Timotheas Hembrom (31 July 1939 – 18 August 2020) was an ordained Minister of the Church of North India and an Old Testament Scholar who taught at the Bishop's College, Kolkata, affiliated to the nation's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University). As a Biblical scholar, Hembrom was a memberFr. Max Gonsalves (Ed.), Society for Biblical Studies in India Directory 1998. of the scholarly Society for Biblical Studies in India, with members from the Protestant, Orthodox, Catholic and Charismatic Church societies. He researched on Santali creation traditions and his work was first published in 1996 (reprinted in 2013) was simultaneously reviewed in the Indian Journal of TheologyBook reviews in the Indian Journal of Theology and the Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies.Thompson, A. F., Book Review: The Santals, Anthropological-Theological Reflections on Santali and Biblical Creation Traditions, Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 11, Article 14, 1998.
Hembrom had been the editor of the Santali magazine,K. P. Aleaz, Theology of Religions: Birmingham Papers and Other Essays, Moumita Publishers and Distributors, Calcutta, 1998, p.265. Jug-Sirijol published by the Santali Cultural and Literary Society, Kolkata in Roman script.Anadi Kumar Mahapatra, Tribal Politics in West Bengal, Suhrid Publication, Calcutta, 1987, p.103.
Contributions Comparative studies between creation stories Hembrom's research and exegetical work on the Santhals highlights the hitherto unknown facts about their creation traditions which seem identical to the Biblical creation traditions. K. P. Aleaz writes that Hembrom worked on finding out parallels between the Biblical creation stories and the Santal creation stories, which seemed identical with those in the Genesis creation stories. In this context of similarity, 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 Renthy Keitzer, Nirmal Minz and Hembrom as the Theologians with focus on Tribal cultures and ideologies.
In a recent work by the Scholar Ivy Imogene HansdakJamia Millia Islamia, Department of English of the Jamia Millia Islamia on Santal creation stories the research of Hembrom was highlightedIvy Imogene Hansdak, The Creation Myth of the Santals in Lokaratna Volume VIII, 2015 , pp.14-18.
As a comparative religion scholar who drew parallels between the Genesis creation story and the Santal creation traditions, Hembram attributes the lead given by Old Testament's leading Scholar, Claus Westermann, "Our very extensive knowledge of literature about creation and primeval time does not allow us to draw a sharp line of distinction between the high cultures and the primitive cultures and then to exclude the latter from the pre-history of the biblical story of primeval events."
Santali Linguistics The Jug-Sirijol which advances Santali language and literature focusing on the tribal identities continues to be published in Roman script which has been in use since the pre-colonial times. Hembrom had been editor of Jug-Sirijol for a number of years'. Although a new script, Ol Chiki alphabet was propagated in 1979,Divyendu Tudu Raska and Archer Anthony Marandi, Letter to the University of Berkeley Linguistics Department addressed to Prof. Deborah Anderson, 30 November 2002. it had met dissent with the Santhal people who voiced their concerns to the scholarly fora including the University of California, Berkeley and had also referred to the concerns of Hembrom who wrote on the use of Ol Chiki alphabet,
Studies Pre-graduate After early schooling at the Kaerabani Santal High School in Kaerabani, Dumka district, Hembrom had his ministerial formation at Santal Theological College, Benagaria, which had just then received affiliationOlav Hodne, The Seed Bore Fruit: A Short History of the Santal Mission of the Northern Churches 1867-1967, Santal Mission of the Northern Churches, Dumka, 1967, p.92. from the nation's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University). Hembram studied at the College during the Principalship of J. T. Krogh and moved to Serampore College, Serampore in 1967S. J. Samartha, M. P. John (Compiled), Directory of students 1910-1967, Serampore College (Theology Department), Serampore, 1967, p.27. from where he obtained a Licentiate in Theology from the University under the Registrarship of C. Devasahayam.
Graduate In order to upgrade his academics, Hembram proceeded to Bangalore where he studied from 1968 to 1970K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), Directory of the United Theological College 1910-1997, Bangalore, 1997. Past students of the college diploma course, p.38; Postgraduate course, p.107. at the United Theological College, Bangalore, affiliated to the nation's firstUNESCO Structures of University Education in India, 1952 University, the Senate of Serampore College (University), under the Principalship of Joshua Russell Chandran where he upgraded to Bachelor of Divinity. Hembram companions at the College included H. S. Wilson, P. J. Lawrence, J. W. Gladstone and others who studied at varying intervals.
Postgraduate In his second stint at the College in Bangalore between 1971-1973, Hembrom enrolled for postgraduate studies, Master of Theology, specialising in Old Testament under his Teachers, E. C. John, G. M. Butterworth and Gerhard Wehmeier working out a dissertation entitled Man and his destiny in the priestly sections of the Pentateuch.T. Hembrom, Man and his destiny in the priestly sections of the Pentateuch in Thesis Titles, Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, Bangalore, 1991. Hembrom was part of the pioneer group of postgraduate students who specialised in Old Testament comprising A. P. Chacko, Basil Rebera, G. Babu Rao, Nitoy Achümi, and S. J. Theodore. However, Hembrom was awarded a degree only in 1975 in the ensuing convocation of the Senate of Serampore College (University) held on 1 February 1975Convocation Brochure, 1 February 1975 Serampore College, Serampore. at the Serampore College, Serampore under the Registrarship of C. Devasahayam, Hembrom was awarded a Master of Theology degree where the Convocation Commemoration Mass in Serampore was conducted by his seminary companion, G. Babu RaoG. Babu Rao, Content Analysis of Theological Syllabi – Old Testament in Religion and Society, Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society, 3 September 1985. who had already become an Old Testament Teacher at Serampore College.The Story of Serampore and its College, Council of Serampore College, Serampore (Fourth Edition), 2005, p.92. at the CNI-St. Olave's Church, Serampore.
Doctoral While teaching at the Bishop's College, Kolkata, Hembrom availed study leave and pursued research studies with the South Asia Theological Research Institute, Bangalore, a doctoral-level institute under the Senate of Serampore College (University) researching on the Santals with special reference to their creation stories and was supervised by Renthy Keitzar and Nirmal Minz who enabled him to work on his thesis after which Hembrom was able to submit his doctoral dissertation in 1991 which was originally entitled The Creation narrative of the Santals and the Genesis Creation narrative: A probing into their theological motifsT. Hembrom, The Creation narrative of the Santals and the Genesis Creation narrative: A probing into their theological motifs. Cited in Indian Church History Review, Volumes 27-32, Church History Association of India, 1993, p.122. after which the Senate of Serampore College (University) awarded him a doctoral degree Senate, List of the Recipient of the Degree of Doctor of Theology during the registrarship of D. S. Satyaranjan.
Inculturation and the practicalities Hembrom belonged to the Lutheran Danish Santal Mission (Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church). In the 1960s, an unexpected turn of events took place relating to the issue of inculturation. Although Hembram had his schooling at the Mission schools established by the Danish Santal Mission which was founded in 1867,Günther Gassmann, Mark W. Oldenburg, Historical Dictionary of Lutheranism, Second Edition, Scarecrow, Lanham, 2011, p.112. where he grew on strong Christian ethics and enrolled for theological studies at the Santal Theological College, Dumka district and later at the Protestant Regional Seminary in Bangalore where he completed graduate studies in theology (Bachelor of Divinity), returning to his alma mater in 1970 to resume teaching when J. T. Krogh still happened to be the Principal. This was the 1960s when the Second Vatican Council had concluded and Papal encyclicals were issued concerning the local cultures and their adaptation in the Christian liturgy. Rev. Fr. D. S. Amalorpavadass who pitched for inculturation at the Second Vatican Council found that his appeals had been met. However, back at the Santal Theological College, the Lutherans were yet to adapt the local traditions into the Christian liturgy. During that period, Hembrom took a couple of his students to a Santali wedding where they happened to participate in music and dance which involved the playing of Santal music using the Tamak' and Tumdak'. The Danish Santali Mission (Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church) took a rigid stance debarring not only Hembrom but even those students who accompanied him. In the ensuing student unfriendly environment, the Principal, J. T. Krogh voiced his apprehension at the decision of the Council of the Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church and left the College taking along with him the five debarred students as well as his debarred colleague Hembram and joined en masse in the Church of North India-led Bishop’s College, Calcutta. The students continued their studies at the Bishop’s College, Calcutta, Hembrom was sent by the College for postgraduate studies to Bangalore while J. T. KroghDansk Biografisk Leksikon (Danish Biographic Lexicon), 2011 was accommodated into the FacultyDanish Mission Photo Archives, Folder 114 at the Bishop’s College, Calcutta.
Hembrams continued to be grateful to the Lutheran Danish Santal Mission (Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church) and rather attributed the circumstances to lack of understanding at that point of time. The issue of inculturation, also referred to as indigenization took a dominant role in the scholarly meetings of the Society for Biblical Studies in India in which Hembrams also happens to be a member. Successive biennial conclaves of the Old Testament and New Testament scholars of the Protestant, Orthodox, Catholic and Charismatic traditions discussed whether it is possible to interpret the Bible in an Indian way. Rev. Fr. Joseph Pathrapankal, Rev. Dr. E. C. John, Rev. Fr. Matthew Vellanickal and other members of the scholarly society contributed immensely to the Indian interpretation and adopting of traditional forms in worship. Year's later, Biblical scholars also published Indian Interpretation of the Bible in 2000 honouring Rev. Fr. Joseph Pathrapankal. Similarly, Comparative religion scholars of the Indian seminaries began to adopt the native traditions and particularly the Indian ethos in Christian liturgy.
Ecclesiastical ministry Benagaria Hembrams was a Teacher at his alma mater, the Santal Theological College, Benagaria and started his ecclesiastical teaching ministry. After a two-year break during 1968-1970 to upgrade his academics at Bangalore, he returned to the BenagariaRuby Hembrom, The Santals and the Bodding Paradox, paper presented at the Paul Olaf Bodding Symposium during 3–5 November 2015 at the University of Oslo. and taught again during 1970-1971.
Cherrapunji After Hembrams specialised in Old Testament, he proceeded to the Chera Theological College, Cherrapunji where he taught from 1973-1977.
Kolkata