{{Short description|Indian Christian theologian}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox clergy | name = Joshua Chandran | image = | image_size = 125px | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1918|05|06}} | birth_place = Kadamangudi<ref>Chronicle-Express, 22 August 1963.</ref>,<br/>Thanjavur district,<br/>British India<br/>(now in Tamil Nadu, India | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2000|09|27|1918|5|6}} | death_place = Bangalore (now Bengaluru), Karnataka, India | church = Church of South India, Diocese of Kanyakumari | other_names =Chandran | education = <br> * University of Madras, Chennai (BA & MA) * United Theological College, Bengaluru (BD ''Honours'') * Mansfield College, Oxford (B.Litt.) * Union Theological Seminary in the city of New York (S.T.M.) | ordained =20 October 1946 | writings = ''See separate section'' | congregations = | offices_held =<br> * Principal, United Theological College, Bengaluru | title = Reverend Doctor | spouse = | children = | parents = | footnotes = }} '''Joshua Russell Chandran''' (6 May 1918 – 27 September 2000) was an Indian Christian theologian, who served as President of Senate of Serampore College, Bengal (1970–1), and as President of the United Theological College, Bangalore (1954–83), and was for some years a vice-chairman of the World Council of Churches (1966–68).
==Early life and education== Joshua Russell Chandran was born in Nagercoil, South India, on 6 May 1918<ref name="Union">{{cite book |title=Alumni Directory 1836-1970 |publisher=The Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, New York Alumni Office |year=1970 |page=315 |url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6122000_000/pages/ldpd_6122000_000_00000363.html}}</ref> into a family who were communicant members of the South India United Church.<ref name="Union"/> After schooling and collegiate education, he took his BA and MA<ref name="Union"/> in Mathematics<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=/2000/10/06/churches-mourn-death-of-third-world-ecumenical-theologian&post_id=16952 | work=UCA News | title=Churches mourn death of third world ecumenical Theologian | location=Hong Kong | date=6 October 2000 | accessdate=1 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=D. William Jesudoss |title=What is Man?: Theological Attempts and Directions Towards the Formation of an Indian Christian Anthropology for Today |publisher=Gurukul |location=Chennai |year=1986 |page=79 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ByAt6O_9t0EC&q=mathematics}}</ref> at the University of Madras, Chennai (1933–1938).<ref name="Union"/>
In 1941 he enrolled at the United Theological College, Bengaluru in 1941,<ref name="Union"/> where he took his B.D. in 1945.<ref name="Union"/>
===Pastorate and further study=== Chandran belonged to the South India United Church; which made him a pastor of South Travancore Church Council<ref name="Union"/> in 1945. He was ordained on 20 October 1946,<ref name="Union"/> and he continued serving as pastor until 1947.
in 1947 he left India<ref name="Samartha">{{cite encyclopedia |author=S. J. Samartha |title=Joshua Russel Chandran |editor=Gerald H. Anderson |encyclopedia=Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions |publisher=William B. Eerdmans Publishing |year=1999 |page=125 |isbn=9780802846808 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oQ8BFk9K0ToC&dq=mansfield+college+oxford+chandran&pg=PA125}}</ref> for Britain, to study at the University of Oxford, Mansfield College,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mansfield.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/Documents/pdf/Winter%202005.pdf |title=Lothar Schreiner, ''Mansfield Alumni News'', Autumn/Winter 2005. p. 18 |access-date=27 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609094648/http://www.mansfield.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/Documents/pdf/Winter%202005.pdf |archive-date=9 June 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Oxford<ref>{{cite book |title=The Oxford University Calendar, 1819 |publisher=University of Oxford |location=Oxford, UK |year=1948 |pages=764, 861 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ulU4AAAAMAAJ&q=chandran}}</ref> for pursuing a B.Litt.<ref>{{cite book |author=Mar Aprem |title=Indian Christian who is who |publisher=Bombay Parish Church of the East |location=Bombay |year=1983 |page=107 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u2s5AAAAMAAJ&q=chandran+bangalore}}</ref> His B.Litt. thesis<ref>{{cite book |author=Israel Selvanayagam |chapter=Water of Life and Indian cups: Protestant attempts at theologizing in India |editor=Sebastian C. H. Kim |title=Christian Theology in Asia |publisher=Cambridge |year=2008 |page=56 |isbn=9781139472067 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hXh3iq94MWIC&dq=j.r.chandran&pg=PA56}}</ref> was titled<ref name="Sumithra">{{cite book |author=Sunand Sumithra |title=Christian Theology from an Indian Perspective |publisher=Theological Book Trust |location=Bengaluru |year=1995 |edition=Revised |pages=199–206 |url=http://ichenetwork.net/CTIP_9.pdf |accessdate=2009-01-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215153449/http://www.ichenetwork.net/CTIP_9.pdf |archivedate=15 February 2010}}</ref> ''A Comparison of the pagan apologetic of Celsus against Christianity as contained in Origen's Contra Celsum and the neo-Hindu attitude to Christianity as represented in the works of Vivekananda and an estimate of the value of Origen's reply for Christian apologetics with reference to neo-Hinduism''.
He then studied at Union Theological Seminary, New York, during the academic year 1949–1950 earning an S.T.M.<ref name="Union"/>
===Teacher=== On his return to India in 1950 the Church of South India asked him to teach theology and ethics at the United Theological College,<ref name="Union"/> Bengaluru, then under the Principalship of Max Hunter Harrison. In 1954 Chandran succeeded Max Hunter Harrison as Principal, and remained in post until 1983, when he was succeeded by E. C. John.
==Contribution==
===Theological education=== As the first Indian Principal of the United Theological College, Bengaluru, J. R. Chandran provided quality leadership to the College in many aspects.<ref name="Samartha"/>
In 1970 and 1971 he also served as President of the Senate of Serampore College.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Senate of Serampore College (University) |title=Presidents and Convenors of the Senate |url=http://www.senateofseramporecollege.org/fame/senate.htm}}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In the academic year 1964–65,<ref>{{cite web |title=Henry W. Luce Visiting Professors of World Christianity |publisher=Union Theological Seminary in the city of New York |url=http://www.utsnyc.edu/Page.aspx?pid%3D771%26srcid%3D759 |accessdate=2009-01-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720105808/http://www.utsnyc.edu/Page.aspx?pid=771&srcid=759 |archivedate=20 July 2011 }}</ref> Chandran was Henry Winters Luce Visiting Professor of World Christianity at the Union Theological Seminary in the city of New York.
He was the first President of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT) for the first five-year term (1975–1981).<ref>{{cite web |author=Aram Bae |date=September 2007 |title=Finding Aid for Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT) Records, 1975 – 2001 |publisher=EATWOT |via=William Adams Brown Ecumenical Library Archives, The Burke Library Archives (Columbia University Libraries), Union Theological Seminary, New York |page=5 |url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/img/assets/6400/WAB_EATWOT.pdf}}</ref>
===Church leadership=== Chandran served as Vice Moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches from 1966 to 1968.<ref name="WCC">[http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/news/press/00/28pre.html Konrad Raiser, ''Joshua Russel Chandran'', Tributes. WCC Site]</ref> His contribution to ecumenism was ''far-reaching''.<ref name="WCC"/>
==Honours== India's first University,<ref>{{cite news |author=Sankar Ray |title=The William Carey Library in Serampore |newspaper=The Hindu |date=11 April 2008 |access-date=17 October 2008 |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2008/04/11/stories/2008041150100400.htm}}</ref> the Senate of Serampore College (University) in West Bengal conferred upon Russell Chandran an honorary doctorate in 1962.<ref>{{cite web |title=List of the Recipients of the degree of doctor of divinity (honoris causa). |publisher=Senate of Serampore College (University) |url=http://www.senateofseramporecollege.org/fame/DD.htm |accessdate=2009-01-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218223554/http://www.senateofseramporecollege.org/fame/DD.htm |archivedate=18 December 2007}}</ref>
In 1978 Samuel Amirtham and others also came out with a festschrift in honour of Chandran, titled ''A Vision for Man: Essays on Faith, Theology, and Society in Honour of Joshua Russell Chandran''.
==Retirement and death== Although Russell Chandran retired in 1984, he began living in Bengaluru. He went to Suva, Fiji, to the Pacific Theological College<ref name="WCC"/> for some time before returning to Bengaluru.
On 27 September 2000,<ref name="WCC"/> Joshua Russell Chandran died in Bangalore.
{{s-start}} {{s-aca}} {{succession box | before=M. H. Harrison<br>1937–1954 | title=Principal<br> United Theological College, Bengaluru |after=E. C. John<br>1984–1993 | years=1954–1984}} {{s-end}}
==See also== * Rev. Dr. B. V. Subbamma * Rev. Yisu Das Tiwari * Bishop N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel * Rev. Fr. Dr. D. S. Amalorpavadass * Rev. Emani Sambayya * Bishop Victor Premasagar
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandran, Joshua}} Category:Indian Christian theologians Category:Christian clergy from Chennai Category:Christian clergy from Bengaluru Category:1918 births Category:2000 deaths Category:Senate of Serampore College (University) alumni Category:University of Madras alumni Category:Academic staff of the Senate of Serampore College (University) Category:Alumni of Mansfield College, Oxford