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{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox clergy
| name = Gnana Robinson
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1935|03|17}}<ref
name="New York">Alumni Directory 1836 – 1970, The Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, The Alumni Office, New York, 1970. p. 526. [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6122000_000/pages/ldpd_6122000_000_00000574.html?toggle=image&menu=maximize&top=&left=]</ref>
| birth_place = [[Kanyakumari District]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2019|02|03|1935|03|17}}
| death_place = [[Florida]], U.S.
| church = [[Church of South India]], Diocese of Kanyakumari
| other_names = Gnana
| education = 
* [[Scott Christian College]], [[Nagercoil]] (BSc)<ref name="New York"/>
* [[United Theological College (Bangalore)|United Theological College]], [[Bengaluru]] (BD) & ([[M.Th.]])<ref name="New York"/>
* [[Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York]] (Th.M.)<ref name="New York"/>
* [[University of Hamburg]], Hamburg ([[Dr. Theol.]])<ref name="New York"/>
| ordained =7 May 1961<ref name="New York"/>
| writings = The Origin and Development of the Old Testament Sabbath: A comprehensive exegetical approach, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 1988, {{ISBN|3-8204-1373-1}}

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|0-8028-0608-2}}

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 (Bangalore)|United Theological College]], [[Bengaluru]]
| title = Reverend Doctor
| spouse =
| children =
| parents =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Gnana Robinson''' (17 March 1935 – 3 February 2019) was an Indian Biblical scholar who studied the [[Old Testament]].

== Biography ==

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

Robinson decided to pursue the priesthood, and his Church sponsored his theological studies. In 1957, Robinson joined the [[United Theological College (Bangalore)|United Theological College]]<ref name="New York"/> and enrolled himself for a [[Bachelor of Divinity]] degree which he completed by 1960.<ref name="New York"/>

Later, his Church assigned him a pastoral role, and Robinson served as Presbyter-in-Charge of the Kanyakumari District.<ref name="Peace"/>

Robinson was zealous for his studies and obtained permission from his [[diocese]] to pursue a [[Master of Theology]] degree in [[Bengaluru]]. Robinson chose to specialise in Old Testament studies and studied between 1961 – 1963.<ref name="New York"/>

Robinson left India in 1964<ref name="New York"/> for North America and joined the [[Union Theological Seminary in the city of New York|Union Theological Seminary of New York City]] and obtained a [[Master of Sacred Theology]] degree.<ref name="Peace"/> Gnana also did a course in the [[Tantur Ecumenical Institute for Theological Studies]] in Israel.<ref name="Peace"/>

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.<ref name="Peace"/> Robinson considered [[Klaus Koch]], a professor at the university and a notable Old Testament scholar, to be his [[guru]].<ref>Gnana Robinson acknowledges Dr. Klaus Koch to be his ''guru'' in his foreword to Klaus Koch's ''From Amos to Jesus: Biblical Eschatology and Its Social and Political Implications'', UTC, 1999, {{ISBN|81-7214-499-7}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=J-chAAAACAAJ&dq=From+Amos+to+Jesus:+Biblical+Eschatology+and+Is+Social+and+Political+Implications]</ref>

== Professorship ==
Robinson began his teaching career at what was then the Tamil Nadu Theological College (now the [[Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary]]) in 1962.<ref name="New York"/> In 1987, Robinson accepted an invitation from the Predigerseminar at [[Soest, Germany|Soest]], Germany to teach there.<ref name="Peace"/> Later that year, however, the Principal of the [[United Theological College (Bangalore)|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,<ref name="Peace"/> 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,<ref name="Peace"/> 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==
While serving as the Principal of UTC, Bengaluru, friends of the Professor brought out a 377-page [[festschrift]] 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|81-7214-545-4}}

==Senate of Serampore College (University)==
The [[Senate of Serampore College (University)|Senate of Serampore College]], West Bengal, the first University in India with degree-granting authority elected Gnana Robinson as its president in 1986.<ref>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]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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.

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

==Retirement and death==
After retiring as the Principal of the UTC, Bengaluru, Gnana was invited by the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia where he was visiting professor until 2001.<ref>''[[Cf.]]'' Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia news article cited elsewhere.</ref> He later returned to India, residing in Tamil Nadu, and was extensively involved in developmental activities. Gnana died in Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district on 3 February 2019, at the age of 83.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gnana Robinson, Südindien (1935 – 2019) |url=https://intra-tagebuch.blogspot.com/2016/07/gnana-robinson-sudindien-engagement-fur.html |website=Über den Tag hinaus – Beyond the Day |access-date=14 February 2024 |date=9 February 2019}}</ref>

==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.

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.

==See also==
* [[Victor Premasagar]]
* [[Gerhard von Rad]]
* [[Senate of Serampore College (University)]]
* [[University of Hamburg]]
* [[Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary]]

==References==
;Notes
{{reflist}}
;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.
| date=July 1978
| volume=XXVIII, ''Fasc. 3''
| issue=3
| jstor =1517038
| pages=301–317
| journal=Vetus Testamentum
}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hon}}
{{succession box | before=Renthy Keitzer, [[C. D. Jathanna]]
| title=President, [[Senate of Serampore College (University)]], [[Serampore]], [[West Bengal]]|after=Rev. Dr. [[J. W. Gladstone]], Dr. Jacob Verghis| years=1997–1999 1986–1988
}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box | before=[[E. C. John]], [[Church of South India|CSI]]
| title=Principal, [[United Theological College (Bangalore)|United Theological College]], [[Bengaluru]]|after=O. V. Jathanna, [[Church of South India|CSI]]| years=1993–1999}}
{{succession box | before=[[Samuel Amirtham]], [[Church of South India|CSI]]| title=Principal, [[Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary]], [[Madurai]]|after=[[Kambar Manickam]], [[Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church|TELC]]| years=1978-1987}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Gnana}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Old Testament scholars]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian Anglican priests]]
[[Category:Indian Christian theologians]]
[[Category:Indian biblical scholars]]
[[Category:University of Hamburg alumni]]
[[Category:Union Theological Seminary alumni]]
[[Category:Senate of Serampore College (University) alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Senate of Serampore College (University)]]
[[Category:Anglican biblical scholars]]
[[Category:People from Kanyakumari district]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary]]

Gnana Robinson - Revision history

VincentOFarrell at 13:00, 24 March 2026