D. N. Premnath

Devadasan Nithya Premnath (born October 21, 1950), known as D. N. Premnath, is an Indian pastor and Old Testament scholar, who has been teaching since 1988 at the St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry, a Roman Catholic seminary, in Rochester, New York.^[1] In 1981, Premnath participated in a archaeological dig at Tell el-Hesi in southern Israel.^[1]

Premnath had earlier taught at United Theological College, Bangalore the Protestant Regional Theologiate, between 1984-1987.^[3] and has been a member of the Society for Biblical Studies in India^[4] as well as the Society of Biblical Literature since 1988 and has chaired the Asian and Asian-American Biblical Hermeneutics Group during 1996-2001.^[1]

Incidentally, Premnath shares his birthday (October 21) with The Reverend Professor Gerhard von Rad the Lutheran Pastor and Master-Specialist of Old Testament who revived the Old Testament at a time when the Germans began losing interest in it after having had to face two successive World Wars^[5] after which von Rad began a series of writings focused on Old Testament through his teaching ministry from 1950 through 1971 at the Universities of Erlangen, Leipzig, Jena, Göttingen and finally at Heidelberg, Germany. Premnath, like von Rad shares the same concern and has brought out the message of the Prophets in the Old Testament through his many writings and his continued ministry of teaching at seminaries.

Studies

General

Premnath hails from Chittoor district in southern Andhra Pradesh where he pursued scholastic and collegiate studies at the local Arts and Science College, Chittoor leading to a B.A. degree in 1970 and then enrolled for a M.A. programme at the University College in Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati which awarded him a postgraduate degree in the year 1972.^[1]

Spiritual

India

In 1972, Premnath discerned his avocation towards priesthood and shared his concerns to then Bishop Lesslie Newbigin who accepted Premnath as a ministerial candidate^[1] of the Diocese of Madras of the Protestant Church of South India comprising dual linguistic groups, the Telugu language and Tamil language hailing from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. After a year of ministry assisting Pastors in the Diocese of Madras, Premnath was then sent to the Protestant Regional Theologiate in Bangalore in 1973, then under the Principalship of Joshua Russell Chandran, where he enrolled for graduate studies in spirituality leading to Bachelor of Divinity with notable faculty comprising the Religious scholar, The Rev. G. D. Melanchton,^[3] AELC, the Practical Ministry Scholar, Bobbili Prabhudass, the New Testament scholars The Rev. K. James Carl,^[3] SALC and D. S. Satyaranjan as well as the Old Testament trio, E. C. John, G. M. Butterworth and Gerhard Wehmeier.^[3]

During the study period of Premnath between 1973-1977^[3] his companions included P. Surya Prakash, S. W. Meshack, Mani Chacko, and others who were also pursuing graduate courses at varying intervals while S. J. Theodore, N. K. Achumi, J. W. Gladstone, D. Dhanaraj and others were pursing postgraduate courses.^[3] In the ensuing convocation of the Senate of Serampore College (University), Premnath was awarded a B.D. degree in 1978 during the Registrarship of J. T. Krogh.

United States

The Holbrook Building at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California where Premnath undertook research studies in the Old Testament.

In 1979, then Bishop Sundar Clarke sent Premnath to the United States on a World Council of Churches doctoral fellowship^[3] to pursue advanced studies at the Pacific School of Religion under the consortium of the Graduate Theological Union affiliated to the University of California. Premnath researched in Old Testament with the title, The Process of the growth of large estates as mirrored in the eighth century oracles of Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Micah^[6] and awarded a doctoral degree in 1984 by the Graduate Theological Union.

Ecclesiastical ministry

India

After Premnath completed his studies in spirituality, he was assigned a pastoral role in the Diocese of Madras and was ordained as a Pastor by then Bishop Sundar Clarke and subsequently Premnath was involved in youth work from 1977 through 1978.

In 1984, the Diocese of Madras assigned a teaching role for Premnath at the United Theological College, Bangalore, which by then was led by E. C. John, the Principal. During 1984-1987, the graduate students studying at varying stages at the seminary were Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar, K. Reuben Mark and others.^[3] Premnath taught Old Testament along with E. C. John and Theodore N. Swanson. Among the postgraduate students who specialized in Old Testament under Premnath and taught at seminaries elsewhere were,

• 1985-1987, M. Prithvi Raju,^[3] AELC, a graduate of the Andhra Christian Theological College who was influenced by then Old Testament Scholars, Victor Premasagar, Ph.D. (St. Andrews) and G. Solomon, Th.M. (Eastern),^[7] Privthvi Raju taught at the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Seminary in Rajahmundry,
• 1986-1988, Ch. Victor Moses, AELC, who came under the influence of the Old Testament Scholars, Victor Premasagar, Ph.D. (St. Andrews) and G. Babu Rao,^[8] M.Th. (Serampore) at the Andhra Christian Theological College and later taught at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai,
• 1986-1988, N. V. Luther Paul,^[3] AELC, who was inspired to pursue Old Testament studies through Scott L. Harris, Ph.D. (Union),^[9] then Teacher of Old Testament at the Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad. Luther Paul returned to Secunderabad to take up teaching of the Old Testament.

United States

In 1979, Premnath was sent to the United States by then Bishop Sundar Clarke to pursue advanced spiritual studies^[1] where in addition to his studies, Premnath also became an Ecumenical Minister in Residence at the St. John's Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, California serving upto 1983. During the time in Berkeley, California, Premnath also taught Old Testament at the Pacific School of Religion from 1981-1983 ^[1]after which he returned to India and taught at the United Theological College, Bangalore from 1984 through 1987.

In 1988, St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry took Premnath as its faculty member where he began teaching the Old Testament and Biblical Hebrew language and continues in the school.^[1]

Selected works

• 2011, Thoughts on Advent,^[10]
• 2008, Amos and Hosea: Socio-historical Background and Prophetic Critique,^[11]

• 2007 (Edited), Border Crossings: Cross-Cultural Hermeneutics: Essays in honour of R. S. Sugirtharajah,^[12]

• 2007, Loan Practices in the Hebrew Bible,^[13]

• 2006, Biblical Interpretation in India: History and Issues,^[14]

• 2006, Amos, ^[15]

• 2005, Hindu-Christian Relations in India,^[16][1]

• 2003, Eighth Century Prophets. A Social Analysis,^[6]

• 2000, Challenges and Prospects in a Multi-Scriptural Context,^[17]

• 1997, Latifundialization and Isaiah 5: 8-10,^[18]

• 1994, The Concepts of Rta and Maat: A Study in Comparison,^[19]

• 1988, The Old Testament against its Cultural Background and its implications for Theological Education,^[20]

• 1985, Human Development and Shalom,^[21][1]

• 1985, Comparative and Historical Sociology in Old Testament Research: A Study of Isaiah 3: 12-15, ^[22]

References

Further reading