studies
After completing graduate studies in sciences leading to B.Sc., E. C. John chose priesthood as a full time vocation and went for spiritual formation in Bangalore.
=Spiritual studies=
John studied theology at the United Theological College, Bengaluru from 1951 to 1954 when Max Hunter Harrison was its Principal.K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), The United Theological College, Directory 1910–1997, Bengaluru, 1997. pp.6 and 25. [https://books.google.com/books?id=yCvXPgAACAAJ] From 1954 to 1957Juliane 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. [https://books.google.com/books?id=B8bQHAAACAAJ] he served as a presbyter of the Church of South India in Tiruvalla.
=Advanced spiritual studies=
In 1957 he was sent to the University of Cambridge, Cambridge where he pursued both graduate and postgraduate studies leading to B. A.The Cambridge University List of Members for the Year 1991, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1991, p.711.[https://books.google.com/books?id=05AcAQAAMAAJ&q=Elavinakuzhy] (1959) and M. A. (1963) specializing in Old Testament (MA Tripos part iii). During John's stay at the University of Cambridge, the decennial Lambeth Conference took place which John attended it as a guest along with Leslie Brown, and Lesslie Newbigin.Lesslie Newbigin, Unfinished Agenda: An Updated Autobiography, Saint Andrews Press, England, 1993, p.153.[https://books.google.com/books?id=4jZMAwAAQBAJ&q=e.c.john&pg=PA153]
=Doctoral research=
While teaching at the Seminary in Bengaluru, he applied for the Alexander von Humboldt research fellowship and went on study leave from the Seminary to the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg for doctoral studies in Old Testament where he studied with Claus Westermann and Gerhard von Rad who were experts in Old Testament studies. During John's study period in Heidelberg, his companions included Ulrich Bergmann (Neuendettelsau Mission), Ms Whittaker, Nicholas J. Tromp, who spent a period of study at the university.Nicholas J. Tromp, Primitive Conceptions of Death and the Nether World in the Old Testament, Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, 1969, pp.31, 165.[https://books.google.com/books?id=T8s8aTeSPYYC&dq=Nicholas+J.+Tromp&pg=PP1] Upon completion of his doctoral studies in 1968, John's thesis was published with the title, Death and life in the prophecy of judgment with reference to Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah, E. C. John returned to Bengaluru and continued teaching in the United Theological College till his retirement in 1993.
Contributions
=Teaching=
After John completed his studies in Cambridge University in 1959, he began teaching the Old Testament in Bangalore for generations of students both at the graduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. In 1983 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.
John's legacy of teaching has passed on to his postgraduateZaihmingthanga (Edited), M. Th. / D. Th. Thesis Titles, BTESSC, Bangalore, 1990, pp.1-4. students who specialized in the Old Testament and Hebrew language, which continued through those who took up teaching at seminaries elsewhere comprising,
- 1968-1970, John Guy Bookless,[https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2006/19-may/gazette/the-revd-john-guy-bookless The Rev. John Guy Bookless in Church Times, 2 November 2006] at the United Theological College, Bangalore,
- 1969-1971, Anil Kumar Daniel Solanki,
- 1971-1973, G. Babu Rao, CBCNC, at the Serampore College, Serampore and later at the Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad,The Story of Serampore and its College, Council of Serampore College, Serampore (Fourth Edition), 2005, p.92.
- 1971-1973, Timotheas Hembrom, NELC, at the Bishop’s College, Calcutta,
- 1976-1978, D. Dhanaraj, CSI, at the Karnataka Theological College, Mangalore,
- 1977-1979, J. Bhaskar Jeyaraj, at the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, Bangalore,J. B. Jeyaraj, The People of God in the Priestly Source in Indian Journal of Theology.[http://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ijt/28-3-4_129.pdf]
- 1978-1980, Geevarghese Mathew, MMTSC, at the Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam,
- 1979-1981, G. D. V. Prasad, CSI, at the Bishop’s College, Calcutta,
- 1980-1982, D. Jones Muthunayagom, CSI, at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, Madurai and later at United Theological College, Bangalore,
- 1980-1982, James Vijayakumar, at the United Theological College, Bangalore,
- 1981-1983, Mani Chacko, CSI, at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai,
- 1985-1987, M. Prithvi Raju, AELC, at the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Seminary in Rajahmundry,
- 1986-1988, Ch. Victor Moses, AELC, at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai,
- 1986-1988, N. V. Luther Paul, AELC, at the Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad,
- 1987-1989, D. John Samuel Ponnusamy, CSI, at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, Madurai,
- 1987-1989, J. R. John Samuel Raj, CSI, at the Kerala United Theological Seminary, Trivandrum and later at the United Theological College, Bangalore,
=Commentary=
John led the editorial team comprising M. J. Joseph, K. V. Mathew, Jacob Verghis, Saphir P. Athyal and Mathew P. John that worked to bring out the One volume Malayalam Bible Commentary with contributions from 47 Scholars and published in 1979 through the Theological Literature Committee, Tiruvalla.E. C. John (Edited), One volume Malayalam Bible Commentary, The Theological Literature Committee, Tiruvalla, 1979. Reviewed in Scripture Bulletin, Volume XI, Number 1, Summer 1980, p.25.[http://cbagb.org.uk/pdfs/archive/Summer%201980.pdf]
=Peace studies=
John worked with an international community of theologians at United Theological College, on the peace movement and peace for the people, in association with the World Council of Churches, and their advisory responsibilities with the United Nations Organization.
=Hobbies=
John was an avid gardener and enthusiastic tennis and volleyball player. He taught himself to play the flute.
Honours
In the Senate of Serampore College (University) Convocation 2009 held at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, Madurai, John was awarded a Doctor of Divinity honoris causa.R. Christopher Rajkumar, Serampore College Convocation 2009 and forty years journey of Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, NCCI Newsletter/Easter 2009, Nagpur, 2009. p.7. {{cite web |url=http://www.nccindia.in/webapp/news/File/Newsletter2009/Easter-newsltr-09-1.pdf |title=National Council of Churches in India newsletter of Easter 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=11 September 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303094552/http://www.nccindia.in/webapp/news/File/Newsletter2009/Easter-newsltr-09-1.pdf |archivedate=3 March 2012}}
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 John, "E. C. John was my Principal at the College. He was a good Administrator."Talathoti Punnaiah, My Memoir, Ministry and Message: (60 years Life Experiences 1950-2010), Kakinada, 2010, pp.85-86.
{{s-start}}
{{s-npo|pro}}
{{s-bef|before=R. Van de Walle, SJ}}
{{s-ttl|title=President,
Society for Biblical Studies in India|years=1970–1972}}
{{s-aft|after=Joseph Pathrapankal, CMI}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box | before=Max Hunter Harrison, ABCFM
| title=Teacher - in - Old Testament,
United Theological College,
Bengaluru (Karnataka)
|after=Gnana Robinson, CSI|years=1959–1993}}
{{succession box | before=J. R. Chandran, CSI
| title=Principal,
United Theological College,
Bengaluru (Karnataka)|after=Gnana Robinson, CSI|years=1983–1993}}
{{s-end}}
References
;Notes
{{reflist|3}}
;Further reading
- {{cite book
| author=Andrew Chandler
| title=George Bell, Bishop of Chichester: Church, State, and Resistance in the Age of Dictatorship
| year=2016
| volume=
| publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans
| isbn=9780802872272
| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=8cyICwAAQBAJ&q=e.c.John+bangalore&pg=PR3
}}
- {{cite book
| editor1=Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza
| editor2=Kent Harold Richards
| title=Transforming Graduate Biblical Education: Ethos and Discipline
| year=2010
| volume=
| publisher=Society of Biblical Lit
| isbn=9781589835047
| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=Nzhvp2AtOCgC&q=e.c.john+old+testament&pg=PA129
}}
- {{cite book
| author=Lesslie Newbigin
| title=Unfinished Agenda
| year=1993
| volume=
| publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers
| isbn=9781606088050
| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=4jZMAwAAQBAJ&q=e.c.john+cambridge&pg=PR4
}}
- {{cite journal
| author=G. Babu Rao
| title=Wisdom Tradition and the Indian Parallels with special reference to Telugu Literature
| year=1990
| url=http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3540
| access-date=30 December 2009
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007194352/http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3540
| archive-date=7 October 2009
| url-status=dead
}}
- {{cite journal
| author=Nicholas J. Tromp
| title=Primitive Conceptions of Death and the Nether World in the Old Testament
| year=1969
| volume=
| issue=
| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=T8s8aTeSPYYC&q=Nicholas%20J.%20Tromp&pg=PP1
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:John, E. C.}}
Category:Indian biblical scholars
Category:Indian Christian theologians
Category:20th-century Indian Anglican priests
Category:Senate of Serampore College (University) alumni
Category:Heidelberg University alumni
Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge
Category:Anglican biblical scholars
Category:Old Testament scholars
Category:Academic staff of the Senate of Serampore College (University)