Bishop’s
college was founded by the first Anglican Bishop of Calcutta, Bishop
Thomas Middleton on 15th December 1820 at Sibpur, on
a site next to the Botanical Gardens by the side of Hoogly river.
The original buildings still survive as part of the Bengal Engineering
College. It was originally intended to serve as an Arts and Science
College, as well as for the training of Indian Christians for the
priesthood, and as catechists and teachers in Christian Colleges
and Schools. The first students were received on March 9th
1824. The first Indian and the first student of the College to receive
ordination was Christian David, a Tamil, working in Ceylon (Sri
Lanka).
The
plan was, the students, who normally entered the college at about
the age of fifteen, will remain some five years in the college,
during which the college would lay the foundation of a good education
as it was then understood in England – learning Greek, and Latin
classics and mathematics, with some divinity and general knowledge,
and perhaps a little Hebrew – together with the study of Indian
languages. After this they were to be sent as catechists to various
S.P. G. Missions, and if they acquitted themselves satisfactorily
then they were to be called to the college as probationers to prepare
directly for ordination, between 1832 and 1837 a number of Bengali
Hindu converts joined the college, among whom were Mahesh Chandra
Ghose, Krishna Mohan Banerjee and Madhu Sudham Seal.
The
university of Calcutta was established in 1857 and since then students
in the college were prepared for the appropriate examinations of
the University, an undertaking which took up much of the time of
the teaching staff and risked an undue concentration by the students
on their secular studies at the expenses of theology. But this was
generally considered to have advantages, which outweighed and clergy
and in order to cater to this need, a vernacular class was formed
in the college in 1867.
With
the introduction of the railway, it was felt that the college should
be shifted to a suitable site in Calcutta and finally the present
site at Beckbagan, Lower Circular Road (A J C Bose Road) was decided
upon. The transfer of the Sibpur campus to the Government for an
engineering college was signed on September 25th, 1879.
The new building could not be ready immediately and the college
for a time occupied temporary premises at 26 Theatre Road (Shakesphere
Sarani) and finally moved to the present site around the year 1833.
In the new set up of the college there was a lowere grade boarding
school for Indian Christians with an industrial department attached
to it, a High School and a College. The industrial work consisted
of a carpenter’s shop and a printing press. For teaching purposes
the boys of the industrial department (around 100) and the High
School (around 40) were combined and they could all read up to the
entrance examination of Calcutta University. The college had around
25 to 35 students of whom around 5 to 10 were reading theology.
The secular college was up to B. A. standard with Honours in England
and Philosophy. Apart from these, around five people attended the
Bengali Theological class where training lasted for one month. The
chapel was used as a meeting hall and for examinations.
It
seemed doubtful however, if this kind of institution reality represented
the founder’s intention, nor could the atmosphere in which the theological
students had to work have been reality the best fitted to prepare
them for their future work. As a result the secular department of
the college was closed in April, 1915.
Since
1918 Bishop’s College became purely a Theological college, serving
the whole Anglican province of India, Burma and Ceylon. Between
1918 and 1970 nearly 300 priests received their training in the
college among whom a good number belonged to CSI, Mar Thoma and
Syrian Orthodox Churches beside the Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians
and others.
During
1942 – 46 the college had to be shifted to Khatauli as the Government
took over its building for war purpose. Till 1936 the college was
affiliated to Serampore University and took its L.Th and B.D. In
1936 the Supreme Government Body decided that the college will no
longer take the Serampore examinations; though it would not ask
for disaffiliation. A new college diploma course was drawn up, oriented
more towards the students’ preparation for their practical ministry.
The understanding was, the best students would spend an extra year
in the college to take the B.D. By the time the college was re-established
in the Beckbagan campus in Calcutta in 1946, a concordat with Serampore
had been worked out by which some papers for the B.D. were set and
marked externally by Senate examiners. This pattern of examination,
eventually followed by all other B.D. colleges, gave Bishop’s College
much freedom to retain the college’s own particular emphasis in
the teaching and examining of subjects like pastoralia, worship
and doctrine. The college in collaboration with Serampore college
brought out the Indian Journal of Theology (1952 – 1985). It has
been revived from 1993 after a lapse of eight years on the occasion
of the celebration of William Carey’s arrival in India two hundred
years ago in 1793.
Since
Church Union in 1970, Bishop’s college has become a college of the
Church of North India and the students and the faculties represent
several traditions both within the CNI and out side it. It has become
ecumenical and national in character and composition. This has meant
broadening of vision and an enrichment of community life. Apart
from the B.D. degree, the college started offering B.Th in the Bengali
medium. M. Th studies in the college was started in 1973 and since
1980 this program continues under the auspices of the North India
Institute of Post – Graduate Theological Studies (NIIPGTS) which
is jointly done by Bishop’s College and Serampore.
The
following were some of the important personalities closely associated
with the history of the college: Krishna Mohan Banerjee (1813 –
1885), Nehemiah Goreh (1825 – 1895), Bishop Herbert Pakenham Walsh,
Bishop A J Appasamy, S. K. George, John G. Arapura, Subir Biswas
and Y.D. Tiwari. Krishna Mohan Banerjee was the first Indian Christian
to attempt an interpretation of Christ in relation to Hinduism –
explained Christ as the True Prajapati. He was a student (1836 –
1839) and later a professor (1852 – 1867) of the college. Nehemiah
Goreh, whose apologetic theology was addressed to the Brahmos, but
who also tried to refute the Hindu philosophical systems, stayed
in the college for study as well as for some teaching from 1867
to 1868. The saintly Bishiop Pakenjam Walsh was the principal of
the College from 1923 to 1934. Bishop A J Appasamy who developed
Indian Christian Theology in relation to the Bhakti tradition of
Hinduism, was professor of philosophy of Religion and History of
Religions from 1932 to 1936 in the college. The radical thinker
S.K. George, a former student and teacher of the college demonstrated
through his life that the Gandhian Satuagraha was the Cross inaction
in India. He was one of the first Indian Christians to uphold the
schoolof pluralism in theology of religions. the internationally
well-known philosopher, John G. Arapura who has attempted through
his numerous writings an intergration taught for one year in this
college (1943 – 1947). Father Subir Kumar Biswas who grew into a
dynamic leader and prophet in the sphere of social action during
his tenure as vicar of St. Paul’s Cathedral ( 1969 – 1977) was a
former student and visiting lecturer of the college. Y.D. Tiwari
was professor of Sanskrit and Religions (1972 – 1980) in the college
and he made a great contribution in the sphere of inter – religious
dialogue in his teaching and in practice.
Calcutta
which is one of the most important centres of Indian culture and
philosophy, is an ideal place for theological reflection and dialogue.
In 1991 the Inter-Religious Dialogue Programme has been started
in the college. The people of Calcutta simultaneously seek self-identity
and identification with all, which an open mind. In such a free
and fresh religious air of Calcutta, theological education of the
college becomes progressive and creative, relevant and contextual,
Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and others meet for Seminars
on various topics.
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