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The Federated Faculty is an ecumenical venture to promote in-depth study and research in religious, social and cultural fields. The Kerala United Theological Seminary, Trivandrum, is extremely happy to join hands with the sister Seminaries in Kottayam-the Mar Thoma and Orthodox seminaries-to form the Federated Faculty.
Although Christianity in Kerala is almost as old as the Christian Church itself, much attention has not been given to theological education in Kerala for a long time, except at a lower level (first L. Th. and then B. Th.). Therefore, all the different church denominations in Kerala, both of eastern and western traditions, had to depend upon Seminaries outside Kerala to a large extent, for the training of their clergy. Theological education at the Bachelor of Divinity level was taken up by these Seminaries only in the last decade. By the formation of the Federated Faculty, the non-Roman Catholic Churches in Kerala are taking up the full responsibility of theological education and training of their clergy. It is even more gratifying that it is done as a joint venture by the three major church denominations in Kerala. Therefore, it also combines the rich heritage these Churches have imbibed in the past, both from eastern and western traditions. We hope that the Federated Faculty will bring our Seminaries and our Churches closer to each other and together we will be able to serve the Church in India in a more effective manner.
There is an increasing emphasis these days on doing theological studies with reference to the context of the Church. The training received outside one's own region- is bound to be too general in character. This has got some advantage, no doubt. But such training is deficient in the sense that the contextual character, needs and problems of the church, where one is to exercise his ministry is overlooked. The working of ,'the Federated Faculty is designed in such a way that greater emphasis to the contextual character of the Church will be given, which we hope will help to make the training at B. D. level as well as at the research level to have some bearing to the situation of the Church in Kerala.
We very often hear the criticism levelled against the ancient Church in Kerala, that it was a sleeping Church, until the advent of the western missionaries. This is true to a certain degree. However, the fact that in God's great mercy this Church was preserved from extinction amidst a majority Hindu population, in spite of several odds it had to face both from within the Church and without, itself is a wonder. Needless to say that this Church (perhaps in denominations) must have been used by God, at least in a small way in the past, which gives it sufficient reason to look for a brighter future. Very little attempt has been made by its own members to dig into its past and unearth several, hidden chapters in the history of the Church, to see how the Church was used by its Lord, in a predominantly non-Christian land.
The Church has been established on this earth not to live in a protected green house, but to live in constant tension and dialogue with the non-Christian neighbours. The Church in Kerala has not entered into any meaningful dialogue with our non-Christian fellow scholars so far. How long can the Church live in isolation, mindful of its own internal problems only! It is hoped that the FFRRC will provide a forum to enter into a meaningful dialogue with our neighbours. The social and cultural heritage of our land, which the Christians share equally with their fellow citizens, provides us with sufficient area for research and study, which will be beneficial both for the Church, and the community.
As our three Seminaries, supported fully by our respective Churches, move together forward pooling our resources in Library and Faculty (while remaining autonomous institutions under the respective Governing Boards), we hope that we may discover new avenues and horizons under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth. |
