D. S. Amalorpavadass
Encyclopedia
Duraiswami Simon Amalorpavadass (15 June 1932 – 25 May 1990) was a third-world theologian who played a vital role in the renewal of life and mission of the Roman Catholic Church in India, particularly after Vatican II. He was fluent in French
, English
and Tamil
.
Father Bevans, in a paper presented to celebrate 30 years of Evangelii Nuntiandi, writes that Amalorpavadass was one of the two special secretaries on the Synod of Bishops for 1974 convened by Pope Paul VI
which took up the theme "Evangelization in the Modern World" who proposed an interpretation that took into account many of the important movements in Asia and other parts of the Third World. His ideas revolved around a greater role for the local church and the emergence of the theology of liberation.
Amalorpavadass was a member of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT).
) region of southern India on June 15, 1932
He had been an alma mater
of St Anne's High School, Tindivanam
and St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School
, Cuddalore
.
In 1953 Amalorpavadass joined the St Peter's Major Seminary(established in 1778 and affiliated to the Pontifical Urban University of Rome) in Malleswaram, Bangalore.
After his completion of theological studies in Bangalore he was ordained on 12 April 1959 as a priest of the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore.
The Regional Catechetical Centre of the archdiocese later took him off its staff in order to develop and co-ordinate its programmes.
in France
and enrolled as a student at the Catholic University of Paris (Institut Catholique de Paris
) to pursue a degree in catechetics.
Continuing his stay in Paris he enrolled as a candidate at the same institute to pursue a Doctorate of Theology degree. His doctoral dissertation was entitled Destiny of the Church in India today.
After completing his masters and doctorate studies he returned to India, in 1966, and was assigned a parish role in Viriyur in order to gain pastoral experience.
He initiated scholarly discussions and invited the learned scholars of India including Victor Premasagar
and K. David the then members of faculty of the ecumenical Andhra Christian Theological College in Hyderabad.
The University of Mysore, the first university in Karnataka (established in 1916 by the Maharaja of Mysore, N. Krishna Wodeyar) instituted a Chair in Christianity with substantial endowment from the Catholic Diocese of Mysore in 1979. Amalorpavadass was Visiting Professor in the Chair.
Later, in 1980, a Department of Christian Studies (the first of its kind in India) was established by Amalorpavadass for promoting advanced studies and research in Christianity in the secular, multi-religious, interdisciplinary and pluralistic context of India in order to promote Christianity as an academic and scientific discipline Amalorpavadass headed the Department for a while.
The name "Anjali" was adopted to illustrate the hospitality and love with which everyone was received in the ashram.
In the first week of every month, the ashram offers Atma Purna Anubhava - introduction to Indian Christian spirituality.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
Father Bevans, in a paper presented to celebrate 30 years of Evangelii Nuntiandi, writes that Amalorpavadass was one of the two special secretaries on the Synod of Bishops for 1974 convened by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
which took up the theme "Evangelization in the Modern World" who proposed an interpretation that took into account many of the important movements in Asia and other parts of the Third World. His ideas revolved around a greater role for the local church and the emergence of the theology of liberation.
Amalorpavadass was a member of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT).
Early years
Amalorpavadass was born in Kallery, a village near Pondicherry in the (Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
) region of southern India on June 15, 1932
He had been an alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of St Anne's High School, Tindivanam
Tindivanam
Tindivanam is a town and a municipality in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Important roads from north to south Tamil Nadu pass through Tindivanam and similarly from west to east.-History:Tindivanam is a Selection grade Municipal Town...
and St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School
St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School
St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School is one of the well established schools in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu.St. Joseph's High School which was started in 1868. This school was elevated into a college in 1884 through the efforts of Father Tarbes and was affiliated to the University of Madras...
, Cuddalore
Cuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
.
Seminary studies and ordination
Amalorpavadass studied at the St Agnes Minor Seminary in Cuddalore and later graduated from St Joseph's College in TiruchirapalliTiruchirapalli
Tiruchirappalli ) , also called Tiruchi or Trichy , is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli District. It is the fourth largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu and also the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state...
In 1953 Amalorpavadass joined the St Peter's Major Seminary(established in 1778 and affiliated to the Pontifical Urban University of Rome) in Malleswaram, Bangalore.
After his completion of theological studies in Bangalore he was ordained on 12 April 1959 as a priest of the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore.
The Regional Catechetical Centre of the archdiocese later took him off its staff in order to develop and co-ordinate its programmes.
Post-graduate studies and research
In 1962 Amalorpavadass went to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and enrolled as a student at the Catholic University of Paris (Institut Catholique de Paris
Institut Catholique de Paris
The Institut Catholique de Paris, or the Catholic University of Paris, is a private university located in Paris, France. The institute was founded in 1875, under the name Université Catholique de Paris, by Maurice Le Sage d'Hauteroche d'Hulst....
) to pursue a degree in catechetics.
Continuing his stay in Paris he enrolled as a candidate at the same institute to pursue a Doctorate of Theology degree. His doctoral dissertation was entitled Destiny of the Church in India today.
After completing his masters and doctorate studies he returned to India, in 1966, and was assigned a parish role in Viriyur in order to gain pastoral experience.
National Biblical, Catechetical, and Liturgical Centre
Amalorpavadass founded the National Biblical, Catechetical, and Liturgical Centre (NBCLC), Hutchins Road, Bangalore in October 1966. He was the Director from its inception in 1966 till 1985.He initiated scholarly discussions and invited the learned scholars of India including Victor Premasagar
Victor Premasagar
Victor Premasagar was the fourth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak. He was an Indian churchman and Old Testament scholar. He also became Moderator of the Church of South India.-Early years:...
and K. David the then members of faculty of the ecumenical Andhra Christian Theological College in Hyderabad.
Word and Worship
The NBCLC journal "Word and Worship" was started during the period of Father Amalalorpavadass.Chair of Christianity
The University of Mysore, the first university in Karnataka (established in 1916 by the Maharaja of Mysore, N. Krishna Wodeyar) instituted a Chair in Christianity with substantial endowment from the Catholic Diocese of Mysore in 1979. Amalorpavadass was Visiting Professor in the Chair.
Department of Christianity
Later, in 1980, a Department of Christian Studies (the first of its kind in India) was established by Amalorpavadass for promoting advanced studies and research in Christianity in the secular, multi-religious, interdisciplinary and pluralistic context of India in order to promote Christianity as an academic and scientific discipline Amalorpavadass headed the Department for a while.
Anjali Ashram
While Amalorpavadass was in Mysore, he founded a Christian ashram and named it "Anjali Ashram" and served as an Acharya-Guru for many seekers till his death in 1990.The name "Anjali" was adopted to illustrate the hospitality and love with which everyone was received in the ashram.
In the first week of every month, the ashram offers Atma Purna Anubhava - introduction to Indian Christian spirituality.
Appraisal
- Stephen Bevans, a Divine Word Priest:
- John Prior, a British missiologist:
- Joshua Russel Chandran, Past Principal, United Theological College, Millers Road, Bangalore:
- Catherine Cornille, Associate Professor (Theology Department), Boston College, North America:
- Matthew N. Schmalz, Associate Professor, College of the Holy Cross, North America:
- Michael T. Buchanan, Australian Catholic University:
It may be concluded that Amalorpavadass wanted to highlight the Indian ethos and indigenize worship forms rather than force alien forms of worship.
In India, similar attempts have been made by Eric J. LottEric J. LottEric J. Lott is a religious scholar who taught in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Of the Indian languages, he knew Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada.-Background:...
and other pioneers.
B. V. Subbamma of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran ChurchAndhra Evangelical Lutheran ChurchAndhra Evangelical Lutheran Church was constituted in the year 1927 in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the Indian successor to the United Lutheran Church in America which was started as a self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating church among Telugu Christians.-Memberships:* Andhra...
initiated Christian Ashrams and adopted indigenous forms like burra kathaBurra kathaBurra katha, also spelled burrakatha, is a storytelling technique used in villages of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in India. The troupe consists of one main performer and two co-performers. It is a narrative entertainment that consists of prayers, solo drama, dance, songs, poems and jokes...
to spread the gospel that was met with success.
Sampathkumar who earlier served in the NBCLC, Bangalore points out that Indian Sanyasis like Sadhu Sundar SinghSadhu Sundar SinghSadhu Sundar Singh was an Indian Christian missionary. He is believed to have died in the foothills of the Himalayas in 1929.-Early years:...
and M. Devadas of the Bible Mission, Guntur developed indigenous methods of worship and could attract many towards Christ.
Richard Leroy Hivner, Jr. in his thesis "Exploring the Depths of the Mystery of Christ: The Life and Work of K. Subba Rao of Andhra Pradesh, South India with Special Reference to his Songs" submitted to the University of South Africa in March 2004 attempts to bring out the Gospel movement that K. Subba Rao (1912–1981), a Hindu disciple of Christ, brought about around Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh using the neo-Vedanta philosophy of Swami VivekanandaSwami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
.
Criticism
There was resistance to the experimental deeds of Amalorpavadass towards inculturation of Catholicism into the Indian context. Matthew N. Schmalz points out that many Indian Catholics resisted inculturation. South Indian Catholics took Amalorpavadass to court to stop the experimentation since they believed that these adaptations threatened their own distinctive identity. Further, majority of North Indian Catholics who were Dalits felt that the inculturation methods were Brahmanical.
Writings
Amalorpavadass had written and edited numerous volumes. A few of them are:
- Approach, Meaning, and Horizon of Evangelization, NBCLC, Bangalore, 1973
- Gospel and Culture: Evangelisation and Inculturation, NBCLC, Bangalore, 1978
- NBCLC Campus: Milieu of God-Experience. An Artistic Synthesis of Spirituality, NBCLC, Bangalore, 1982
- Poverty of the Religious and the Religious as Poor, NBCLC, Bangalore, 1984
- Integration and Interiorization (1990)
In 1990, Gerwin van Leeuwen brought out a book entitled:- Fully Indian - authentically Christian: A study of the first fifteen years of the NBCLC (1967–1982), Bangalore, 1990.
- Two memorial volumes came out in 1991:
- J. Russel Chandran (ed.), Third World Theologies in Dialogue: Essays in Memory of D. S. Amalorpavadass, EATWOT, Bangalore, 1991.
- Paul Puthanangady ed., Church in India: Institution or Movement ? (1991)
Memberships
Amalorpavadass had been active in many international organizations.- Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT),
- International Commission for English in the liturgy,
- World Catholic Federation for the Biblical Apostolate,
- International Association for Mission Studies (IAMS)
- Secretary, Biblical, Catechetical and Liturgical Commissions of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of India (CBCI).
He was one of the two special secretaries for the roman episcopal synod on evangelisation in 1974.