Nationality Indian Occupation Theologian | Title The Reverend Name Ravela Joseph | |
Born 1937 Ravela, Guntur Parent(s) Rev. Paul and Smt. Santoshamma Writings The American Baptist Mission among the Telugus, Andover Newton Theological School, Newton, 1973.
Bhakti Theology of Puroshottam Choudhary, CLS, Madras, 2004.
A History of the Telugu Baptist Churches (American Baptist Mission), Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad, 2003
Christian Theology (in Telugu), Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad, 2013. Offices held President, Baptist Theological Seminary, Ramayapatnam | ||
R. Joseph (Ravela Joseph) is a theologian who taught at the Andhra Christian Theological College, one of the affiliated Colleges of the nation's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956} with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal.
Contents
- Propadeutic studies
- United States Newton
- India Bangalore
- General studies
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
- Writings
- Reminisces
- References
Propadeutic studies
The American Baptist Mission/Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches was one of the Protestant missions in Andhra Pradesh. R. Joseph was sent for spiritual formation to the historical Baptist Theological Seminary, Ramayapatnam studying under the Principalship of The Rev. Maurice Blanchard and other faculty comprising The Rev. G. Solomon. The seminary was directly affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College (University) and Joseph was awarded the graduate degree of B.D. in 1967 from the Seminary President, Louis F. Knoll after which he was assigned a teaching role in that Seminary.
United States: Newton
In 1972, The Council of the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary, Ramayapatnam and the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches sent R. Joseph to the Andover Newton Theological School, Newton for postgraduate studies where he earned a Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) degree and on his return continued to teach at the Seminary which by then had integrated its B. D. section into the Andhra Christian Theological College and R. Joseph was reassigned to teach there by the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches.
India: Bangalore
In 1978, the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches had accorded study leave to R. Joseph who went to the United Theological College, Bangalore to upgrade his S. T. M. obtained from the United States to Master of Theology (M. Th.) degree and researched on the writings of Puroshottam Choudhary under the supervision of Joshua Russell Chandran and Eric J. Lott, his Professors. Joseph's companions at the college included G. Devakadasham, G. D. V. Prasad and others.
By 1980, R. Joseph rejoined Andhra Christian Theological College and resumed his teaching responsibilities. Again in 1983, he returned to the United Theological College, Bangalore to undertake doctoral studies but had to leave it midway as he was called to teach at his alma mater the Baptist Theological Seminary, Ramayapatnam from where he again joined the Andhra Christian Theological College.
General studies
In 1985, R. Joseph enrolled at the State-run Osmania University from where he studied Master of Arts.
Andhra Pradesh
Soon after R. Joseph completed his graduate studies in 1967 at the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary, Ramayapatnam, he was assigned a teaching assignment. By this time, efforts among the Protestants to form a unified seminary gained credence leading to the formation of the Andhra Christian Theological College in 1964 Rajahmundry by,
However, compared to the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary which was entitled to admit students for the Bachelor of Divinity degree courses - that too with English as the medium of instruction, the new unified Protestant seminary offered only Licentiate in Theology level courses in Telugu medium. The Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches was way ahead of its times both in terms of the academic credentials of its faculty as well as its affiliation to the Senate of Serampore College (University). Though the Baptists of the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches were in favour of joining the new unified Protestant initiative in Rajahmundry, the integration did not seem ripe at that stage. R. Joseph had just finished his graduate studies at Ramayapatnam in 1967 and just at that time his Principal, The Rev. Maurice Blanchard and his successor The Rev. Louis F. Knoll decided to experiment and moved their B.D. section from Ramayapatnam to Rajahmundry and functioned as a separate entity within the premises of the Andhra Christian Theological College in Rajahmundry. R. Joseph's teaching companions, K. Wilson, K. S. Prasada Rao, Tracy G. Gipson, Alice M. Findlay, B. R. Moses and Louis F. Knoll moved to Rajahmundry while G. Solomon, S. Joseph, P. Joseph and D. Daniel joined later.
In his second phase at Ramayapatnam, R. Joseph rejoined the seminary in 1984 taking up the Presidentship of the Seminary which was training Catechetists to take up rural evangelism and R. Joseph took responsibility to build up the seminary and stayed in Ramayapatnam until 1994 when he finally moved again to Hyderabad.
Telangana
By 1972, the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches fully integrated its B.D. section into the Andhra Christian Theological College which by then was relocated to Hyderabad. R. Joseph was sent on study leave to the United States to upgrade his studies to enable him to take up teaching at the unified Protestant Theologiate in Hyderabad and returned in 1973 to take up teaching of Theology. On his return, R. Joseph joined the Andhra Christian Theological College which was by then led by the Old Testament Scholar Victor Premasagar while his other companions from Ramayapatnam continued to teach there who included S. Joseph, G. Solomon, K. S. Prasada Rao, and Tracy G. Gipson.
While this was so, K. Wilson had by that time left the Office of the Priesthood moving to the State-run Osmania University to take up teaching of the Philosophy as a civilian. After teaching for nearly six years at the Andhra Christian Theological College, R. Joseph had to revisit his academics to tune up his postgraduate degree earned in the United States to suit the requirements of the Senate of Serampore College (University) and left for Bangalore in 1978, rejoining the College in 1980 and taught for nearly three more years till 1983 when he went on study leave to his alma mater at Bangalore.
After a gap of nearly a decade, R. Joseph rejoined the Andhra Christian Theological College in 1994 which by then was led by Rev. R. Yesuratnam, the Principal and R. Joseph continued to teach Theology for the aspirants until he retired on attaining superannuation in 2003.
R. Joseph's students at the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary, Ramayapatnam and the Andhra Christian Theological College have substantially contributed to the growth of Christianity in India and include,
Writings
R. Joseph has been a Teacher of Christian Theology and a prolific writer contributing to theological writings.
- This book is a postgraduate thesis of R. Joseph published by the School in Newton. In 2003, R. Joseph's postgraduate thesis was revised and printed in India under the title A History of the Telugu Baptist Churches (American Baptist Mission), Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad.
- The influence of the Bhakti Movement had touched Christian writings and lyrics. R. Joseph had researched on the lyrics of Puroshottam Choudhary who belonged to the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars Church Society. In 2011, James Elisha Taneti in History of the Telugu Christians: A Bibliography published by Scarecrow, Plymouth writes that Ravela Joseph book on the life of Puroshottam Choudhary had been to analyse his contribution as an early Indian Christian to Christology.
In 2012, the Oxford Encyclopedia of South Asian Christianity (edited by Roger E. Hedlund) included five articles contributed by R. Joseph,
Reminisces
Talathoti Punnaiah who underwent a 1-year spirituality course in 1969 at the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary at Ramayapatnam as an Aspirant to discern his avocation towards religious life writes that,
Ravela Joseph was the youngest among the Teachers at the Ramayapatnam Seminary and was teaching Church history. He used to love playing football. Later he did his S.T.M. in the United States of America and then M. Th.. He later became the President of the Seminary and Professor at the Andhra Christian Theological College. Joseph is a good writer, singer and composer.