Victor Premasagar Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Bishop
P. Victor Premasagar, CSI
Honorific-Suffix:B. D. (Serampore), M. A. (Cambridge), Ph. D. (St. Andrews)
The Right Reverend
Native Name Lang:Telugu language
Church:Church of South India
Diocese:Medak
Elected:1983
Term:1983–1992
Retired:-->
Successor:B. P. Sugandhar
Ordained By:Frank Whittaker
Consecration:1983
Consecrated By:I. Jesudason
Rank:Bishop
Birth Name:Peddi Victor Premasagar
Birth Date:1927 10, df=yes
Birth Place:Dudgaon, Telangana
Death Place:St. Joseph's General Hospital, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Buried:Secunderabad Cantonment
Nationality:Indian
Religion:Christianity
Occupation:Priesthood
Previous Post:General secretary, Church of South India Synod, Chennai,, principal, Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad, professor of Old Testament, Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad
Education:B. D., M. A., Ph. D.
Alma Mater:Andhra Christian College, Guntur (Andhra Pradesh),
United Theological College, Bangalore (Karnataka),
Westminster College, Cambridge (England),
St Mary's College, Fife (Scotland)

Victor Premasagar (1927–2005) was the fourth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak. He was an Indian churchman and Old Testament scholar who made major contributions to research on the Old Testament and to the field of theology. Premasagar's articles appeared in the Expository Times (1966), the Vetus Testamentum (1966), the International Review of Mission (1972), and the Indian Journal of Theology (1974) and cited in major works relating to the theme of Promise[1] in the Bible and critical works on Psalms LXXX[2] [3] and the Hebrew word HOQ[4] [5] in the Tanakh.

Premasagar was a pastor hailing from the Church of South India who tended rural congregations in the Diocese of Medak in north Telangana until 1961 when he became a seminary teacher at Dornakal and then moving out to Rajahmundry and later Secunderabad in 1972 and taught Old Testament. In 1980, the Church of South India recalled Premasagar to take up ministerial responsibilities and made him general secretary of the Church of South India Synod at its XVIIth session of the held at Tambaram. In 1983, Premasagar became a bishop and subsequently a moderator of the Church of South India Synod for two consecutive bienniums: 1988–1990 and 1990–1992.[6]

Early years

Premasagar was born in Medak and was raised a Christian in what is now the Church of South India. In addition to the ancient Indian epics, his boyhood was filled with stories from the Bible. In the foreword to Promise in the Ancestral Narratives, his doctoral dissertation, Premasagar made mention of the Biblical stories that his mother told during his childhood and the promise they held. He completed his schooling from Wesley School in Secunderabad. It was around this time that he to study divinity.

He completed his college studies from the century-old Andhra-Christian College (under Andhra University), Guntur. His contemporaries there included N.T. Rama Rao[7] (a film actor and later Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh). Premasagar was involved in athletics. Football and tennis were his favourite sports.

Spiritual studies

Graduate: Karnataka

Victor went to the United Theological College in Bangalore and studied spirituality during 1950–1954[8] and took his Bachelor of Divinity in 1955 in the ensuing convocation of the Senate of Serampore College (University) during the Registrarship of The Rev. William Stewart. Others studying during that period at UTC Bangalore included G. Solomon, V. C. Samuel, E. C. John, Samuel Amirtham, N. D. Anandarao Samuel, C. D. Jathanna, K. E. Swamidass, G. B. Devasahayam.

Postgraduate: England

Premasagar was sent to Cambridge University where he specialized in the study of the Old Testament studying from 1964 to 1966[9] at Westminster College, Cambridge (affiliated[10] to the University of Cambridge) and was awarded the Cambridge Tripos.

Doctoral: Scotland

In 1969, the Board of Governors of ACTC accorded Premasagar study leave, which he used to go to St. Andrews University, Scotland for further studies in the Old Testament. He studied in St Mary's College between 1969 and 1972[9] and was guided by William McKane and J. D. Martin. He was awarded a Ph.D. by St. Andrews University based on his dissertation entitled The Theme of Promise in the Patriarchal Narratives.[11]

Ecclesiastical ministry

Pastor

After Premasagar's ordination as presbyter, he began pastoring parishes in Siddipet, Mancherial, Soan, and Shankarampet.

Teacher

Premasagar first taught at the Andhra Union Theological College (AUTC), Dornakal, between 1961 and 1964,[9] and his other colleagues included Eric J. Lott and later he left for specialized studies to England. By this time, the AUTC together with the Lutheran Theological College, Rajahmundry and the Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada formed the Andhra Christian Theological College in 1964. By the time Premasagar returned from his studies in 1966,[9] he was reassigned to teach at the new entity in the river town of Rajahmundry.

Again between 1969 and 1972[9] after a period of study leave, he returned to ACTC to continue his teaching and became its second principal in 1973 succeeding W. D. Coleman. On invitation from Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, in the United States, he took sabbatical from ACTC to teach there for a year. On his return, the board of governors extended the term of principalship by two more terms, 1973–1976 and 1977–1980. David, a New Testament scholar, succeeded Premasagar as principal at ACTC.

Premasagar used to teach Old Testament and Hebrew language at the Andhra Christian Theological College, first at Rajahmundry and then at Secunderabad and co-faculty included W. D. Coleman and M. Vidyanandam.[12] By 1973, Premasagar's collegemate G. Solomon,[13] a teacher in Old Testament at the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological College joined the faculty, also teaching Old Testament. By 1977, G. Babu Rao,[14] a teacher in Old Testament at Serampore College, Serampore moved to the college.

Synod and bishopric

Synod

While continuing to serve at ACTC, he was elected in-absentia[9] as General secretary of the Church of South India Synod at its XVIIth session held at Tambaram in 1980.

During the XXth session of the Church of South India Synod held at Trivandrum in 1986, Premasagar was elected as the deputy moderator.

During the XIst session of the Church of South India Synod held during 13–18 January 1988 in Madurai, he was elected[15] as the moderator of the Church of South India.

Bishopric

Later, in 1983 he was elected as the bishop-in-Medak, Asia's largest Anglican bishopric. It was at this time that indigenous methods were devised and put into practice for raising funds from the local congregations for supporting church programmes which was met with widespread success. He was instrumental in bringing rapid development of the church – congregation-wise as well as in its social action.

As for the educational institutions in the Diocese of Medak, schools were made to adapt to modern trends to face the changing pattern. St. George's Grammar School, Wesley College and other educational institutions were modernised during Premasagar's tenure.

In 1983, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom came to Hyderabad. On 20 November 1983, the Queen celebrated her 36th wedding anniversary in the Holy Trinity Church in Bolarum, Secunderabad.[16] The church service was officiated by Bishop Premasagar and his ministerial colleagues Rev. B. Prabhakar Rao and Rev. B. P. Sugandhar, the present bishop-in-Medak and the moderator of the CSI.

Lambeth Conference

The bishops of the Church of South India are invited to the decennial Lambeth Conference held at the Lambeth Palace, the seat of the archbishop of Canterbury in London. Rev. Premasagar attended the eleventh and twelfth conferences in 1978 and 1988 respectively.

Other endeavours

Bible Society of India

Premasagar was a translator for the Bible Society of India (BSI) in its Telugu Bible Common Language Translation Programme since the 1970s. He headed the Translations Committee of the Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary until the 1990s and then was followed by Rev. G. Babu Rao, his colleague while at ACTC. Premasagar was also the president of the Bible Society of India headquartered in Bangalore from 1988 to 1994[17] and continued to be a member of the India Bible Society Trust Association for a long period.

Retirement

After retirement from the bishopric, Rev. Ryder Devapriyam, Bishop in Nandyal and a former colleague of Rev. Premasagar while at ACTC, succeeded him as the moderator while Rev. B. P. Sugandhar, presbyter-in-charge of Church of St John the Baptist, Secunderabad became the bishop-in-Medak.

Post-retirement, Premasagar spent about a year at the Presbyterian Church of Wales as an invitee.[18] On his return to India, Premasagar taught part-time at ACTC. He was later invited by Dr. K. Rajaratnam,[19] director of Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai to teach and guide doctoral students and was Professor Emeritus of Old Testament.

In 2000, Premasagar accepted an invitation to become principal of Bethel Bible College, Guntur,[20] where he taught until his death at St. Joseph's Hospital, Guntur, on 1 December 2005.[21]

Works and legacy

Premasagar's research works have appeared in scholarly journals including the Vetus Testamentum and the Indian Journal of Theology. Some essays were written in his honour (festschrift) commemorating his shastipoorthi (completion of sixty years) and brought into a book edited by H. S. Wilson entitled The Church on the Move: Essays in honour of Victor Premasagar[22] which was reviewed in 1990 by George Peck in the International Review of Mission Research.[23] and a majority of his writings until that point of time compiled[22] by his colleague, The Rev. G. Babu Rao,[22] CBCNC, appeared in the appendix to the festschrift.

See also

Notes and References

  1. [Walter Kaiser, Jr.]
  2. John Goldingay, Psalms: Psalms 42–89, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2007, p.540.https://books.google.com/books?id=p3EAkDwnRyMC&dq=peddi+psalm+lxxx&pg=PA540
  3. Frank-Lothar Hossfeld, Erich Zenger, Linda M. Maloney, Klaus Baltzer, Psalms 2: A Commentary on Psalms 51–100, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 2005, p.308.[]
  4. Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, Volume 79, 1967, p.110.https://books.google.com/books?id=sK9AAQAAIAAJ&q=peddi+victor+old+testament
  5. H. Muszynski, Fundament, Bild und Metapher in Den Handschriften Aus Qumran, Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, p.vi. https://books.google.com/books?id=gM12u9_FS1QC&dq=peddi+old+testament&pg=PR3
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20070807231629/http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/02/stories/2005120214790500.htm Former bishop passes away
  7. After a year of Premasagar's consecration as the Bishop in Medak, his college-mate, Sri N. T. Rama Rao became a Chief Minister. Soon, a visit to the Cathedral in Medak was arranged followed by a public meeting in the church compound – photo study from the Bishop's archives.
  8. K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), Directory of the United Theological College 1910–1997, Bangalore, 1997. Past students of the college diploma course, p.25.
  9. [Church of South India]
  10. Affiliated through the Cambridge Theological Federation
  11. P. Victor Premasagar, The Theme of Promise in the Patriarchal Narratives, University of StAndrews, 1972. Cited in Laurence A. Turner, Announcements of Plot in Genesis, Wipf and Stock, Eugene, 2007, p.196.https://books.google.com/books?id=LzJKAwAAQBAJ&q=peddi&pg=PA198
  12. Talathoti Punnaiah, My Memoir, Ministry and Message – 60 years Life Experiences 1950–2010, Self-published by the author, Kakinada, 2010, pp.11, 12, 18, 23, 33.
  13. Foundations: A Baptist Journal of History and Theology, Volumes 11–12, 1968, pp.318–319. https://books.google.com/books?id=YV0mAQAAIAAJ&q=gaddala+solomon
  14. The Story of Serampore and its College, Council of Serampore College, Serampore (Fourth Edition), 2005, p.92.https://books.google.com/books?id=3zLPAAAAMAAJ&q=the+story+of+serampore+and+its+college
  15. CSI Church.NET http://csinewsletter.com/csi-vol-7/csi-news-7v44.asp#3 Sad News
  16. The Holy Trinity Church http://www.htcbolarum.org/queensvisit.html Queen's Visit
  17. G. D. V. Prasad, Chiranjivi J. Nirmal, Imaging the Word: A Twenty-First Century Perspective, The Bible Society of India 1811–2011, Bible Society of India, Bangalore, 2000, (revised edition 2011), p.115. http://www.thehindu.com/2001/10/02/stories/1302017e.htm
  18. http://www.ebcpcw.org.uk/en/connexion/mission%20programme%20pps/THE%20PURPOSE%20OF%20THE%20CHURCH%20-%20Session%203%20-%20script.pdf The Presbyterian Church of Wales
  19. Gurukul Lutheran Theological College http://www.gltc.edu/gurukul/02-administration/index.htm Director's page
  20. http://bethelbiblecollege.edu.in/about-us/ Bethel Bible College, About us
  21. The Hindu https://web.archive.org/web/20070807231629/http://www.hindu.com/2005/12/02/stories/2005120214790500.htm 12 December 2005
  22. [H. S. Wilson]
  23. George Peck, Book review on The Church on the move in the International Review of Mission Research, Volume 14, Issue 2, 1990.http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/239693939001400213
  24. P. Victor Premasagar, Note on Psalm lxxx in Expository Times, Volume 76, 1965–1966, pp.294–295.https://books.google.com/books?id=m8vYAAAAMAAJ&q=peddi+victor
  25. P. Victor Premasagar, A Note On in the Old Testament, Vetus Testamentum, Volume 16, Issue 3, pp.358 – 361, 1966. http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/journals/10.1163/156853366x00197?trendmd-shared=0
  26. P. Victor Premasagar, Crisis for Salvation Theology!, in International Review of Mission, Volume 61, 1972, pp.61–66.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1758-6631.1972.tb02073.x/full
  27. P. Victor Premasagar, Theology of Promise in the Patriarchal Narratives, in Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 23.1–2, January–June 1974, pp.112–122.https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ijt/23_1-2_112.pdf
  28. P. Victor Premasagar, A Review of the Literature on Pastoral Ministry Published in India during the last Twenty-Five Years in Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 25.3–4, July to December 1976, pp.148–158.https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ijt/25-3-4_148.pdf
  29. P. Victor Premasagar, He emptied Himself – Bible Studies on Jesus Christ Frees and Unites, The Christian Literature Society, Chennai, 1976. http://www.mergingcurrents.com/book.php?BookSKU=2223
  30. "Biblical concept of righteousness and the Indian context in Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 26.3–4, July to December 1977, pp.105–110.https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/articles_ijt_03.php
  31. P. Victor Premasagar, The Gods of our Fathers – Towards a Theology of Indian Religious and Cultural Heritage in Dayanandan Francis and Franklyn J. Balasundaram (Edited), Asian Expressions of Christian Commitment, Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1992, pp.137.146.
  32. P. Victor Premasagar, Vanaprasthasrama Dharma: A Programme of Renewal and Religion as Realisation for Retired People, in Bangalore Theological Forum, Volumes 26–27, 1994. https://books.google.com/books?id=24LYAAAAMAAJ&q=victor+premsagar
  33. P. Victor Premasagar, Promise in the Ancestral Narratives: A theme of the early Hebrew traditions, The Christian Literature Society, Chennai, 2000. http://www.mergingcurrents.com/book.php?BookSKU=2525 Books on Christianity in India, Hinduism and Indian culture and history. Retrieved 23 April 2006.
  34. P. Victor Premasagar, Evangelium Dei: Mission Paradigm for a New Global Vision, Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore, 2000.https://books.google.com/books?id=7Qk4cgAACAAJ&q=victor+premsagar
  35. P. Victor Premasagar, Interpretive Diary of a Bishop – Indian Experience in Translation and Interpretation of some Biblical passages, The Christian Literature Society, Chennai, 2002.http://www.mergingcurrents.com/book.php?BookSKU=2928
  36. P. Victor Premasagar, Theology of a Convert: A Contribution to Indian Christian Theology from the Cultural and Religious Heritage of India in Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 46.1–2, 2004, pp.53–58.https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ijt/46_053.pdf
  37. P. Victor Premasagar, Jacob at the Jabbok: A struggle resulting in Transforming Experience, in National Council of Churches Review, Volume 125, 2005, pp.445ff.https://books.google.com/books?id=ex_ZAAAAMAAJ&q=victor+premsagar