use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , other_names = , years_active = 1979-''present'' , occupation = Priest , education = *

B. D. In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...

( Serampore) * M. Th. ( Serampore) * Ph. D. ( London) , alma_mater = *

United Theological College, Bangalore United Theological College (UTC) is an Eccumenical Christian seminary founded in 1910 situated in the southern city of Bangalore in the state of Karnataka in South India and affiliated to India's first Theological University, the Senate of Seram ...

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

( United Kingdom) , known_for = Old Testament scholarship and able administration , spouse = , partner = , parents = Smt. Thankamma (Mother) and Bishop M. C. Mani (Father) , children = , relatives = , website = , footnotes = , signature = , signature_alt = , nocat_wdimage = , religion = Christianity , church =

Church of South India The Church of South India (CSI) is a united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of mainline Protestant denominations in South India after independence. The Church of South India is the successor of a number of Pr ...

(''A Uniting church comprising Wesleyan Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian and

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

missionary societies – ABCFM, SPG, WMMS,

LMS LMS may refer to: Science and technology * Labeled magnitude scale, a scaling technique * Learning management system, education software * Least mean squares filter, producing least mean square error * Leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer * Lenz ...

, Basel Mission,

CMS CMS may refer to: Computing * Call management system * CMS-2 (programming language), used by the United States Navy * Code Morphing Software, a technology used by Transmeta * Collection management system for a museum collection * Color managem ...

, and the Church of England)'' , ordained =1987 , laicised = , writings =1983, ''The theological understanding of the land in

Deuteronomy Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_th ...

''.
2002, ''Liberation And Service Of God'' , congregations = Kolkata, Chennai and London , offices_held = * Pastor,

*Teacher, Serampore College, Serampore ( West Bengal) *Teacher,

Gurukul Lutheran Theological College Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute is an ecumenical seminary situated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, South India. It is affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College (University).Indiaedunews.neNepal Christians to renew ties ...

, Chennai *Director,

Ecumenical Christian Centre Ecumenical Christian Centre (ECC) was founded in 1963 by M. A. Thomas. ECC is located in Whitefield in Bengaluru on a campus. Taking the total context of the world as "the text" and "the context" of theologizing: > Involving all church ...

, Bangalore *General Secretary,

Bible Society of India The Bible Society of India is a Christian body that is authorized to translate, produce, distribute and market the Bible and is a member of the United Bible Societies. The motto of the Society is to translate the word of God into languages, which ...

, Bangalore , title = The Reverend Doctor , module = Modayil Mani Chacko (born 1955Xavier Tete on Mani Chacko in Anand Amaladass, ''Indian Christian Thinkers'', Volume 2, Satya Nilayam Publications, Chennai, 2005, p.301.

/ref>) is an Old Testament Scholar and a Management Consultant. In a career spanning over four decades from the

Eighties File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, '' Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to t ...

, his roles included ministering, teaching, directing and managing largescale human resources in educational, goodwill-promoting and literary organisations with a pan-Indian presence.

Spiritual formation

Karnataka

Mani Chacko had his initial ministerial formation from 1975 to 1979K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), ''Directory of the United Theological College 1910-1997'', Bangalore, 1997. Past students of the college diploma course, p.54; Postgraduate course, p.118. at the

, affiliated to the nation's firstUNESCO Structures of University Education in India, 1952
/ref> University, the Senate of Serampore College (University), under the Principalship of

Joshua Russell Chandran Joshua Russell Chandran (1918–2000) was an Indian Christian theologian, who served as President of Senate of Serampore College, Bengal (1970–1), and as President of the United Theological College, Bangalore (1954–83), and was for some year ...

where he studied a graduate course,

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...

. After a brief pastoral ministry, Chacko returned to the Seminary and registered for a postgraduate course, Master of Theology which he studied from 1981-1983 specialising in

Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...

under

Theodore N. Swanson Theodore N. Swanson, an ordained Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is an Old Testament Scholar. Swanson taught Old Testament at the United Theological College, Bangalore, India.K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), ''Directory of the Unit ...

and E. C. John working out a dissertation entitled ''The theological understanding of the land in Deuteronomy''M. M. Chacko, ''The theological understanding of the land in Deuteronomy'' in ''Thesis Titles'',

Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College The Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College (BTESSC) is the arm of theological education under the Senate of Serampore College (University). BTESSC was formed in 1975. The Senate of Serampore College (University), under ...

, Bangalore, 1991. under guidance of Rudolf Ficker.Rudolf Ficker geht in den ruhestand in Bread for the World article
/ref> Both the graduate and post-graduate degrees were awarded by the University in successive convocations during the Registrarship of

D. S. Satyaranjan D. S. Satyaranjan (19 January 1939 – 13 June 2022) was a Silver Jubilee Pastor, a New Testament Scholar, and an Academic administration, AdministratorSamson Prabhakar (Edited), ''Together with People: Essays in honour of Rev. D. S. Satya ...

England

Chacko underwent research studies in Old Testament at the

and returned to India in 1990. While at the London University, Chacko studied under the Old Testament Scholar, Ronald E. Clements and later published his thesis in book form in 2002 with the title, ''Liberation And Service Of God''.M. M. Chacko, ''Liberation And Service Of God'', ISPCK, New Delhi, 2002.

/ref>

Ecclesiastical career

West Bengal

Mani Chacko was taken as faculty member on Serampore College, Serampore ( West Bengal) from academic year 1983-1984 onwards, where he began to teach Old Testament, also providing his guidance to Scholars studying in North India Institute of Post Graduate Theological Studies. After a three-year teaching period, Chacko took study leave in 1986 and proceeded for doctoral studies to King's College, London to upgrade his studies.

Tamil Nadu

From 1990 onwards, Chacko began to teach Old Testament at the

, Chennai. At one point of time,

Victor Premasagar Victor Premasagar (1927–2005) was the fourth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak. He was an Indian churchman and Old Testament scholar who made major contributions to research on the Old Testament and to the field of theology. Prem ...

also began teaching at the Seminary as Professor Emeritus thereby increasing the research potential of the Seminary. In 2001,George Anthony, ''Bible Society of India elects Rev. Dr. Mani Chacko as new general secretary'' in Christian Today.

/ref> Chacko was appointed as Principal of the Seminary, a post which he held until 2006 when he moved over to the

, Bangalore to take up its Directorship.

Karnataka

Following the change of helm at the

, Bangalore in 2006, Chacko succeeded M. J. Joseph and served up to 2011 as its Director and then moved out to the

when its General Secretary, B. K. Pramanik stepped down after his extended superannuation came to an end resulting in his appointment as the General Secretary. He was installed on 13 September 2011 at the CSI-

St. Mark's Cathedral, Bangalore St. Mark's Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Mark the Evangelist, is the cathedral ( Ecclesia Matar) of the Diocese of Central Karnataka of the Church of South India. The cathedral church, noted for its English Baroque architecture inspired by t ...

by the Bible Society of India Trust Association led by its President Navamani Elia Peter in the presence of a host of clergy, G. Dyvasirvadam, John S. Sadananda,

G. D. V. Prasad G. D. V. Prasad is an Old Testament scholar and translator who was the Director of Translations at the Bible Society of India, Bangalore, from 1991 to 2010. Prasad is from the Diocese of Krishna-Godavari of the Church of South India. Spiritual ...

, Robert R. Cunville, Joseph Mar Thoma, Ignatius Paul Pinto and others.E. Leelavathi Manasseh, Nicholas G. Parmar, ''Installation Service of the new General Secretary'' in ''Sowing Circle'', Volume 27, Numbers 3 and 4, July–December 2011, pp.8-11.

/ref>

References

;Notes ;Further reading * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chacko, M. Mani Old Testament scholars Alumni of King's College London Senate of Serampore College (University) alumni Church of South India clergy 1955 births Living people Academic staff of the Senate of Serampore College (University)