Samuel Rayan

Samuel Rayan (1920-) is an Indian Jesuit theologian . He was born on July 23, 1920 at Kumbalam in Kollam District, Kerala. Kumbalam is a beautiful place of Kollam on the banks of backwater of Asthamudi Lake. In 1939 Rayan entered Jesuit order. He was ordained priest on March 24, 1955.

Samuel Rayan is a multifaceted personality and people see him in many different ways. Kurien Kunnumpuram who knows him for more than three decades writes: For some he [Rayan] is a kind, cheerful and charming person. For others he is a lover of people. Some regard him as a creative thinker and a versatile writer. Others see him as an artist who paints with words. All the more he is an outstanding theologian who has made a significant contribution to Indian Christian theology.

Being a radical humanist, Rayan is convinced that the human person in community is the object of God's special love. Rayan speaks for care of the earth, concern for life and commitment to people. [ [http://www.sedos.org/english/Rayan.html] ] Rayan's theologizing is deeply rooted in his life, [ [http://www.sedos.org/english/Rayan.html] ] his land and his commitment to Jesus. Born in and brought up in a village in Kerala, he devoted many years to the study of Malayalam literature. He mastered Sanskrit and is well read in Indian religions and philosophy. [ [http://www.martynmission.cam.ac.uk/DRayan2.htm] ] According to Rayan theology is a reminder of the great demands of the Kingdom. For Rayan the central mission of the Christian faith is its insertion into the concrete and daily life of the people, especially of the most marginalized and oppressed members of the social body. As Rayan says, "Rice is for sharing, bread must be broken and given. Every bowl, every belly shall have its fill, to leave a single bowl unfilled is to rob history of its meaning; to grab many a bowl for myself is to empty history of God." [ [http://crc.lcmglobal.org/CRC/rayan1.html] ] Rayan's God is a God of life and hope. He draws on the richness of India's great religious traditions and finds therein a deep respect for the human person and humanity, which is the core of his theology. His humanism can thus be called an Indian humanism. This humanism has at its heart a concern for social justice and the uplift of the poor and marginalized, without which religion in India would be mere empty rhetoric.Two of his major works are:"Breath of Fire : The Holy Spirit: Heart of the Christian Gospel" (ISBN 0225662434 / 9780225662436 / 0-225-66243-4),"The Holy Spirit:Heart of the Gospel and Christian Hope", (ISBN 0883441888 / 9780883441886 / 0-88344-188-8). [ [http://www.bookfinder.com/author/samuel-rayan/] ]

Source

"Theologian finds gospel in life of the people", "National Catholic Reporter", May 12, 2000 by Janina Gomes

References