Paul David Devanandan

Paul David Devanandan (1901–1962), spelt also as P.D. Devanandan or Paul D. Devanandan, was an Indian Protestant theologian, ecumenist, and one of the notable pioneers in inter-religious dialogues in India.

Biography

He was born in Madras (present Chennai) on 9 July 1901, and graduated from Nizam College, Hyderabad. He did his M.A from Presidency College, Madras. While studying at Madras, he was acquainted with K. T. Paul, a prominent Social activist, Christian and YMCA leader. He taught briefly at Jaffna College, Ceylon, Sri Lanka. With assistance from K.T. Paul, he flew United States in 1924 and studied theology at Pacific School of Religion,

Upon his return to India in 1931, he was absorbed as a professor of philosophy and religions at United Theological College, Bangalore for seventeen years

His address to the Third Assembly of the World Council of Churches at New Delhi in 1961, under the title "Called to Witness," was delivered a few months before his death and caught the attention of the large ecumenical church. He died on 10 August 1962 at Dehra Dun, India, on his way to a conference at the Christian Retreat and Study Centre.

According to Stanley Jedidiah Samartha, an Indian theologian; student of P.D. Devanandan; and editor of I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes Unto the Hills: Sermons and Bible Studies of P. D. Devanandan Devanandan impressed me not only by his scholarly knowledge of Hinduism but also his attitude towards it. He was indeed critical of many aspects of Hinduism, as is evident in his book The Concept of Maya (1950). But instead of taking a negative attitude towards other religions, including Hinduism, he encouraged a positive attitude, even respect for the beliefs of others. At a time when almost every book on religions in the library, no matter how scholarly, ended with a chapter on "the uniqueness of Christianity", this attitude struck me, especially since I had been brought up to take a wholly negative view of other religions. That one could be a committed Christian and yet take a positive attitude towards other religions came to me as a surprising alternative. Devanandan contributed decisively to this change of attitude.

Works His publications include the following; The Concept of Maya, 1950. The Christian Attitude and Approach to Non-Christian Religions, 1952. Communism and the social revolution in India: a Christian interpretation, 1953. Cultural foundations of Indian democracy, 1955. Foreign Aid and the Social and Cultural Life of India, 1957. Human person, society, and state, 1957. The Changing Pattern of Family in India, 1960. Christian Concern in Hinduism, 1961. Christian Issues in Southern Asia, 1963. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills: sermons and Bible studies, 1963