Gnana Robinson

Infobox clergy
name = Gnana Robinson


image_size =
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birth_date = birth date|1935|03|17
birth_place = Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu
death_date =
death_place =
church = Church of South India
other_names = Gnana
education = United Theological College, Bengaluru, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York & University of Hamburg, Hamburg
ordained =1960
writings = The Origin and Development of the Old Testament Sabbath: A comprehensive exegetical approach, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 1988, ISBN:3820413731

Influences of Hinduism on Christianity, TTS, Madurai, 1980

Let us be like the Nations: A Commentary on the Books of I & II Samuel, Handsel Press, 1993, ISBN:0802806082

Is 2 Kings XI 6 a Gloss?, Vetus Testamentum, Volume 27, January 1977, pp. 56-61
congregations =Diocese of Kanyakumari
offices_held =Presbyter-in-charge, Professor of Old Testament.
* Principal of
** Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, Madurai
** United Theological College, Bengaluru
title = Reverend Doctor
spouse =
children =
parents =
footnotes =

Gnana Robinson is an Old Testament Bible scholar and member of the Society for Biblical Studies in India ["Cf." Wikipedia article Society for Biblical Studies in India. Gnana Robinson was also elected as an office bearer of the SBSI in the years 1964 & 1968 during the Presidentships of Rev. M. P. John and Rev. Fr. R. Van de Walle] and the International Association for Mission Studies in The Netherlands [Member Directory, International Association for Mission Studies. [http://www.missionstudies.org/2member/Membership%20Directory%20March%202004.pdf] ] Dr. Gnana has studied the ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Syriac, and Ugaritic languages, and also speaks Tamil and English.

History

Robinson was born into a Christian family who were communicant members of what was then the South India United Church [Peace Trust, Kanyakumari, Founder's Profile, Internet, accessed 30 July 2008.] . He was educated in Eraniel in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India ["Ibid."] . Robinson later studied at Scott Christian College and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics ["Ibid."] .

Robinson decided to pursue the priesthood, and his Church readily sponsored his theological studies. In 1957, Robinson joined the United Theological College ["Ibid."] and enrolled himself for a Bachelor of Divinity degree.

Later, his Church assigned him a pastoral role, and Robinson served as Presbyter-in-Charge of the Kanyakumari District ["Ibid."] .

Robinson was zealous for his studies and obtained permission from his diocese to pursue a Master of Theology degree in Bengaluru. Robinson chose to specialize in Old Testament studies.

Robinson left India to continue his studies in North America and joined the Union Theological Seminary of New York City and obtained a Master of Sacred Theology degree ["Ibid."] . Gnana also did a course in the Tantur Institute for Ecumenical Studies, Israel ["Ibid."] .

Robinson went on to pursue doctoral studies in the University of Hamburg in Germany. He registered himself at the School of Evangelical Theology and obtained a Doctor of Theology degree 1975 ["Ibid."] . Robinson considered Dr. Klaus Koch, a professor at the university and a notable Old Testament scholar, to be his

Professorship

Robinson began his teaching career at what was then the Tamil Nadu Theological College (now the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary) in 1963. [Peace Trust, "op. cit."] . In 1987, Robinson accepted an invitation from the Predigerseminar at Soest, Germany to teach there. ["Ibid."] . Later that year, however, the Principal of the United Theological College in Bengaluru, India, Rev. Dr. E. C. John, retired, and the school formed a committee to find a replacement. Robinson accepted their invitation to return to India and become Principal there ["Ibid."] , and also headed their Department of Old Testament studies.

Professor Gnana has been invited to other institutions as well, where he taught for shorter periods of time. He was Visiting Professor at the University of Hamburg in 1982 ["Ibid."] , and also taught at the St. Andrew’s Theological College in the West Indies that same year. He taught at the Andover Newton Theological School in Massachusetts in 1983 as well as at the Lincoln Theological College in the United Kingdom.

Honours

In the year … while serving as the Principal of UTC, Bengaluru, friends of the Professor brought out a 377-page ‘’fetschrift’’ in his honour edited by his junior colleague Rev. Dr. D. Jones Muthunayagam entitled “Bible Speaks Today: Essays in honour of Gnana Robinson”, ISPCK, 2000, ISBN 8172145454

Senate of Serampore College (University)

The Senate of Serampore College (University), West Bengal, the first University in India with degree-granting authority elected Gnana Robinson as its President in 1986 [Senate of Serampore College (University), Senate Hall of Fame, Presidents and Convenors of the Senate, Internet, accessed 31 July 2008. [http://www.senateofseramporecollege.org/fame/senate.htm] ] . He was preceded by Rev. Dr. C. D. Jathanna. Rev. Gnana continued as its President till 1988 and was succeeded by Dr. Jacob Verghis.

Again in the year 1997, Rev. Gnana was elected as the President and was later succeeded by Rev. Dr. J. W. Gladstone in the year 2000.

Dr. Robinson has been acknowledged to have provided leadership to the Senate which has over fifty theological colleges from South Asia affiliated to it.

Retirement

After retiring as the Principal of the UTC, Bengaluru, Prof. Gnana was invited by the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia where he was Visiting Professor until 2001 ["Cf." Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia news article cited elsewhere.] . He later returned to India and lives in Tamil Nadu and is extensively involved in developmental activities.

Development initiatives

For Rev. Robinson, theology did not mean existence within the seminary walls. He founded many development initiatives in Tamil Nadu. Prof. Gnana, as Principal of UTC, Bengaluru commissioned a team of volunteers along with the Ramakrishna Mission, Bengaluru to provide relief to the Earthquake-affected people in Latur, Maharashtra.

Rev. Gnana founded the Peace Trust, Kanyakumari. He also is a member on the following societies:

* Bullock cart Workers' Development Association,
* Peoples Association for Social Action,
* Center for Rural Education and Employment for Development.

ee also

* Victor Premasagar
* Klaus Koch
* Gerhard von Rad
* Senate of Serampore College (University)
* University of Hamburg
* Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary

References

;Notes;Further reading
* cite journal
author=Gnana Robinson
title=The Prohibition of Strange Fire in Ancient Israel, "A new look at the case of gathering wood and kindling fire on the Sabbath" in the Vetus Testamentum.
year=July 1978
volume=XXVIII, "Fasc. 3"
issue=
url =http://www.jstor.org/pss/1517038