99.230.35.213: /* Recognition */

2021-07-09T18:55:57Z

Recognition

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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox clergy
| name = Kuzhivelil V. Mathew
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1931|11|02}}
| church = [[Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church]]
| other_names =
| education = {{plain list|1=
* [[C. M. S. College Kottayam]]
* [[Serampore College]], Serampore ''([[B. D.]] & [[M. Th.]])''
* [[University of Edinburgh]], Edinburgh ''([[Ph.D.]])''
}}
| ordained = 1955
| writings = ''See Contents - 3.Writings''
| congregations =
| offices_held = {{plain list|1=
* [[Clergy]], [[Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church]]<ref>[http://www.marthomasyrianchurch.org/clergy.asp?issue=mathew&submit1=Search# Clergy Address, Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church]</ref>
* [[Lecturer]] - [[Serampore College]], Serampore & Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam
}}
| title = Reverend Doctor
| parents = {{plain list|1=
* [[Mother]]: [[Smt.]] Rachel
* [[Father]]: [[Sri]] K. T. Varkey
}}
| footnotes =
}}

'''Kuzhivelil Varkey Mathew''' (born 2 November 1931) is an Indian biblical scholar and a member<ref name="SBSI">[[Father (title)|Fr.]] Max Gonsalves (Ed.), Society for Biblical Studies in India Directory 1998. Entry 131, page 30.</ref> of the Society for Biblical Studies in India.

== History ==

===Education===
Kuzhuvelil Varkey Mathew was born in Keezhuvaipur in Kerala to Rachel and K. T. Varkey. Mathew studied at the local CMS High School in [[Mallapally]] in [[Pathanamthitta]] District and later underwent pre-university studies at the CMS College in [[Kottayam]].

===Divinity===
After Mathew evinced interest in pursuing studies in divinity, the [[Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church]] then headed by [[Juhanon Mar Thoma]] ''(Mar Thoma XVIII)'' sent him to [[Serampore College]], [[Serampore]] where he pursued graduate studies in theology from 1951 to 1954.<ref name="Directory">[[S. J. Samartha]], [[M. P. John]] (Compiled), ''Directory of students 1910-1967'', Serampore College (Theology Department), Serampore, 1967, p.16.</ref> The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church ordained Mathew as a Clergy in 1955. He was made Vicar in [[Mylom]]. After briefly donning the pastoral role, Mathew was sent again to Serampore College from 1956 to 1957. He then studied at the [[United Theological College (Bangalore)|United Theological College]],<ref name="Hiwale" /> [[Bengaluru]] in the ensuing academic year to pursue post-graduate studies in Biblical Studies leading to [[M. Th.]] in [[Old Testament]] thereby becoming the first Indian to pursue a post-graduate course in Old Testament under the [[Senate of Serampore College (University)]], a State University<ref name="UGC">Under Section 2 (f) of the UGC Act, 1956, '''''[[University]]''' means a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act, and includes any such institution as may, in consultation with the University concerned, be recoginsed by the Commission in accordance with the regulations made in this behalf under this Act.'' The UGC took the opinion that the Senate fell under the purview of Section 2 (f) of the said Act since ''The Serampore College Act, 1918'' was passed by the Government of West Bengal.{{cite web|url=http://www.senateofseramporecollege.org/act/UGC.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-11-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926195054/http://senateofseramporecollege.org/act/UGC.htm |archive-date=26 September 2008 }}</ref> of the Government of West Bengal and recognised by the [[University Grants Commission (India)|University Grants Commission]] under Section 2 (f)<ref name="UGC" /> of the [[University Grants Commission (India)|University Grants Commission]] Act, 1956. Mathew studied Old Testament under the Old Testament specialist, Professor [[Norman Henry Snaith]], then a Visiting Professor at the Seminary in [[Bengaluru]],<ref name="Hiwale">K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), ''The United Theological College, Directory 1910-1997'', Bengaluru, 1997. p.7 and p.103.[https://books.google.com/books?id=yCvXPgAACAAJ&dq]</ref> and worked out a thesis using the [[Septuagint]].

From 1958 to 1960 Mathew was Vicar of the Mar Thoma Parish in Calcutta.<ref>P. Thankappan Nair, ''South Indians in Kolkata: History of Kannadigas, Konkanis, Malayalees, Tamilians, Telugus, South Indian dishes, and Tippoo Sultan's heirs in Calcutta'', Published by Punthi Pustak, Kolkata, 2004.[https://books.google.com/books?id=swNuAAAAMAAJ&q]</ref>

===Teacher===
Mathew began teaching Old Testament in Serampore College, a constituent College of the Senate of Serampore College (University),<ref name="Serampore">V. C. Samuel (Edited), ''The Indian journal of theology'', Volume 13, 1964. [https://books.google.com/books?id=DeHRAAAAMAAJ&q]</ref> Serampore beginning from the academic year 1960<ref name="Council">The Council of Serampore College, ''The Story of Serampore and its College'', Fourth Edition 2005, Serampore.</ref> till 1971 when his parent Church, the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church recalled<ref name="Council" /> him to Kottayam for teaching in the Mar Thoma Theological Seminary. Paulose Mar Paulose, [[D. S. Satyaranjan]], G. Babu Rao, [[S. Jeyapaul David]] and James Massey were few of the students of [[K. V. Mathew]]. One of his old students, G. Babu Rao returned to Serampore to teach Old Testament from 1974. Mathew's teaching colleagues included [[Y. D. Tiwari]] and others.

Starting from the academic year 1971-1972, Mathew began teaching Old Testament in the Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam. In 1981, he was made Principal of the Mar Thoma Theological Seminary and continued in that position till 1986.

Mathew was also on the panel of Professors under the Federated Faculty for Research in Religion and Culture<ref name="Wider" /> (FFRRC), [[Kerala]] and served as a guide to post-graduate and doctoral students. In 2000, K. V. Mathew was invited by the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar (Delhi Diocese) to serve as the Principal<ref name="Dharma">National Council of Churches Review, Volume 120, Published by National Christian Council of India, 2000. p. 950.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=USfZAAAAMAAJ&dq]</ref> of Dharma Jyoti Vidyapeeth ''{affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College (University)}'', [[Faridabad]]. Mathew held the reins of this institution in Faridabad till 2002.

===Leadership===
* Mar Thoma Sabha
After two decades of teaching in the Seminary in Kottayam, Mathew was made the Secretary<ref name="Wider" /> of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in 1987 continuing till 1990 under Metropolitan [[Alexander Mar Thoma]] ''(Mar Thoma XIX)''.
* Society for Biblical Studies in India
The Society for Biblical Studies in India was constituted by Biblical Scholars to foster Biblical scholarship in relation to the Indian context. Mathew also served as an office-bearer{{Clarify|what is an office bearer?|date=March 2010}} of the SBSI. He was twice elected as its President in 1983 and 1994.<ref>''[[Cf.]] Wikipedia article on Society for Biblical Studies in India''</ref>

==Education==
He studied biblical languages, [[Hebrew]], [[Aramaic]] and [[Ancient Greek|Greek]].<ref name="Katharine">Katharine Smith Diehl, ''Early Indian imprints'', Published by Scarecrow Press, 1964.[https://books.google.com/books?id=xmWTAAAAIAAJ&q]</ref>

==Research==
[[File:Gunkel.jpg|70px|thumb|right|[[Hermann Gunkel]] - the Father of OT scholarship.]][[Image:Mowinckel.jpg|70px|thumb|right|[[Sigmund Mowinckel]], who inspired Mathew.]]
Mathew did original research on the [[Psalms]] at the [[University of Edinburgh]], Scotland.<ref name="Katharine"/>

Subhasito Snehomoyo Patro of [[Jeypore]] who researched at the [[University of Kiel]], Germany in 1976 cited both [[Sigmund Mowinckel]] and [[Mathew]] on the issue of ''[[Royal psalms]]''<ref>Subhasito Snehomoyo Patro, ''Royal psalms in modern scholarship'', an unpublished dissertation submitted to the [[University of Kiel]], Germany, 1976.[https://books.google.com/books?id=SW4PAQAAIAAJ&q]</ref> categorized by [[Hermann Gunkel]].

Mathew edited the ''One-Volume Bible Commentary'' in Malayalam. He worked with Chief Editor [[E. C. John]].<ref name="Wider">P. Jegadish Gandhi, K. C. John, ''Upon the winds of wider ecumenism: essays and tributes in honour of Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph'', Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, New Delhi, 2006. p.349. [https://books.google.com/books?id=i7BoAAAAMAAJ&q=].</ref>

==Scholarly contributions==
[[Ronald E. Manahan]], the President of [[Grace College]], [[Winona Lake, Indiana]] in his doctoral dissertation entitled ''A Re-examination of the Cultural Mandate: An analysis and Evaluation of the Dominion Materials''<ref name="Ronald">Ronald E. Manahan, ''A Re-examination of the Cultural Mandate: An analysis and Evaluation of the Dominion Materials'', An unpublished thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Theology in Grace Theological Seminary, May 1982, Winona Lake, Indiana. [http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/OTeSources/01-Genesis/Text/Books/Manahan-Cultural/Manahan-Cultural.pdf]</ref> cites K. V. Mathew:

{{quote|.....Prof. Mathew believed that the Psalmic material describing nature is a cultic expression of faith and not a historical statement.}}

L. Jayachitra, a New Testament Scholar<ref>L. Jayachitra, ''A Postcolonial Feminist Biblical Interpretation: Mary Magdalene and Canonization'', Bangalore Theological Forum, Volume 38, 2006. [https://books.google.com/books?lr=&id=fXrYAAAAMAAJ&dq]</ref> in an article discussed the gender identity of God where she quoted K. V. Mathew:

{{quote|.....According to K.V.Mathew, "God in reality is not a noun but a verb".}}

Joseph Oomen, a Priest of the Mar Thoma Church<ref>Joseph Oomen, ''The Concept of Trinity and Its Implication for Christian Communication in Indian Context''. Religion Online. Internet, accessed 21 September 2009. [http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2454]</ref> quotes K. V. Mathew on the topic concerning God.

{{quote|.....In the Old Testament, according to K. V. Mathew, we don’t have any definitive description about the nature of God.}}

Taking the above cue from Dr. Mathew, Oomen builds up his article thus:

<blockquote>
In the expression 'Eheh'6 the 'ousia' of God is denoted not by a static being but a dynamic creative becoming. The Hebrew word Elohim is plural. So the single Godhead comprises the majesty of divine plurality. The nature of God as it is shown in the book of Genesis implies that God is a family (Genesis 5:2-3); God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4, Exodus 20:3).
</blockquote>

==Publications==
* ''Ancient Religions of the Fertile Crescent and the Sanatana Dharma''<ref>K. V. Mathew, ''Religions of the Fertile Crescent and the Sanatana Dharma'', Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 104, 1959.[https://books.google.com/books?id=76ATAAAAIAAJ&q]</ref>
* ''Trinity-Semantic Considerations''<ref>K. V. Mathew in K. M. Tharakan (Edited) ''Triune God: Love, Justice, Peace'', Published by Youth Movement of Indian Orthodox Church, Mavelikkara, 1989. p. 72. Cited by Joseph Oomen in ''The Concept of Trinity and Its Implication for Christian Communication in Indian Context''. [http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2454]</ref>
* ''The Concept of God and Nature in the Psalms''<ref name="Ronald"/>
* ''The Hermeneutical Struggle in India''<ref>K. V. Mathew, ''The Hermeneutical Struggle in India'', The NCCI Review, Volume 101, Nagpur, 1981.[https://books.google.com/books?lr=&id=IPzYAAAAMAAJ&dq]</ref>
* ''Indigenisation: An Old Testament Perspective''<ref>K. V. Mathew, ''Indigenisation: An Old Testament Perspective'' in papers submitted to the XIIth Conference of the Society for Biblical Studies on the theme "Diakonia and Leadership Patterns", held at De Nobili College, Pune from 29 December 1982 to 1 January 1983. [http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=12244619]</ref>
* ''The faith and practice of the Mar Thoma Church''<ref>K. V. Mathew, ''The faith and practice of the Mar Thoma Church: (prepared for the Triple Jubilee Celebration of Reformation in the Malankara Church)'', Published by Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, 1985, Kottayam. [https://books.google.com/books?id=e7D8GwAACAAJ&dq]</ref>
* ''Walking humbly with God : A Biography of the Rev. C. E. Abraham''<ref>K. V. Mathew, ''Walking humbly with God : A Biography of the Rev. C. E. Abraham'', Kottayam, 1986. Cited by Brian Stanley in ''The history of the Baptist Missionary Society, 1792-1992'', T&T Clark, 1992.[https://books.google.com/books?id=qu3YAAAAMAAJ&dq]</ref>
* ''Ecological Perspectives in the Book of Psalms''<ref>K. V. Mathew in Bible Bhashyam, 1993, pp.159–68. Cited by David M. Howard, Jr. in ''Recent Trends in Psalms Study'', 1999. [http://www.bethel.edu/~dhoward/articles/FOTSPsalms2.pdf]</ref>
* ''Crisis and Hope in Israel's Exile''<ref name="Aizawl">K. V. Mathew, ''Crisis and Hope in Israel's Exile'', A paper presented at the XVIIth Conference of the SBSI held in [[Union Biblical Seminary]], Pune, 1998. Cited in Indian Theological Studies, Volume 35, 1998. [https://books.google.com/books?id=3oHYAAAAMAAJ&dq]</ref>
* ''Dr. M. M. Thomas - A Grateful Memory''<ref>K. V. Mathew, ''Dr. M. M. Thomas - A Grateful Memory'', NCCI Review, Volume 117, Nagpur, 1997. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fhjZAAAAMAAJ&dq]</ref>
* ''Last Supper - A Kingdom Perspective''<ref name="Aizawl"/><ref>K. V. Mathew, ''Last Supper - A Kingdom Perspective'', National Council of Churches review, Volume 118, Published by the NCCI, Nagpur, 1998. [https://books.google.com/books?id=AiXZAAAAMAAJ&dq]</ref>
* ''Ecology and Faith in the Old Testament''<ref name="Wider"/><ref>P. Jegadish Gandhi, K. C. John, ''Upon the winds of wider ecumenism: essays and tributes in honour of Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph'', Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, New Delhi, 2006. [https://books.google.com/books?id=i7BoAAAAMAAJ&q=].</ref>

==Higher studies==
While teaching Old Testament in Serampore College, Mathew availed study leave{{Clarify|what is "study leave"?|date=March 2010}} and proceeded to the University of Edinburgh,<ref name="Katharine"/> [[Scotland]] in the academic year 1962 to 1963<ref name="Council"/> and enrolled to pursue doctoral studies in the field of Old Testament under Professors G. W. Anderson,<ref>G. W. Anderson (Edited), ''Tradition and Interpretation - Essays by Members of the Society for Old Testament Study'', Oxford, December 1979. [http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/ReligionTheology/BiblicalStudies/OldTestamentHebrewBible/~~/dmlldz11c2EmY2k9OTc4MDE5ODI2MzE1OQ==]</ref> N. W. Porteous<ref>N. W. Porteous, ''Living Issues in Biblical Scholarship - Prophet and Priest in Israel'', The Expository Times, Vol. 62, No. 1, 4-9 (1950).[http://ext.sagepub.com/cgi/pdf_extract/62/1/4]</ref> and R. E. Clements,<ref>Edward Ball (Edited), ''In search of true wisdom: Essays in Old Testament interpretation in honour of Ronald E. Clements'' (
Volume 300 of Journal for the study of the Old Testament), Published by Continuum International Publishing Group, 1999. [https://books.google.com/books?id=-TX5UHqlWVUC&dq]</ref> who were then teaching at the University of Edinburgh. Between 1964 and 1968, Mathew returned to Serampore College, Serampore to take up his teaching assignments. He left the College again in 1968-1969 to spend a year at the [[University of Hamburg]], Germany under [[Klaus Koch]]. In the final phase of his doctoral research, he spent the final academic year ''(1969-1970)'' at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and submitted a thesis on the topic ''God and Nature in the Book of Psalms'' thereby becoming the first Indian to be awarded a doctorate by the Faculty of Theology of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

==Visiting scholar==
After leaving the Seminary in Kottayam in 1994, Mathew spent three years as a Vicar of the Parish in [[Ranni]]. In 1997, he was Visiting Professor<ref name="Aizawl" /> at the Aizawl Theological College, [[Aizawl]]. In 1999 and 2008, he was a Visiting Professor at his ''[[alma mater]]'' in Serampore. From 2000 to 2002 he took up the Principalship<ref name="Dharma" /> of Dharma Jyoti Vidyapeeth in Faridabad.

==Offices held==
{{s-start}}
{{s-npo|pro}}
{{s-bef|before=K. David / [[R. J. Raja]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=President<ref name="SBSI" /> Society for Biblical Studies in India|years=1983–1985 / 1994-1996 }}
{{s-aft|after=[[Rene Van de Walle]] / [[P. A. Sampath Kumar]]}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box | before=K. C. Mathew
| title = Principal Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, [[Kottayam]]
| after = M. J. Joseph| years=1981 - 1986}}
{{succession box | before=-
| title = Principal Dharma Jyoti Vidyapeeth, [[Faridabad]]
| after = V. S. Varghese| years=2000 - 2002}}

{{s-end}}
==Recognition==
On 22 November, 2019, [[India Post]] issued a commemorative postage stamp of Rs. 5.<ref name=IndiaPost2019>{{cite web |url=http://postagestamps.gov.in/Stampofyear.aspx?uid=2019 |title=Stamps 2019 |work=[[India Post]] |access-date=2020-08-31}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Y. D. Tiwari]]
* [[Klaus Koch]]
* [[S. J. Samartha]]

==References==
;Notes
{{Reflist|30em}}
;Further reading
* {{cite journal
| author = Subhasito Snehomoyo Patro
| title = Royal psalms in modern scholarship
| year = 1976
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=SW4PAQAAIAAJ&q
}}
* {{cite journal
| author = Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, National Council of Churches in India
| title = Our Common Witness : Report of a Consultation
| year = 1981
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=4QgjAAAAMAAJ&q
}}
* {{cite journal
| author = Herbert E. Hoefer
| title = Church-state-society: Issues of mission in India from the perspective of Luther's two-kingdom principle - The Abraham Malpan lectures
| year = 1982
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XpzYAAAAMAAJ&q
}}
* {{cite journal
| author = Pontificio Istituto biblico
| title = Elenchus bibliographicus biblicus of Biblica
| year = 1984
| volume = 65
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PYrgAAAAMAAJ&dq
}}
* {{cite book
| author1 = Barbara H. Chase |author2=Martha L. Man | title=Spirit and Struggle in Southern Asia
| year = 1986
|isbn=9780377001572 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=L258_HB0JccC&q
}}
* {{cite journal
| author1 = Bernhard Stade |author2=Karl Marti |author3=Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft | title=Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
| year = 1988
| volume = 100
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=m7aRAAAAIAAJ&dq
}}
* {{cite book
| author = Barbara Crossette
| title = The Great Hill Stations of Asia
| year = 1999
| isbn = 9780465014880
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EEBhMxZu7LMC&dq
}}
* {{cite journal
| author = David F. Hinson
| title = History of Israel - Old Testament, Introduction 1
| year = 2001
| url = http://www.baalajibooks.com/books.php?cPath=9&page=31
| url-status = dead
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110707203100/http://www.baalajibooks.com/books.php?cPath=9&page=31
| archive-date = 7 July 2011
}}
* {{cite book
| author = Eṃ St̲t̲īphan
| title = The ethics of love in the human context
| year = 2004
| isbn = 9788186771402
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=zPvWAAAAMAAJ&q
}}
* {{cite book
| author = P. P. Thomas
| title = The word of God for the world of the human: essays in honour of Rev. Dr. K. V. Mathew on the occasion of his Sapthathy
| year = 2005
| isbn = 9788178210391
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=SZFeAAAACAAJ&dq
}}
* {{cite journal
| author = L. Jayachitra
| title = A Postcolonial Feminist Biblical Interpretation : Mary Magdalene and Canonization
| year = 2006
| volume = 38
| url = https://books.google.com/?id=fXrYAAAAMAAJ&dq
}}

==External links==
* [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/decemberweb-only/24.0a.html?start=2 "Churches Hope to Reunite India's Legacy of the Apostle Thomas" - Christianity Today]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=EEBhMxZu7LMC&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=%22K.+V.+Mathew%22+religion&source=bl&ots=0kmKyi5_j9&sig=l8G99LwB-bxvVOJrjA1sZX_Cu6M&hl=en&ei=-c68S46kMZKksgOd0aSoBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAUQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=%22K.%20V.%20Mathew%22%20religion&f=false "The Great Hill Stations of Asia, Volume 1998" - Google Books]

{{Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathew, K. V.}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Old Testament scholars]]
[[Category:Indian priests]]
[[Category:Christian clergy from Kottayam]]
[[Category:Indian Christian theologians]]
[[Category:Indian biblical scholars]]
[[Category:Indian lecturers]]
[[Category:Mar Thoma Syrian Church]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Senate of Serampore College (University) alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education]]
[[Category:Senate of Serampore College (University) faculty]]

Kuzhivelil Mathew - Revision history

99.230.35.213: /* Recognition */