CleanupBot II at 23:53, 13 August 2023

2023-08-13T23:53:43Z

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{{Infobox university
| name = Gurukul Lutheran Theological College
| native_name =
| image_name =
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| caption =
| motto =
| motto_lang =
| motto_eng =
| former_names =
| established = {{start date and age|1953}}
| closed =
| type = [[Seminary]]
| parent =
| affiliation = [[Senate of Serampore College (University)]]
| city = [[Chennai]]
| canton =
| prefecture =
| province =
| region =
| state = [[Tamil Nadu]]
| country = [[India]]
| coordinates = {{coord|13.0854876|80.2465264|display=Inline}}
| dean =
| rector =
| director = O. Michael Benhur, [[South Andhra Lutheran Church|SALC]] (Chairperson)<ref>[http://www.gltc.edu/administration/college-council Gurukul College Council Members]</ref>
| head_label = Principal
| head = Rev Dr Songram Basumatary, NELC
| academic_staff =
| students =
| undergrad =
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| doctoral =
| alumni =
| symbol =
| website ={{url|http://gltc.edu}}
| logo =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute''' is an ecumenical seminary situated in [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[South India]]. It is affiliated to the [[Senate of Serampore College (University)]].<ref>{{cite web | publisher=William Carey College | url=https://www.wmcarey.edu/carey/serampore/serampore.htm | title=Serampore College | accessdate=27 April 2018}}</ref><ref>Indiaedunews.net [http://www.indiaedunews.net/InternationalNews/internationalnews.asp] Nepal Christians to renew ties with Bengal college. Retrieved 23 April 2006. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060725183233/http://www.indiaedunews.net/InternationalNews/internationalnews.asp |date=25 July 2006 }}</ref>

==Background==
The Triennial Conference of the Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (later renamed the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India - UELCI), which met at Guntur in 1926, felt the need for a theological college for the Lutheran Churches in India. On 6 July 1927 when such a college started, only students from TELC enrolled for the first divinity class. A summer palace bought in 1859 by the Leipzig Evangelical Lutheran Mission from an Indian Raja, became the Centre firstly. Bishop Johannes Sandegren, the first Principal of the college, named it Gurukul, meaning a Guru (teacher) living together with his Sishyas (disciples).{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

Though it was planned at an all-India level it was only in July 1931 that the United Lutheran Theological College (Gurukul) was established with students and staff from South Andhra Lutheran Church (SALC), Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC), Church of Sweden Mission (CSwM), Leipzig Evangelical Lutheran Mission (LELM), [[Danish Missionary Society]] (DMS) and the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC). Dr. Frolich of LELM was made the principal of this United Lutheran Theological College.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

In 1953, Gurukul received a new life with a wider participation of the Lutheran Churches and so was named as Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute. The college was then affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College for graduate and postgraduate Studies. Dr. Sigfrid Estborn became its Principal. Then Gurukul merged with the United Theological College, Bangalore and Serampore College, West Bengal in 1971. From then on, Gurukul became a centre for continuing and extension education for the churches in India under the stewardship of Dr. K. Rajaratnam.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

==Early years==
The reopening of Bachelor of Divinity (B.Div.) studies at Gurukul by the 20th Triennial Conference held at Madras in 1984 enabled the reviving of the regular B.Div. studies at Gurukul from June 1985. A Bold Theological Vision, as envisioned by Dr. K. Rajaratnam, became the cornerstone of academic activities of the college. In 1987, Master of Theology (Th.M.) studies were introduced in two branches - Christian Theology and Religions. In fifteen years, new branches - Old Testament, New Testament, History of Christianity, Communication, Women's Studies and Missiology were added. By 1999, with the approval of the Senate of Serampore College, Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) program in Christian Theology commenced. Old Testament, Religions, Communication and were later added.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
{| class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin-left:1em; font-size:85%; background:#ffc; color:black; width:35em; max-width:40%;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|-
! style="background:#ccc;"| List of Principalships
(Period, Name of the Principal )
|-
| style="text-align: left;" |
* [[Reverend|The Rev.]] J. H. Richard Fröhlich,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=srWh4N-oQCwC&lpg=PA39&dq=principal%20gurukul%20madras&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=principal%20gurukul%20madras&f=false M. G. Chitkara, ''Mother Teresa'', APH Publishing, New Delhi, p.39]</ref> [[Evangelical-Lutheran Mission in Lower Saxony|ELM]], [[Dr. Theol.]] ([[Leipzig University|Leipzig]]),
* The Rev. [[:sv:Sigfrid Estborn]], [[Church of Sweden|CoS]],<ref>Paul H. von Tucher, ''Nationalism, Case and Crisis in Missions: German Missions in British India, 1939-1946'', 1980, p.128.[https://books.google.com/books?id=lCMRAQAAIAAJ&q=Sigfrid+Estborn&dq=Sigfrid+Estborn&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO0YbvuePOAhWHOI8KHRgcB8o4ChDoAQhAMAg]</ref> [[Ph.D.]] ([[University of Lund|Lund]])<ref>Sigfrid Estborn, ''Evangeliska svenska bönböcker under reformationstidevarvet: med en inledande översikt över medeltidens och över reformationstidens evangeliska tyska bönelitteratur'', Svenska kyrkans diakonistyrelses bokförlag, Lund, 1929.[https://books.google.co.in/books?id=_ymOQAAACAAJ&dq=evangeliska+svenska+bonbocker+under+reformationstidevarvet&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik0em3r4PwAhWy9nMBHSK3CqoQ6AEwAXoECAAQAQ]</ref>
* The Rev. P. David,<ref>[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1758-6631.1958.tb02846.x/pdf ''International Review of Mission'', Volume 47, Issue 186, p.244]</ref> [[Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church|AELC]], Ph.D. ([[New York Theological Seminary|NYTS]]),<ref>Mar Aprem, ''Indian Christian Who is Who'', Bombay Parish Church of the East, Bombay, p.112.[https://ia902807.us.archive.org/20/items/indianchristianw0000mara/indianchristianw0000mara.pdf]</ref>
* The Rev. M. Bage, [[Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam|GELC]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|Dr. Phil.]] ([[Free University of Berlin|Berlin]]),<ref>Marsallan Bage, ''Phänomenologie der Munda-Religion'', Berlin, 1960.[https://books.google.co.in/books?id=1JBLAQAAIAAJ&q=Bage,+Marsallan&dq=Bage,+Marsallan&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj_ouOgq4DwAhUFb30KHYRMBagQ6AEwBXoECAMQAg]</ref>
* 1992, The Rev. [[R. R. Sundara Rao]], AELC, Ph. D. ([[Wisconsin University|Wisconsin]]),
* 1992-2001, The Rev. [[D. W. Jesudoss]], [[Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church|TELC]], Dr. Theol. ([[Erlangen University|Erlangen]]),
* 2001-2006, The Rev. [[M. M. Chacko]], [[Church of South India|CSI]], Ph.D. ([[London University|London]]),
* 2006-2011, The Rev. S. W. Meshack, [[India Evangelical Lutheran Church|IELC]], Ph.D. ([[University of Leicester|Leicester]]),<ref>Google Scholar on S. W. Meshack. [https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=nsVzTxAAAAAJ&hl=en]</ref>
* 2011-2018, The Rev. [[K. D. Udayakumar]], [[South Andhra Lutheran Church|SALC]], [[D.Th.]] ([[Senate of Serampore College (University)|Serampore]]),
*2018-''2021'', The Rev. D. J. S. Ponnusamy, CSI, Ph.D. ([[Lancaster University|Lancaster]])
,*2021-'' Present '', The Rev. S.Songram Basumatary,

==Administration==
Ecumenicity is the special feature of the resurrected Gurukul. It is reflected in the composition of Governing Board, Staff and Students of the College. The Gurukul community now is composed of staff and students representing the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches (UELCI), Church of South India (CSI), Church of North India (CNI), Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar (MTC), Orthodox Church, Assembly of God, Mara Evangelical Church, Methodist Church in India (MCI), Baptists, Independent and Charismatic Churches. There are two representatives from the Church of South India and the Church of North India in the College Council.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

==College song==
The college song was written by [[N. Samuel of Tranquebar]] who was present during the dedication of the college, where he was to take some classes.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} He died before formal classes could begin.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

==See also==
* [[Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College]]
* [[South Asia Theological Research Institute]]
* [[Andhra Christian Theological College]], [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Hyderabad]]
* [[Education in India]]
* [[Literacy in India]]
* [[List of institutions of higher education in Tamil Nadu]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://gltc.edu Official website]
*{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/Gurukul+Lutheran+Theological+College+and+Research+Institute/@13.0854876,80.2465264,174m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x3a5265d96b5674c1:0x5fe65e1ff104954a!8m2!3d13.0854824!4d80.2470737
|title= Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute}}

{{Education in Tamil Nadu}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Lutheran seminaries]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in Chennai]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1927]]
[[Category:Christian seminaries and theological colleges in India]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges affiliated with the Church of South India]]
[[Category:Seminaries and theological colleges affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College (University)]]
[[Category:1927 establishments in India]]

Gurukul Lutheran Theological College - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 23:53, 13 August 2023