Stephen Neill
Encyclopedia
Stephen Charles Neill was a Anglican missionary, bishop, and scholar from Scotland
. He was proficient in a number of languages including Greek
, Latin
and Tamil
. He was educated and later worked in Trinity College, Cambridge
. He moved to Tamil Nadu
and assumed as bishop of Tirunelveli
.
He believed in unification of all churches in South India and communion beyond denominations. He wrote several books on theology
and church history.
, Scotland
in 1900 to Charles Neill and Daisy Neill. He had two sisters, Marjorie and Isabel. He belonged to the third generation of missionaries from his family.
He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge
where he mastered various European languages including Greek
and Latin
. He also learned a few Indian languages including Tamil
.
and was involved in teaching schoolboys.
where he served at its first Principal
. There he became involved in negotiations for uniting the churches in South India for the formation of Church of South India
. He believed that all churches should unite and no church should be left out as not being in communion. He was elected the bishop at Tirunelveli in 1939. There he led the diocese together during the troubled times of the war, resisting encroachments by the state and initiating development projects in publishing, banking among other areas. In 1944 he was forced to resign because of ill health and allegations of scandal for reaching out to a pregnant widow with a child who lost her husband shortly after marriage.He enabled her to continue her education and to stand on her own feet.This woman who was ostracized by the then society and was living a lonely life.The community looked upon her as an image of shame and tarnished Stephens reputation.Finally Stephen accepted this widow as his wife against all social odds.For the then Indian community, widow remarriage was unacceptable and for the white the an Anglo-India child had black blood.Stephen married an educated Tamil destitute and gave her a new life.Stephen's only son was born in 1939. After his return from India he became the assistant bishop of Archbishop of Canterbury
.
as a professor of mission until 1967 and a professor of philosophy and religious studies in Nairobi between 1969 and 1973.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He was proficient in a number of languages including Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
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...
. He was educated and later worked in Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He moved to Tamil Nadu
Tamil 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...
and assumed as bishop of Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
.
He believed in unification of all churches in South India and communion beyond denominations. He wrote several books on theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and church history.
Early life
Neill was born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1900 to Charles Neill and Daisy Neill. He had two sisters, Marjorie and Isabel. He belonged to the third generation of missionaries from his family.
He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
where he mastered various European languages including Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. He also learned a few Indian languages including 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...
.
Career
Neill started his career at Trinity College in 1924. In 1925 he moved to Dohnavur with his parents. While at Dohnavur he learnt TamilTamil 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...
and was involved in teaching schoolboys.
Ministry
Neill joined the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1928 and was ordained a priest. After his ordination he moved to Tirunelvely and later led Thomas Ragland's North Tirunelveli Itineracy evangelism program. He taught Tamil in CMS theological college in PalayamkottaiPalayamkottai
Palayamkottai , known as the "Oxford of South India", is a town in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. It is part of the Tirunelveli city corporation. It is on the eastern bank of the Thamirabarani river, while its twin city Tirunelveli is on the western bank.-Etymology:The archaic word Palayam...
where he served at its first Principal
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
. There he became involved in negotiations for uniting the churches in South India for the formation of Church of South India
Church of South India
The Church of South India is the successor of the Church of England in India. It came into being in 1947 as a union of Anglican and Protestant churches in South India. With a membership of over 3.8 million, it is India's second largest Christian church after the Roman Catholic Church in India...
. He believed that all churches should unite and no church should be left out as not being in communion. He was elected the bishop at Tirunelveli in 1939. There he led the diocese together during the troubled times of the war, resisting encroachments by the state and initiating development projects in publishing, banking among other areas. In 1944 he was forced to resign because of ill health and allegations of scandal for reaching out to a pregnant widow with a child who lost her husband shortly after marriage.He enabled her to continue her education and to stand on her own feet.This woman who was ostracized by the then society and was living a lonely life.The community looked upon her as an image of shame and tarnished Stephens reputation.Finally Stephen accepted this widow as his wife against all social odds.For the then Indian community, widow remarriage was unacceptable and for the white the an Anglo-India child had black blood.Stephen married an educated Tamil destitute and gave her a new life.Stephen's only son was born in 1939. After his return from India he became the assistant bishop of Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
.
Literary contribution
Neill worked for World Council of Churches from 1947 to 1954. He edited History of Ecumenical Movement 1517-1948 with Ruth Rouse. He edited World Christian series and co-edited Concise Dictionary of the Christian World Mission (1971). Some of his books include The Interpretation of the New Testament 1891 - 1961, Bhakti, Hindu and Christian and Christian Faith and Other Faiths. In 1962 he went to the University of HamburgUniversity of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
as a professor of mission until 1967 and a professor of philosophy and religious studies in Nairobi between 1969 and 1973.