Navamani Elia Peter

Navamani was born in the port town of Machilipatnam in Northern Circars (Madras Presidency) in Colonial India. She did her schooling from Lady Ampthill Government School, Machilipatnam. For Undergraduate education, she studied at The Hindu College, taking a BSc degree, also in Machilipatnam. She also did her specialization in education from JMJ-St. Joseph's College of Education for Women in Guntur leading to BEd.

During the 1980s, she enrolled at United Theological College, Bangalore for spiritual studies leading to B.D..K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), Directory of the United Theological College 1910–1997, Bangalore, 1997. Past students of the college diploma course. It was here that she was exposed to learned faculty comprising Joshua Russell Chandran, CSI, E. C. John, CSI, G. D. Melanchthon, AELC, Theodore N. Swanson, ELCA. The Cultural diversity at the campus enriched her learning experience. The presence of Carmelite Church Fathers among the college faculty, also provided her with an ecumenical exposure.Shared Search – Souvenir of the inauguration of the academic collaboration between the United Theological College, Bangalore and the Dharmaram College, Bangalore, 1975, Bangalore, available at the Archives in the library of Karnataka Theological College, Mangalore.[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/702131970] After completion of her studies, The Senate of Serampore College (University), led by Registrar D. S. Satyaranjan, IPC, awarded her a B. D. degree.

Navamani began her career as a Teacher in MCI–Stanley Girls High School, Hyderabad, beginning in the 1950s. Since the 1980s, her leadership in the Church made her take up greater assignments both nationally and globally.

Navamani participated in a number of localSubject file of Roger Hedlund.[https://place.asburyseminary.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1290&context=rogerhedlundpapers] and international institutional leadership and management meetings, notably the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians sponsored national consultation on women's perspectives held in India in 1984,Aruna Gnanadason, Theology of Humanhood: Women's Perspectives : Report of a national consultation, ISPCK, New Delhi, 1986, p.155.[Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians] the World Council of Churches Assembly held in Australia in 1991Signs of the Spirit – Official Report, Seventh Assembly, Canberra, Australia, 7–20 February 1991, World Council of Churches Assembly, 1991, p.313.[https://books.google.com/books?id=e8ji4N-6F3sC&q=navamani%20peter] and the World Methodist Conference held in Brazil in 1996.[http://worldmethodistconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/01_1996_rio_conf_bop.pdf World Methodist Conference, 1996] She was also at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities) at its forty-ninth session held in Switzerland in 1997.United Nations Commission on Human Rights (Sub-commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities), 1997, p.22.[https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/241447/files/E_CN.4_Sub.2_1997_1_Misc.1-ES.pdf]

During the course of participation in international institutional meetings, Navamani had been elected to the leadership of many global organisations worldwide.

• President/Chairperson
• All India Women's Society of Christian Service {{small|(1980–1984)}}Prasanna Kumar (Edited), Women in Church and Society, Department of Women Studies, Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai, 1999.[https://books.google.com/books?id=BejYAAAAMAAJ&q=World%20Federation%20of%20Methodist%20Women%20navamani] [https://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/fy022/2001294272.html] [https://cbeinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/PP341.pdf]
• All India Council of Christian Women {{small|(1982–1986)}}
• World Family Life Committee of World Methodist Council {{small|(1986–1991)}}
• Association of Theologically Trained Women of India {{small|(1990–1997)}}
• World Day of Prayer International Committee {{small|(1990–1999)}}Yearbook of international organizations 1998/99, Volume 3, K.G. Saur, München, 1998, p.1530.[https://archive.org/search.php?query=external-identifier%3A%22urn%3Aoclc%3Arecord%3A1302547165%22]Whoʼs who in International Organizations: A Biographical Encyclopedia of More Than 12,000 Leading Personalities, K.G. Saur, Germany, 1992, p.141.[https://books.google.com/books?id=WWdmAAAAMAAJ&q=navamani%20peter]
• The India Bible Society Trust AssociationBSI Executive Committee Members visit Mizoram, Government of Mizoram press release, 4 November 2011.[https://dipr.mizoram.gov.in/post/bsi-executive-committee-member-te-lawmna-inkhawm-chief-minister-in-hmanpui] {{small|(2007–2013)}}
• Vice-president
• World Federation of Methodist Women {{small|(1986–1991)}}Linda W. Kiester, Methodist Women elect American, Louisiana United Methodist, Volume 133, Number 9, 8 August 1986, p.3.[https://archive.org/details/louisianaunitedm1986unit/page/n145/mode/2up?q=navamani+peter]
• Asian Church Women's Conference {{small|(1990–1994)}}
• Executive committee member
• Evangelism Committee of Christian Conference of Asia {{small|(1982–1986)}}
• The Fellowship of the Least Coin {{small|(1990–1999)}}

The writings of Navamani have been acknowledged by both Theologians and other Scholars. Paul Arasu Selvanathan as a 2017 doctoral student at the Comillas Pontifical University in Spain defines an Indian FamilyPaul Arasu Selvanathan, Learn to Live with Others: A Spiritual Reading of the Story of Abraham-Lot (Gen 13: 1–12) in Relation to the Indian Family, Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid, 2017, p.72.[https://repositorio.comillas.edu/jspui/bitstream/11531/20979/1/DEA000170.pdf] on the basis of Navamani's article. Pushpa Samuel of Fuller Theological Seminary, United States espouses for ordination of women in the Mar Thoma Syrian Church through a 2020 article, citing the work of Navamani.Pushpa Samuel, "Let Your Yes Be Yes": Progressing Toward Female Ordination in the Mar Thoma Church, Priscilla Papers, Volume 34, Number 1, Winter 2020, pp.20–25.[https://cbeinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/PP341.pdf] Praisy David, a 2020 student of Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar takes a cue from Navamani on espousing Gender equality, she quotes,

{{blockquote|As Navamani E. Peter, in the introduction of the book Jesus Talks to Women writes that,

Jesus saw women as intelligent, thinking humans, equal with men. His attitude with women was remarkable in a day when men thought women were a lower grade than themselves.}}

In theological matters, Sirirat Pusurinkham of the Presbyterian Church of Thailand was critical of Navamani's observation of a love story in the episode of Levite's concubine.Sirirat Pusurinkham, Oppressed Women in Scripture and in Contemporary Thailand in Meehyun Chung, Breaking Silence: Theology from Asian Women's Perspective, ISPCK/EATWOT, New Delhi, 2006, p.165.[https://books.google.com/books?id=wh4mTPTcdPkC&q=navamani] Navamani's writings appeared in the public domain since the 1980s. She continues to write articles through The Upper Room.

• {{cite journal |last=E. Peter |first=Navamani |date=October 1989 |title=Bible study: Practical exhortation: Hebrews 3:7–15 |url= |journal=Asian Journal of Theology |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=576–581 |doi= |access-date=}}
• {{cite journal |last=E. Peter |first=Navamani |date=September 1996 |title=A Christian View of the Family |url=https://repositorio.comillas.edu/jspui/bitstream/11531/20979/1/DEA000170.pdf |journal= National Council of Churches Review|volume= |issue= |pages=258–ff. |doi= |access-date=}}
• {{cite journal |last=E. Peter |first= Navamani|date=June 1998 |title=Biblical Paradigms for Women's Ministry in Asia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tD77DwAAQBAJ&dq=Biblical%20Paradigms%20for%20Women's%20Ministry%20in%20Asia%20navamani&pg=PA128 |journal= Theology of Our Times|volume= |issue=5 |pages=99–101 |doi= |access-date=}}
• {{cite book |last=E. Peter|first=Navamani|date=1999|editor-last=Kumari|editor-first=Prasanna|title=Women in Church and Society: Essays in Honour of Florence Robinson|publisher=GLTC, Chennai|pages=155–'ff.'|chapter=Woman! Reclaim your image!|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BejYAAAAMAAJ&q=Woman!%20Reclaim%20your%20image!%20navamani |isbn=}}

In 2000, in recognition of women's leadership, the nation's first[http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0017/001790/179035eb.pdf UNESCO Structures of University Education in India, 1952] University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) conferred upon Navamani an honorary Doctor of Divinity.List of the Recipients of the Degree of Doctor of Divinity (Honoris Causa)[https://www.senateofseramporecollege.edu.in/recipients-degree-of-doctor-of-divinity-honoris-causa/]

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{{succession box

| before=K. J. Samuel
2000–2006

| title=President,
Bible Society of India

| after=P. N. S. Chandra Bose
2014The Bible Society of India, Office Bearers.[http://www.bsind.org/our_board.html Office Bearers]–2019

| years=2007–2013

}}

{{succession box

| before=Padmasani Gallup
1987–1990[https://books.google.com/books?id=SgN0HAAACAAJ&q=association+of+theologically+trained+women+of+india+handbook ATTWI Handbook]

| title=President,
Association of Theologically Trained Women of India

| after=Jessie Nesakumar
1997–2002

| years=1990–1997

}}

{{s-end}}

{{reflist|3}}

• {{cite book

| author=John C. B. Webster, Ellen Low Webster

| title=The Church and women in the Third World

| publisher=Westminster Press

| year=1985

| volume=

| isbn=978-0-664-24601-3| url =https://archive.org/details/churchwomeninthi0000webs

| url-access=registration

| quote=elizabeth paul church of south india.

}}

• {{cite book

| author=Ruth Tucker, Walter L. Liefeld

| title=Daughters of the Church: Women and Ministry from New Testament times to the present

| year=1987

| volume=

| isbn=978-0-310-45741-1| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=Z6e5yCGh1JsC

}}

• {{cite journal

| author=Carol Graham, P. Dharmagnani

| title=Sister Carol Graham, the beloved "Amma"

| year=1989

| volume=

| issue=

| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=Ty0xAAAAMAAJ&q=order+of+sisters+church+of+south+india

}}

• {{cite book

| author=Jacqueline Field-Bibb

| title=Women towards Priesthood: Ministerial politics and feminist praxis

| publisher=CUP Archive

| year=1991

| volume=

| isbn=978-0-521-39283-9| url =https://archive.org/details/womentowardsprie0000fiel

| url-access=registration

}}

• {{cite journal

| author=Sakhi Mariamma Athyal

| title=Indian Women in Mission

| year=1995

| volume=

| issue=

| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=CBc_AAAAIAAJ

}}

• {{cite book

| author=Leonie Beth Liveris

| title=Ancient taboos and gender prejudice: challenges for Orthodox women and the church

| year=2005

| volume=

| isbn=978-0-7546-5344-8| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=B_YrluQ2jgoC

}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Peter, Navamani Elia}}

Category:Methodist theologians

Category:Methodist evangelists

Category:Methodist missionaries in India

Category:Telugu people

Category:Methodist writers

Category:Living people

Category:Indian Christian theologians

Category:Indian feminists

Category:Senate of Serampore College (University) alumni

Category:Andhra University alumni

Category:1933 births

Category:Indian Methodist missionaries