Nirmal Minz (11 February 1927 – 5 May 2021) was an Indian Christian theologian. He was Bishop EmeritusReligion and Society, Volume 50, Issues 2-4, CISRS, 2005, p.3. of the Protestant North Western Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church Society who served as bishop from 1980 through 1996.

As a scholar, Nirmal Minz was an authorityR. S. Sugirtharajah, The Bible and Asia, Harvard College, 2013, p.203. on Tribal and indigenous people and culture. Minz viewed tribes as being the indigenous people of India and opined that moves to alienate their landholding will cause destruction to the planet Earth itself.Roger E. Hedlund, Quest for Identity: India's Churches of Indigenous Origin: the "Little Tradition" in Indian Christianity, ISPCK/MIIS, New Delhi/Madras, 2000, p.16. As for the attitudes of the indigenous peoples, Minz believed that the accommodative nature, communitarian ownership of properties and decision by consensus did not find favour with the colonial British India which even continues to this day with the powers that be.M. Stephen, Contextual Issues: Theological, Ethical and Missiological Responses, Concept, New Delhi, 2011, p.85. Professor K. P. Aleaz in A Tribal Theology from a Tribal World - ViewK. P. Aleaz, A Tribal Theology from a Tribal World - View in Indian Journal of Theology, Volume 44, 1 and 2, 2002, pp.20-30. considers Nirmal Minz along with Renthy Keitzer and Timotheas HembromTimotheas Hembrom was supervised for his doctoral studies by both Nirmal Minz and Renthy Keitzer. Foreword by Timotheas Hembrom in The Santals: Anthropological-Theological reflections on Santali and Biblical Creation Traditions, Punthi Pustak, Calcutta, 1996. as the Theologians with focus on Tribal cultures and ideologies.

The Gossner College, Ranchi was founded by Nirmal Minz in 1971 where stories abound about its students topping the ranks.Arthur Bonner, Averting the Apocalypse: Social Movements in India Today, Duke University Press, 1990, pp.251-252.

Studies and academics

Graduate Nirmal pursued graduate studies earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1950 at Patna University. After discerning his avocation towards priesthood, he was sent for spiritual formation to the Serampore College, a constituent College of the nation's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) where he studied from 1951S. J. Samartha, M. P. John (Compiled), Directory of students 1910-1967, Serampore College (Theology Department), Serampore, 1967, p.16.-1953 earning the graduate degree Bachelor of Divinity. One of Nirmal's companions at the college was K. V. MathewK. V. Mathew, Nirmal Minz My Senior in Josepha Mariyānusa Kujūra, Sonajharia Minz (Edited), Indigenous people of India, problems and prospects: Essays in honour of Bishop Dr. Nirmal Minz, an Adivasi intellectual, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, 2007, p.63. of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church.

Postgraduate After availing study leave from the Church Society, Minz went to Arthur Bonner, Averting the Apocalypse: Social Movements in India Today, Duke University Press, 2009, pp.251. Minnesota where he pursued a dual degree programme, one in theology and the other in anthropology at the Luther SeminaryThe American Lutheran, Volumes 39-40, American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, 1956, p.510. and the University of Minnesota respectively earning both a Master of Theology specialising in Systematic Theology and a Master of Arts degree specialising in Anthropology. Minz's postgraduation theses were entitled The Messiah Or the Prophet in Nativistic Movements (for M. Th. degree) and the other A Christian Community in a Culture (for M. A. degree).

Doctoral Minz availed study leave once again and pursued doctoral studies at the University of Chicago where he earned a doctorate degree in Systematic Theology in 1968 after submitting a doctoral dissertation entitled Mahatma Gandhi and Hindu-Christian Dialogue.

Death Nirmal Minz died on 5 May 2021, at the age of 94.

Writings

Books 1957, A Christian Community in a Culture,Nirmal Minz, A Christian Community in a Culture, Luther Theological Seminary, Minnesota, 1957. 1957, The Messiah Or the Prophet in Nativistic Movements,Nirmal Minz, The Messiah Or the Prophet in Nativistic Movements, 1957. 1960, The Industrial Parish,Nirmal Minz, The Industrial Parish, Department of Organized Research, Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur, 1960. 1968, A Memorandum on the Adivasi Problems in Central Tribal Belt of India and Their Permanent Solutions (with Joel Lakra),Nirmal Minz, Joel Lakra, A Memorandum on the Adivasi Problems in Central Tribal Belt of India and Their Permanent Solutions, 1968. 1970, Mahatma Gandhi and Hindu-Christian Dialogue,Nirmal Minz, Mahatma Gandhi and Hindu-Christian Dialogue, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, Bangalore, 1970. 1997, Rise Up, My People, and Claim the Promise: The Gospel Among the Tribes of India,Nirmal Minz, Rise Up, My People, and Claim the Promise: The Gospel Among the Tribes of India, ISPCK, New Delhi, 1997.

Articles 1961, Approach to Tribal Communities Today (with Dilbar Hans and B. M. Pugh),Nirmal Minz, Dilbar Hans and B. M. Pugh, Approach to Tribal Communities Today, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, Bangalore, 1961. 1980, Transforming Effects of Christianity on the Tribals of ChotanagpurNirmal Minz, Transforming Effects of Christianity on the Tribals of Chotanagpur in P. Dash Sharma (Edited), The Passing Scene in Chotanagpur, Ranchi, 1980, pp.77-78. 1987, A Theological Interpretation of the Tribal Reality in India,Nirmal Minz, A Theological Interpregation of the Tribal Reality in India, Religion and Society, Volume 34, Issue 4, 1987, pp.71-85. Also appearing in R. S. Sigirtharajah and C. Hargreaves (Edited), Readings in Indian Christian Theology, Volume I, SPCK, London, 1993, PP.46-58. 1994, Dalit-Tribal: A Search for a Common IdeologyNirmal Minz, Dalit-Tribal: A Search for a Common Ideology in James Massey (Edited), Indigenous People: Dalit Issues in Today's Theological Debate, ISPCK, New Delhi, 1994, pp.134-142.

Honours In 2005, the Jesuit, Anand Amaladass in Indian Christian Thinkers (Volume I) included Nirmal Minz's life story highlighting Minz's contribution.

Similarly, in 2007, the Jesuit Indian Social Institute, New Delhi published a fetschrift in honour of Nirmal Minz with articles by the legendary Old Testament Scholar K. V. Mathew, Josepha Mariyānusa Kujūra, Sonajharia Minz and others.Josepha Mariyānusa Kujūra, Sonajharia Minz (Edited), Indigenous people of India, problems and prospects: Essays in honour of Bishop Dr. Nirmal Minz, an Adivasi intellectual, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, 2007. .

In 2017, he got Bhasha Samman by Sahitya Akademi for his works in Kurukh language.

References

Further reading