V. C. Samuel
Encyclopedia
Father V.C. Samuel Great Servant of Lord (1912–1998), called Samuel Achen was an Indian Christian philosopher, theologian, historian
and ecumenical leader. He was a scholar, a university professor and a priest of the Indian Orthodox Church
. He was the author of many doctrinal books and papers including The Council of Chalcedon Re-Examined: Historical Theological Survey.
, in Central Travancore
, now Pathanamthitta
, Kerala State, India
. He was born to an Orthodox Syrian Christian (now Indian Orthodox church {malankara]) family Edayil, April 6, 1912 as the fifth of the nine children of E.I. Cherian and Annamma. E.I. Cherian was a schoolteacher and educationist and a Member of the Legislative Assembly.
Samuel's growth in religious scholarship was due to in part to the atmosphere of religious devotion and Christian commitment of his family.
. Samuel obtained his secondary education at St. Thomas English High School, Kozhencherry
. He received his English School Leaving Certificate (E.S.L.C) in 1931 with distinction.
, which was the ecclesiastical and liturgical language of the St. Thomas Christians of Kerala.
Patriarch
Mar Ignatius Elias III
of Antioch
visited India
in 1932. Samuel had a sincere longing for the success of the patriarchal mission and was deeply moved when the spiritual head of the Syrian Orthodox Church died at St. Ignatius Church, Manjanikkara
, in the neighbourhood of his home in 1932. The place where the Patriarch had died soon grew in stature as a centre of religious activities, including the teaching of Syriac and Antiochene Syrian ecclesiastical doctrine. Samuel pursued further Syriac studies at Manjanikkara Dayara
(monastery). He had been attracted there by the presence of the Syrian Metropolitan Elias Mar Julius, the delegate of the Patriarch, and the Syrian Deacon and Rabban `Abdel Ahad (monk), (who later become Patriarch Mor Ignatius Ya`qub III). At the time, he had no plans to be ordained. He merely wanted to continue his theological research.
He did so well academically that in few years he completed his studies. He began to share teaching duties with a colleague, Malpan Dn. Abdul Ahad Remban. He also served as the secretary and translator for the Metropolitan who knew only Arabic and Syriac.
Samuel continued his private study of both languages. He maintained his command of English
by reading books on church history, theology
, and biblical and devotional subjects. Besides the above and ecclesiastical subjects, he mastered Syriac and planned for advanced study and research in secular universities.
In 1944, he joined the Union Christian College as a priest, thirteen years after he had completed his high school studies, to follow a regular university programme of academic discipline and devoted in study and research for another sixteen years.
Samuel spent long periods of research in various academic centers: Serampore College
, West Bengal
; United Theological College, Bangalore
; Ramakrishna Ashram, Calcutta; CNI Library, Kottayam and Syriac Library of Pampakkuda all in India; Addis Ababa
Library - Ethiopia
; Bodleian Library
, Oxford
; British Museum Library
, London
; Library of the Ecumenical Institute, Bossey
; Library of the Jesuit College, Louvain
; and the Vatican Library
, Rome
.
, and both Syriac and Greek
, made it possible for him to work with ancient texts and documents to carry on this Alexandrine
-Antiochene Christologies very effectively.
In choosing this area, Samuel's purpose was ecumenism. The fifth century division in the Church has been interpreted by Church traditions, each in its own way to make out that its acceptance or rejection of the councils in question was the result of a concern to conserve the Christian truth exclusively and the others were really at fault. Samuel's sense of objectivity and impartiality led him to feel that this reading must be as much one-sided as it was superficial, and that he should himself study the issues involved in the controversy. Thus his purpose was, in the first place, to find out him why the division arose, insofar as that was possible. Secondly, perhaps more importantly, to clarify all concerned why the Churches exist in a divide state. In other words, his work was intended to be of service to the Churches and the cause of Christian unity. From this point of view, Samuel had a special concern for the Churches of the East, particularly those of the Oriental Orthodox family, which have continued in the history without formally acknowledging the Council of Chalcedon
on 451 A.D. These Church traditions have been referred to as "monophysite
" heretical
community by the Byzantine or the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church
and the major Protestant Churches. In the face of this label of "heresy", Samuel felt interested in bringing out the real point of the division following the Council of 451 and the teaching of the fathers who opposed it. Samuel attempted to rescue Oriental Orthodoxy from centuries of intellectual oblivion. The doctoral thesis, "The Council of Chalcedon Re-examined: A Historical and Theological Survey" were published worldwide along with several papers. This stand represented the Oriental Orthodox perspective.
. Secondly, he realized that the claim of Apostolic origin and the identity as Syrian Christians
of India
, does not tally with its present standing either as part of the Roman Catholic Church
or that of Antiochene Syrian Church. However, from the point of view both these sections of the Indian Christianity could envisualize a common future. Over the years, he promoted the history of the Indian Church and its foreign connections. He took the opportunity to compare them with other ancient Churches, particularly those of the East.
Samuel's concentration on the nuances of the classical doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ during his postgraduate studies did not leave him free to continue his studies in Hinduism. However, on completing his doctorate at Yale
, an opportunity developed. Dr. P.D. Devanandan was establishing the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society in Bangalore
. Feeling that an association with the institute might enable him to combine the two plans, he joined it in 1957 under an appointment for the post-doctoral research programme sponsored by the University of Chicago
. He was awarded the Rockefeller Fellowship for a period of three years. This included research for two years in India and one year in Chicago. Besides Indian Philosophy, Sankaracharya's Advaita, Ramanujacharya's Visishtadvaita and Madvacharya's Davita
, that opportunity helped him to acquire first-hand knowledge of the Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and working of the Ramakrishna Mission
as well as of several others in contemporary Indian movements like Mahatma Gandhi
's gramaswaraj and Vinoba Bhave
's Bhoodan movement.
, Syriac, Greek
, Hebrew and Sanskrit
.
In addition to the above, Samuel served as a Professor, guide and examiner in almost all the Seminaries and Theological Colleges in India, and many abroad.
:
. 1961 voted him as a member of the Council's Faith and Order Commission
. He held that position until 1984. The fourth general assembly of the WCC
at Uppsala
in 1968, elected him as a member of the Commission's Working Committee and later in its Steering Committee. His active participation in the meetings of Faith and Order Commission
was very significant and giving expressions for the important of Church unity. His paper in the Faith and Order meeting at Accra 1974 on the subject "How can the Unity of the Church be Achieved" he points to the influence of "different intellectual and cultural backgrounds" in the evolution the different church traditions, awareness of which should help relativise these traditions. He was a participant of seven meetings of the Commission.
:
of World Council of Churches
coincided with two progresses where he made a valuable and lasting contribution. Those were "Unofficial Consultation of Theologians of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches" held in Arhus-1964, Bristol
-1967, Geneva
-1970 and Addis Ababa
-1971. Samuel presented papers at all of them and helped the participants in arriving at the conclusion that the difference in Christological Doctrine between the two families of Churches was only verbal and not substantial. These papers and joint agreed statements have been published in different journals.
Starting in 1964, Samuel took part in almost all the various meetings of the Unofficial Consultation of Theologians of Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches presenting papers, participated in the discussions, and drafting out for the agreed statements. He has served as a member of a group called together by the Faith and Order Commission
of the World Council of Churches
for a study, first of the Councils of early Church, and later of the Council of Chalcedon. The papers presented were published in the Greek Orthodox Theological Review, Brookline, Massachusetts
, United States
, Wort und Worhiet, Pro Oriente
, Vienna
, Ecumenical Review, World Council of Churches
, Geneva
and Abba Salama, Addis Ababa
. Thus, Samuel's lifelong search for truth and the meticulous outcome helped to pave the way for a closer understanding, better relationship between the Chalcedonian and Non Chalcedonian Christendom, after a period of fifteen centuries of split and schism.
and Haile Selassie I University (since renamed Addis Ababa University
) persuaded him to return to Ethiopia. The college appointed him Dean of the Theological College of the Holy Trinity in 1969, a position that he held until he left Ethiopia in July 1976. He also served as the Secretary of the Faculty Council of the University.
and the acting Patriarch of Ethiopia, Abune Theophilus (later Patriarch). The conference brought together the five Oriental Orthodox Churches, Coptic, Syriac, Armenia
n, Ethiopian
and India
n, which were isolated after the fifth century.
He was a member of the local committee and General Coordinator, responsible for the preparatory work of the Addis Ababa
Conference of the Heads of Oriental Orthodox Churches, which held in January 1965. He was also one of the delegates in the Conference along with the Catholicos Baselios Augen I
and others representing Indian Orthodox Church
. He edited the report of the Conference and published it by the interim committee.
of Aksum, founding the Association of Ethio-Hellenic Studies. Samuel was the Vice President of it, and Editorial Board of the publications 'Abba Salama' and the 'Ecliastca Fharan', in English
, Greek
, Amharic and Ge'es languages.
to abandon its old policy of isolation from other church traditions in India
, and to join the Kerala Christian Council, the National Council of Churches, and the joint commission of Catholic
and Orthodox Churches.
In 1968, the Catholicose Baselius Ougen I, the Head of the Malankara Orthodox Church appointed him as the Ambassador to Ethiopia and other African Countries.
Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1977; British Orthodox Press, ISBN 1-4010-1644-8, 2001
Commemorative Volume, Ecumenical Forum, Konni, Kerala, India.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and ecumenical leader. He was a scholar, a university professor and a priest of the Indian Orthodox Church
Indian Orthodox Church
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church centred in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the churches of India's Saint Thomas Christian community, which traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas...
. He was the author of many doctrinal books and papers including The Council of Chalcedon Re-Examined: Historical Theological Survey.
Early life
Samuel was born April 6, 1912, in the village OmallurOmallur
Omallur, often alternatively spelt Omalloor, is a small town, about 4 km south of Pathanamthitta District headquarters, in Kerala. Omallur is famous for Vayal Vanibham which is an annual cattle fair held in the month of Meenam...
, in Central Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, now Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...
, Kerala State, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was born to an Orthodox Syrian Christian (now Indian Orthodox church {malankara]) family Edayil, April 6, 1912 as the fifth of the nine children of E.I. Cherian and Annamma. E.I. Cherian was a schoolteacher and educationist and a Member of the Legislative Assembly.
Samuel's growth in religious scholarship was due to in part to the atmosphere of religious devotion and Christian commitment of his family.
Education
Samuel had his primary education in a school founded by his father in his village and the Government English Middle School, PathanamthittaPathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...
. Samuel obtained his secondary education at St. Thomas English High School, Kozhencherry
Kozhencherry
Kozhencherry is a small town in Pathanamthitta district of Central Travancore region in Kerala state, South India. It is on the banks of river Pampa. It is a commercial centre with many of the Banks and trade companies have their establishments here. It is believed that once the Kovilans of...
. He received his English School Leaving Certificate (E.S.L.C) in 1931 with distinction.
Seminary teacher and scholar
In addition to his general education, Samuel learned the Syriac languageSyriac language
Syriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. Having first appeared as a script in the 1st century AD after being spoken as an unwritten language for five centuries, Classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from...
, which was the ecclesiastical and liturgical language of the St. Thomas Christians of Kerala.
Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
Mar Ignatius Elias III
Ignatius Elias III
Mor Ignatius Elias III was the 119th Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch from 1917 to 1932. He died and is buried at the monastery of Manjanikkara Dayara in Kerala, India, where there is a considerable number of Syriac Orthodox Christians...
of Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
visited India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1932. Samuel had a sincere longing for the success of the patriarchal mission and was deeply moved when the spiritual head of the Syrian Orthodox Church died at St. Ignatius Church, Manjanikkara
Manjanikkara Dayara
Manjanikkara Dayara is a monastery of the Syrian Orthodox Church. It is situated at the top of the hillock in Manjanikkara, near Omallur, Pathanamthitta District, in South Kerala, India. The monastery was established by Mor Yulius Elias Qoro, Patriarchal delegate to the Malankara Church...
, in the neighbourhood of his home in 1932. The place where the Patriarch had died soon grew in stature as a centre of religious activities, including the teaching of Syriac and Antiochene Syrian ecclesiastical doctrine. Samuel pursued further Syriac studies at Manjanikkara Dayara
Manjanikkara Dayara
Manjanikkara Dayara is a monastery of the Syrian Orthodox Church. It is situated at the top of the hillock in Manjanikkara, near Omallur, Pathanamthitta District, in South Kerala, India. The monastery was established by Mor Yulius Elias Qoro, Patriarchal delegate to the Malankara Church...
(monastery). He had been attracted there by the presence of the Syrian Metropolitan Elias Mar Julius, the delegate of the Patriarch, and the Syrian Deacon and Rabban `Abdel Ahad (monk), (who later become Patriarch Mor Ignatius Ya`qub III). At the time, he had no plans to be ordained. He merely wanted to continue his theological research.
He did so well academically that in few years he completed his studies. He began to share teaching duties with a colleague, Malpan Dn. Abdul Ahad Remban. He also served as the secretary and translator for the Metropolitan who knew only Arabic and Syriac.
Samuel continued his private study of both languages. He maintained his command of 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...
by reading books on church history, 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 biblical and devotional subjects. Besides the above and ecclesiastical subjects, he mastered Syriac and planned for advanced study and research in secular universities.
In 1944, he joined the Union Christian College as a priest, thirteen years after he had completed his high school studies, to follow a regular university programme of academic discipline and devoted in study and research for another sixteen years.
- 1944–1948 Union Christian College Alwaye, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
: B.A. Degree in PhilosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, first rank with Gold Medal, Travancore University. - 1948–1950 Madras Christian CollegeMadras Christian CollegeThe Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras , India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus...
, India: M.A., Philosophy, First Class, Madras University. - 1950–1953 United Theological College, Bangalore, India: B.D., TheologyTheologyTheology 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...
, Distinction, with Special awards Serampore CollegeSerampore CollegeSerampore College is located in Serampore Town, in Hooghly District, West Bengal, India.The college consists of two entities:*The theological faculty*A separate college with faculties of arts, science, commerce...
, West BengalWest BengalWest Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. - 1953–1954 Union SeminaryUnion Theological Seminary in the City of New YorkUnion Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
: S.T.M, Post Graduates Degree in TheologyTheologyTheology 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...
. Magna Cum Laude - 1954–1957 Yale Divinity SchoolYale Divinity SchoolYale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
, New Haven, USA: PhD, Yale University. Magna Cum Laude - 1957–1960 Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (C.I.S.R.S), Bangalore; Ramakrishna Ashrams; Calcutta, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, USA: Post Doctoral Research Scholar, Rockefeller FoundationRockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
Fellow
Samuel spent long periods of research in various academic centers: Serampore College
Serampore College
Serampore College is located in Serampore Town, in Hooghly District, West Bengal, India.The college consists of two entities:*The theological faculty*A separate college with faculties of arts, science, commerce...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
; United Theological College, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
; Ramakrishna Ashram, Calcutta; CNI Library, Kottayam and Syriac Library of Pampakkuda all in India; Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
Library - Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
; Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
; British Museum Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; Library of the Ecumenical Institute, Bossey
Bossey
Bossey is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
; Library of the Jesuit College, Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
; and the Vatican Library
Vatican Library
The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Doctoral research: Christological controversy
With a background in secular education, Samuel researched anew the History of Christian thought, which he chose for his specialization; the classical doctrine of the Person of Christ worked out in the fifth century, which led to the first division in the Church that continues today. Samuel's mastery of philosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, and both Syriac and 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;...
, made it possible for him to work with ancient texts and documents to carry on this Alexandrine
Alexandrine
An alexandrine is a line of poetic meter comprising 12 syllables. Alexandrines are common in the German literature of the Baroque period and in French poetry of the early modern and modern periods. Drama in English often used alexandrines before Marlowe and Shakespeare, by whom it was supplanted...
-Antiochene Christologies very effectively.
In choosing this area, Samuel's purpose was ecumenism. The fifth century division in the Church has been interpreted by Church traditions, each in its own way to make out that its acceptance or rejection of the councils in question was the result of a concern to conserve the Christian truth exclusively and the others were really at fault. Samuel's sense of objectivity and impartiality led him to feel that this reading must be as much one-sided as it was superficial, and that he should himself study the issues involved in the controversy. Thus his purpose was, in the first place, to find out him why the division arose, insofar as that was possible. Secondly, perhaps more importantly, to clarify all concerned why the Churches exist in a divide state. In other words, his work was intended to be of service to the Churches and the cause of Christian unity. From this point of view, Samuel had a special concern for the Churches of the East, particularly those of the Oriental Orthodox family, which have continued in the history without formally acknowledging the Council of Chalcedon
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
on 451 A.D. These Church traditions have been referred to as "monophysite
Monophysitism
Monophysitism , or Monophysiticism, is the Christological position that Jesus Christ has only one nature, his humanity being absorbed by his Deity...
" heretical
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
community by the Byzantine or the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and the major Protestant Churches. In the face of this label of "heresy", Samuel felt interested in bringing out the real point of the division following the Council of 451 and the teaching of the fathers who opposed it. Samuel attempted to rescue Oriental Orthodoxy from centuries of intellectual oblivion. The doctoral thesis, "The Council of Chalcedon Re-examined: A Historical and Theological Survey" were published worldwide along with several papers. This stand represented the Oriental Orthodox perspective.
Post-doctoral research scholar
Samuel was a pioneer in these studies. He promoted the concept that the Church in India should be Indian. Out of this concern, he had deep interest in comparing at the roots of the historic faith with the religious heritage of HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
. Secondly, he realized that the claim of Apostolic origin and the identity as Syrian Christians
Saint Thomas Christians
The Saint Thomas Christians are an ancient body of Christians from Kerala, India, who trace their origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. They are also known as "Nasranis" because they are followers of "Jesus of Nazareth". The term "Nasrani" is still used by St...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, does not tally with its present standing either as part of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
or that of Antiochene Syrian Church. However, from the point of view both these sections of the Indian Christianity could envisualize a common future. Over the years, he promoted the history of the Indian Church and its foreign connections. He took the opportunity to compare them with other ancient Churches, particularly those of the East.
Samuel's concentration on the nuances of the classical doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ during his postgraduate studies did not leave him free to continue his studies in Hinduism. However, on completing his doctorate at Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
, an opportunity developed. Dr. P.D. Devanandan was establishing the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. Feeling that an association with the institute might enable him to combine the two plans, he joined it in 1957 under an appointment for the post-doctoral research programme sponsored by the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He was awarded the Rockefeller Fellowship for a period of three years. This included research for two years in India and one year in Chicago. Besides Indian Philosophy, Sankaracharya's Advaita, Ramanujacharya's Visishtadvaita and Madvacharya's Davita
DaVita
DaVita, Inc. is one of the largest kidney care companies in the United States, with corporate headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Their offerings include in-center hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, home hemodialysis, vascular access management, chronic kidney disease education, and renal diet...
, that opportunity helped him to acquire first-hand knowledge of the Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and working of the Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement. The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on...
as well as of several others in contemporary Indian movements like Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
's gramaswaraj and Vinoba Bhave
Vinoba Bhave
Vinoba Bhave , born Vinayak Narahari Bhave often called Acharya , was an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights. He is best known for the Bhoodan Andolan...
's Bhoodan movement.
Polyglot
Samuel was familiar with fifteen languages and a scholar in six: Malayalam, EnglishEnglish 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...
, Syriac, 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;...
, Hebrew and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
.
Teaching
- 1933–1944 Manjanikkara DayaraManjanikkara DayaraManjanikkara Dayara is a monastery of the Syrian Orthodox Church. It is situated at the top of the hillock in Manjanikkara, near Omallur, Pathanamthitta District, in South Kerala, India. The monastery was established by Mor Yulius Elias Qoro, Patriarchal delegate to the Malankara Church...
- Seminary (Malphano), PathanamthittaPathanamthittaPathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...
, KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. - 1960 - 1963 Serampore College (University), SeramporeSeramporeSerampore is a city and a municipality in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. It is a pre-colonial town on the right bank of the Hoogli River...
, West BengalWest BengalWest Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. - 1963–1966 Theological College of the Holy TrinityTheological College of the Holy TrinityTheological College of the Holy Trinity is a theological school of higher education located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It provides religious and secular education to both clergy and lay members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as well seeking to be a center of theological and ecclesiastical study...
, Haile Selassie I University (Addis Ababa UniversityAddis Ababa UniversityAddis Ababa University is a university in Ethiopia. It was originally named "University College of Addis Ababa" at its founding, then renamed for the former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I in 1962, receiving its current name in 1975.Although the university has six of its seven campuses within...
), Addis AbabaAddis AbabaAddis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. - 1966–1968 United Theological College, BangaloreBangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. - 1968–1976 Theological College of the Holy Trinity, Haile Selassie I University, Addis Ababa
- 1977–1978 Ecumenical Christian CentreEcumenical Christian CentreEcumenical Christian Centre was founded in the year 1963 by a visionary by name M. A. Thomas. ECC is located in Whitefield in Bengaluru on a campus.-Background:...
, Whitefield, Bangalore. - 1978–1980 United Theological College, Bangalore.
- 1981–1991 Orthodox Theological Seminary (Orthodox Pazhaya SeminaryOrthodox Pazhaya SeminaryThe Orthodox Pazhaya Seminary is a seminary of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. It was founded in 1815 by the priest-monk Ittoop Ramban to serve the then-unified Malankara Syrian Church. It was the first Syriac Orthodox school of theology in Asia....
), KottayamKottayamKottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
, Kerala. - 1982 - 1991 Federated Faculty for Research in Religion and Culture, Kerala.
In addition to the above, Samuel served as a Professor, guide and examiner in almost all the Seminaries and Theological Colleges in India, and many abroad.
Ecumenical movement
Samuel's presence and contribution in the ecumenical movement in the international arena for three decades. He was an accredited delegate of the Indian Orthodox Church at four of the General Assemblies of the World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
:
- 1954 - EvanstonEvanston, IllinoisEvanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, U.S.A. - 1961 - New DelhiNew DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... - 1968 - UppsalaUppsala- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and - 1976 – NairobiNairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
Faith and Order Commission
The New Delhi World Assembly of World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
. 1961 voted him as a member of the Council's Faith and Order Commission
Faith and Order Commission
The Faith and Order Commission is an important assembly group within the World Council of Churches which has made numerous and significant contributions to the ecumenical movement....
. He held that position until 1984. The fourth general assembly of the WCC
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
at Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
in 1968, elected him as a member of the Commission's Working Committee and later in its Steering Committee. His active participation in the meetings of Faith and Order Commission
Faith and Order Commission
The Faith and Order Commission is an important assembly group within the World Council of Churches which has made numerous and significant contributions to the ecumenical movement....
was very significant and giving expressions for the important of Church unity. His paper in the Faith and Order meeting at Accra 1974 on the subject "How can the Unity of the Church be Achieved" he points to the influence of "different intellectual and cultural backgrounds" in the evolution the different church traditions, awareness of which should help relativise these traditions. He was a participant of seven meetings of the Commission.
- 1963 – MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... - 1964 – Arhus, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
- 1967 – BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, UK - 1971 – LouvainLeuvenLeuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... - 1974 - AccraAccraAccra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south... - 1978 – BangaloreBangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and - 1982 – LimaLimaLima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
Joint commissions
Samuel took an part in a number of study projects and joint commissions of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Protestant Churches. The papers presented took an interest in discussing the issues from an Oriental Orthodox perspective. The papers were published under the auspices of the World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
:
- Apostolicity and Catholicity
- The Early Councils
- The Council of ChalcedonCouncil of ChalcedonThe Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
- Authority of the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
- Uniatism and its Problem
- Baptism, Eucharist and MinistryBaptism, Eucharist and MinistryBaptism, Eucharist and Ministry, also known as the Lima Document, is an important Christian ecumenical document published by members of the World Council of Churches in Lima in 1982. -Ecclesiology of communion:...
Text; or Lima Document
Dialogue between Eastern and Oriental Orthodox theologians
The period of Samuel's association with the Faith and Order CommissionFaith and Order Commission
The Faith and Order Commission is an important assembly group within the World Council of Churches which has made numerous and significant contributions to the ecumenical movement....
of World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
coincided with two progresses where he made a valuable and lasting contribution. Those were "Unofficial Consultation of Theologians of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches" held in Arhus-1964, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
-1967, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
-1970 and Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
-1971. Samuel presented papers at all of them and helped the participants in arriving at the conclusion that the difference in Christological Doctrine between the two families of Churches was only verbal and not substantial. These papers and joint agreed statements have been published in different journals.
Dialogue between Roman Catholic and Oriental Orthodox theologians
The second was a series of four consultations organized by the Pro Oriente Foundation of Vienna, Austria in 1972. These were called "Unofficial Consultations of Theologians of the Roman Catholic and Oriental Orthodox Churches". Samuel participated in them as an Orthodox theologian, presenting papers that were published under the auspices of the Pro Oriente Foundation. The first three of the consultations discussed the doctrine of the Person of Jesus Christ, on which there was agreement among participants that the difference between two Church traditions was not substantial.Starting in 1964, Samuel took part in almost all the various meetings of the Unofficial Consultation of Theologians of Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches presenting papers, participated in the discussions, and drafting out for the agreed statements. He has served as a member of a group called together by the Faith and Order Commission
Faith and Order Commission
The Faith and Order Commission is an important assembly group within the World Council of Churches which has made numerous and significant contributions to the ecumenical movement....
of the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
for a study, first of the Councils of early Church, and later of the Council of Chalcedon. The papers presented were published in the Greek Orthodox Theological Review, Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Wort und Worhiet, Pro Oriente
Pro Oriente
The foundation Pro Oriente was founded in 1964 by the Viennese cardinal Franz König to improve relationships between the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. The foundation was established during Second Vatican Council which opened the Catholic Church's doors to...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Ecumenical Review, World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and Abba Salama, Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
. Thus, Samuel's lifelong search for truth and the meticulous outcome helped to pave the way for a closer understanding, better relationship between the Chalcedonian and Non Chalcedonian Christendom, after a period of fifteen centuries of split and schism.
Ethiopian life
The Church of EthiopiaEthiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is the predominant Oriental Orthodox Christian church in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Church was administratively part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All...
and Haile Selassie I University (since renamed Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa University is a university in Ethiopia. It was originally named "University College of Addis Ababa" at its founding, then renamed for the former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I in 1962, receiving its current name in 1975.Although the university has six of its seven campuses within...
) persuaded him to return to Ethiopia. The college appointed him Dean of the Theological College of the Holy Trinity in 1969, a position that he held until he left Ethiopia in July 1976. He also served as the Secretary of the Faculty Council of the University.
The Great Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches
Samuel helped organize the Conference of the Oriental Orthodox Churches with the initiative of both the Emperor Haile Selassie IHaile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
and the acting Patriarch of Ethiopia, Abune Theophilus (later Patriarch). The conference brought together the five Oriental Orthodox Churches, Coptic, Syriac, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n, Ethiopian
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n, which were isolated after the fifth century.
He was a member of the local committee and General Coordinator, responsible for the preparatory work of the Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
Conference of the Heads of Oriental Orthodox Churches, which held in January 1965. He was also one of the delegates in the Conference along with the Catholicos Baselios Augen I
Catholicos Baselios Augen I
Catholicos Baselios Augen I is the fourth Catholicose of the East of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.-Early days:...
and others representing Indian Orthodox Church
Indian Orthodox Church
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church centred in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the churches of India's Saint Thomas Christian community, which traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas...
. He edited the report of the Conference and published it by the interim committee.
Association of Ethio-Hellenic Studies
Samuel entered in to a programme initiated by Methodios Fouyas, the Metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox ChurchGreek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
of Aksum, founding the Association of Ethio-Hellenic Studies. Samuel was the Vice President of it, and Editorial Board of the publications 'Abba Salama' and the 'Ecliastca Fharan', in 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...
, 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;...
, Amharic and Ge'es languages.
Ecumenism in the Indian context
Samuel played a major role in persuading the Indian Orthodox ChurchIndian Orthodox Church
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church centred in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the churches of India's Saint Thomas Christian community, which traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas...
to abandon its old policy of isolation from other church traditions in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and to join the Kerala Christian Council, the National Council of Churches, and the joint commission of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and Orthodox Churches.
Ministry in the Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church
Ordained at the age of twenty-five Samuel continued his ministry in the Indian Orthodox Church for a period of six decades:- 1931–1932 Inspector, Sunday School.
- 1932–1940 Secretary and Translator of Elias Mar Julius, Delegate Bishop of the Patriarch
- 1935 Ordained as a Deacon.
- 1935 Ordained as a Priest
- 1935 - 1940 Priest and Malpan, Manjanikkara Dayara
- 1940–1944 Vicar and Malpan, St.Thomas Syrian Orthodox Church Chengalam, Kottayam, Kerala
- 1944–1948 Alwaye, Kerala, India
- 1944–1998 Member, Governing Board of the Christu Shishya Ashram, Thadakom, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
- 1948–1950 Service in Thambaram and Madras City
- 1950–1953 First full time Vicar, Holy Trinity Church, BangaloreHoly Trinity Church, BangaloreHoly Trinity Church, located at Trinity circle at the east end of the MG Road, is a major landmark in Bangalore. It was built in 1851, for the British Regiment stationed in Bangalore. Built in the English Renaissance style, the church can accommodate 700 people and is regarded as the largest...
. Started a new congregation in Jalahally - 1957–1959 Spiritual service in Bangalore and Jalahally (Founding father).
- 1960–1963 Barakpore, across the River Hoogly, Calcutta.
- 1963–1966 Indian Orthodox Congregations, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- 1966–1968 Intermittent Service in Holy Trinity, Bangalore and St. Mary's Jalahally.President, St.Greegorios Cathedral Building Committee.
- 1968 Ambassador of the Indian Orthodox Church to Ethiopia.
- 1968–1976 Vicar, Addis Ababa.
- 1970 Inauguration of the Parsonage of the St.Greegorios Cathedral in Bangalore
- 1972 Consecration of the St.Greegorios Cathedral, Bangalore.Conducted the first Sunday Holy Qurbana in the Cathedral.
- 1976–1982 Formation of the St.Thomas Orthodox Church, Bangalore East. (Founding father)
- 1980–1998 Formation of St.Stephens Orthodox Church, Vijayanagar, Bangalore. (Founding father)
Association
- Founder Chief Advisor, Church Weekly, Alwaye, India
- Chief Advisor and Life long Governing Board member; Christu Sishya Ashram, Tadagom,Coimbatore, India
- Hindu Christian Dialogue, CISRS, Bangalore.
- Editor, Indian Journal of Theology, Calcutta.
- Secretary and Editor, Theological Forum, Bangalore.
- Founder Vice-President and Editor, Ethio Hellenic Association, Addis Ababa.
- Editor Abba Salama.
- Editor Ecclisiastica Faran.
- Patron, Indian Community School, Addis Ababa.
- President, St.Gregorios Cathedral Building Committee, Bangalore.
- WCC Delegate, Christian Muslim Dialogue.
- Advisor, All Africa Christian Conference.
- Member and Chief Advisor, Church History Association of India, Bangalore.
- Editorial Board Member, History of Christianity in India, Bangalore.
- Editorial Executive Member, Bible Commentary, CSS, Thiruvalla.
- Editorial Executive Encyclopedia of Indian Orthodox Church.
- Editorial Board Ethiopian Orthodox Church Publications .
- Governing Board Member, Orthodox Theological College, Kottayam.
- Resource Person, Thiruvachanabhashyam, Kottayam.
- Resource Person Divyabodhanam, Kottayam.
- Editorial Board Member, Malankara Sabha, Kottayam.
- Editorial Board Member, Purohithan.
- Editorial Board Member, Malankara Sabha.
- Member Joint International Commission: Catholic Church and Malankara Orthodox Church.
- Chief Editor, Harp, Kottayam.
- Chief Advisor, St. Ephraim Ecumenical Research Institute, KottayamKottayamKottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
. - President, Fifty Golden Years Celebrations Committee, Bangalore.
Ambassador of the Indian Church
The Church planned to consecrate him as a Bishop of the Church in the early 1950s. He declined this honor in favor of pursuing ecumenism through academia.In 1968, the Catholicose Baselius Ougen I, the Head of the Malankara Orthodox Church appointed him as the Ambassador to Ethiopia and other African Countries.
Doctor of the Church
In 1991, Professor Samuel Chnadanappally published "Malankara Sabha Pithakkanmar" (Fathers of the Malankara Church). The book listed Samuel as the greatest Doctor of the Indian Church.Death
He died in the early morning of Wednesday 18, November 1998 at his residence in Bangalore. Funeral service was conducted on 20th Friday at St.Greegorios Cathedral where he had served. Bishops Philipose Mar Eusebius and Mathews Mar Severus, his former students, led the service assisted by hundreds of Priests. Basileus Marthomma Mathews II, who was unable to attend due to hospitalization, flew directly to Bangalore after his discharge from the hospital on 22nd morning and conducted Thanksgiving Holy Qurbana at the Cathedral, and delivered a memorial.Books in English
- Marriage and Celibacy; Addis Ababa, 1972
- Ramakrishna Movement: The World Mission of Hinduism; Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS), Bangalore, India, 1959
- The Oriental Orthodox Churches Addis Ababa Conference January, 1965; Ed. For the Interim Committee,m Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1965.
- Christianity and Indigenization; Addis Ababa, 1976
- The Council of Chalcedon Re-Examined: A Historical Theological Survey; Indian Theological library, No.8, Christian Literature Society (C.L.S), Madras, India, 1977.British Orthodox Press, London, UK, 2003.
- An Orthodox Catechism on The Faith and Life of the Church; Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Student
- Movement (MGOCSM), Kottayam, India, 1983.
- Truth Triumphs: Life and Achievements of Metropolitan Mar Dionysius VI; Malanakara Orthodox Church (M.O.C), Kottayam, India, 1986
- The Growing Church: An Introduction to Indian Church History; Divya Bodhanam Publication, Orthodox Theological Seminary (O.T.S), Kottayam, India, 1992.
- Fifty Golden Years; Orthodox Congregations, Bangalore, India, 1994.
- Orthodox Catechism: Text Book – Class VIII, Oriental Orthodox Churches.
- Orthodox Catechism: Text Book – Class IX, Oriental Orthodox Churches.
- Orthodox Catechism: Text Book – Class X, Oriental Orthodox Churches.
- Orthodox Catechism: Text Book – Class XI, Oriental Orthodox Churches.
- Orthodox Catechism: Text Book – Class XII, Oriental Orthodox Churches.
- An Introduction to Christian Theology
Co-author
- Syrian Orthodox Eucharistic Worship: Ways and Worship; Ed.H.R.Machphail, Madras, 1950.
- An Ancient Church: A Glance into the Past and Peep into the Future; New Life in an Old Church, Ed. M.V.George, Calcutta, 1963.
- Faith of Christianity; Christianity, published by Punjab University, 1969.
- The Faith of the Church; The Church of Ethiopia:A Panorama of History and Spiritual Life, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1972
- God Whom We Worship: The Teachings of Gregory Nazianzen; Prayer and Contemplation, Asirvanam Benedictine Monastery, Bangalore, 1980
- Grace in the Cappadocian Fathers; Divine Grace and Human Response, Asirvanam Monastery, 1981.
- The Indian Church and Autonomy; Orthodox Identity in India, Ed, M.K.Kuriakose, Fr.V.C. Samuel 75th Birth Day Celebration Committee, Bangalore -1988
- Christological Controversy; Orthodox Identity in India
- History of the Malanakara Orthodox Christians, 18th Century; Indian Church History, Vol.
Books in Malayalam
- Yesu Christu Aaru (Who Jesus Christ Is?); Christian Literature Society (CLS), Thiruvalla, India. 1967.
- Ithe Oru Indian Sabhayo? Is this an Indian Church?; Distribution, C.L.S, Thiruvalla, India, 1974.
- Sabha Valarunnu, (The Growing Church);: Indian Church History, Vol. I, Divyabodahan Series, O.T.S, Kottayam, India, 1984.
- Adhunika Bharatha Sabha (Modern Indian Church): Indian Church History, Vol.II; Divyabodahanam Series,
- O.T.S, Kottayam, India, 1984.
- Apposthala Pravarthikal Oru Vyakayanam, (Acts Of Apostles and Commentary); Translation from Greek and
- The Commentary; Thiruvachanabhashyam, O.T. S, Kottayam, India.
- Mar Divannasios Nalaman, Cheppad Mar Divannasios: Mar Dionysius Charitable Trust, Kerala, India.
- Swanubhavavediyil: Malayalam, Autobiography, MGOCSM, Kottayam, India.
- Malankara Anthiokian Bandhathile Chila Charitra Satyangal (Certain Truth about the Connection between
- The Churches of Malanaka and Antioch): Malankarasabhadeepam, Kottayam, India.
- Kristhuvijnaniyam; (A series of articles designed for publication as a book), Purohithan, Kottayam
Co-author
- Sabhayude Adisthana Viswasangal (Basic Faith of the Church); Irupatam Nuttandile Malankara Sabha (The Church of Malabar in the Twentieth Century) Ed. T.G.Zacharia and K.V.Mammen, Kottayam, 1977.
- Malankara Sabhayude Antiokian Bandham (The Connection of Church of Malabar with Antioch); Irupatham Nuttandile Malankara Sabha, Ed.T.G.Zacharia and K.V.Mammen, Kottayam, 1977. It published in Malankara Sabha, Kottayam.
- Yesu Christu – Aposttolica Prakyapanam (Jesus Christ -Apostolic Proclamation: Vedaputhakabhashyam (One Volume Commentary) Theological Literature Society, Thiruvalla, India, 1979.
- Daivasastra Darsanam (The Theological Vision of M.M.Thomas); Viswasavum
- Prathyayasasthrvum (Faith and Ideology), Ed. Varghese George, CLS Thiruvalla.
Translation
- Pentakosthi Muthal Janana Perunalvare - Aradhana Getangal Malayalam, Translation from Syriac
- Visudha Qurbana Thaksa; Malayalam, Translation from Syriac Text
- Holy Qurbana; English, Translation from Syriac Text
- Peedanubhava Aazhchayile prarthanakal, (Worship of Holy Week): Malayalam, from Syriac, Addis Ababa.
- Wedding Ceremony: According to the Order of Malankara Orthodox Church
- Baptism Ceremony: According to the Order of Malankara Orthodox Church
- Apposthala Pravarthikal (Acts Of Apostles) Translation from Greek Text
Papers in English
- Towards a Doctrine of the Church; Church Weekly, Alwaye, India, 1955
- Cosmos on the Church of Malabar; Church Weekly, 1955
- Christ and Creation: Religion and Society, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS) Bangalore, India, 1957.
- Religious Affirmation of Ramakrishna Movement: Religion and Society, CISRS, Bangalore, 1959.
- Vivekananda's Appraisal of Person of Jesus Christ; Chicago University, 1959
- Ramakrishna Mission and its Work; Chicago, 1960.
- A Brief Historical Survey of the Council of Chalcedon, Indian Journal of Theology (I.J.T), Calcutta, 1962
- And Church Weekly (C.W), Kottayam, India..
- Where they Monophysites?; I.J.T, Calcutta and Church Weekly Kottayam, 1962
- Doctrine of Creation; Religion and Society, CISRS, Bangalore 1962.
- One Incarnate Nature of God the Word: Greek Orthodox Theological Review, winter, 164-165, Athens, 1964
- And Does Chalcedon Divide or Unite?; Ed. Paulos Mar Gregorios, William Lazareth and Nikos A Nissiotis, World Council of Churches (WCC), 1981.
- Humanity of Christ in Christian Tradition, Orthodox Theological Review, Athens, 1967
- Euteyches and His Condemnation, Bangalore Theological Forum, United Theological College, Bangalore 1967
- Proceedings of the Council of Chalcedon, The Ecumenical Review, October, 1970, Geneva and Abba Salama, 1970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- A Brief History of Efforts to Reunite the Chalcedonian and Non-Chalcedonian Sides, Greek Orthodox Theological Review, 1971
- Witness of Orthodoxy; St.Thomas 19th Centenary Souvenir, Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam, 1972.(What is Orthodoxy)
- Marriage and Celibacy; Abba Salama, Addis Ababa, 1972, and Church Weekly, 28 April 1974 to 23 June 1974
- The Christology of Severus of Antioch: Abba Salama, Addis Ababa, 1973.
- The Understanding of the Christological Definition of both the Oriental Orthodox and Roman Catholic Traditions in the Light of the Post-Chalcedonian Theology: An Analysis of Terminologies in a Conceptual Framework, Wort und Wahrheit, Pro Oriente Vienna, 1973
- How can the Unity of Church be Achieved?; Uniting in Hope, Commission of Faith and Order, World Council of Churches (W.C.C), Geneva, 1976
- Christianity and Indigenization; Abba Salama, 1976 Addis Ababa
- Further Studies in the Christology of Severus of Antioch; Papers referring to the Theological Dialogue between Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, Ed. Archbishop Methodios of Aksum, Athens, 1976
- An Oriental Orthodox Assessment of the First Vatican Council's Infallibility Doctrine: Wort und Wahrheit,Theological Dialogue between Roman Catholic and Oriental Orthodox Churches, Pro-Oriente, Vienna, 1978.
- Vienna consultations, Star of the East, July 1979, Kottayam, India
- The Christological basis of some Syrian Orthodox Traditions, Star of the East, July 1980.
- The Nicene Creed, its Authorship and the Faith it Conserves: Star of the East, Oct-Dec., 1981, Kottayam.
- The Trinitarian Understanding of the Christian God in Relation to Monotheism and Polytheism; WCC, Lima, 1982.
- Tradition Community and Hermeneutics; Indian Journal of Theology, Calcutta, July – December 1982.
- Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches: A Movement towards Church Unity; Star of the East, Kottayam, July – Sept. 1982.
- The Nicene Creed: Compared to the Apostles' Creed, the Quincunque Vult and the New Testament: The Roots of Our Faith, Ed. Hans-Georg Links, WCC Geneva, 1983.
- Our Church in History; Star of the East, Dec. 1983.
- The Mission Implications of Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry; International Review of Mission, Geneva, 1983.
- Mission in the Context of Religious Heritage: Councilor Unity, Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore.
- Christian Missiological Challenges in a Society of other Religions: International Consultation of Theological Education, Gurukul, Madras.
- The International Syriac Conference, Mar Aprem and V.C.Samuel; Harp Vol.I, No1, St.Ephrem Ecumenical Research institute(SEERI), Kottayam, India.1987, http://www.seeri.org/harp
- Christology and Terminology, Harp Vol.I, No. 2&3, St.Ephrem Ecumenical Research institute(SEERI), Kottayam, India. http://www.seeri.org/harp
- A Way of Christian Unity, Harp Vol.I, No.1, SEERI, Kottayam, India http://www.seeri.org/harp
- Christology; Joint International Commission for Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Malankara
- Orthodox Syrian Church: Papers and Joint Statements 1989-2000. Kottayam, 2001.
Source
- The Council of Chalcedon Re-Examined: Father V.C.Samuel; For the Senate of Serampore College;
Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1977; British Orthodox Press, ISBN 1-4010-1644-8, 2001
- A Brief Life History of Father V.C.Samuel: Sunny Kulathakka; Ed. Kuriakose, M.K; Orthodox Identity in India: Essays in Honour of V.C. Samuel; Rev. Dr. V.C. Samuel 75th Birth Day Celebration Committee, Bangalore – 1988
- Ente Chintha Vikasanam (Evolution of My Thinking); Autobiographical piece, Church Weekly, Alwaye, India. 1954.
- Malayala Manorama Daily; Nov.19, 1998.
- Ecumenical Contribution of V.C.Samuel; Sebastian, J. Jayakiran; Thomas, T.K; Ecumenical Review, January 1, 1999, WCC, Geneva.
- The Oriental Orthodox Churches Addis Ababa Conference January 1965: Samuel, V.C: Ed, Addis Ababa, August, 1965.
- Fifty Golden Years: Samuel, V.C: Bangalore, 1994.
- Vaidikarude Vaidikan: Mathew Vaidyan, K.L, Fr.Dr.: Chief Editor, Rev.Dr.V.C.Samuel
Commemorative Volume, Ecumenical Forum, Konni, Kerala, India.