Sebastian Kappen (4 January 1924 – 30 November 1993) was an Indian

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

priest and liberation theologian.

Formation and studies

Born into a traditional Nasrani family in Kodikulam, Travancore, during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

, Kappen entered the Society of Jesus at the age of 20 (in 1944), and was ordained a priest on 24 March 1957. He pursued studies at the

Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school (pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

( Rome), obtaining a doctorate in Theology (1961) with a thesis on ''Religious Alienation and Praxis according to Marx's

Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 The ''Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844'' (german: Ökonomisch-philosophische Manuskripte aus dem Jahre 1844), also referred to as the ''Paris Manuscripts'' (') or as the ''1844 Manuscripts'', are a series of notes written between Apri ...

''. This was a time when Marxism was growing in influence in his home state of Kerala, in India. Away from scholasticism and its essentialism, he found in Marxian tools of social analysis effective instruments to understand the people's alienation from freedom and loss of ability to contribute to the wellbeing of society.

Evolving thought and action

Henceforth,

Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts in ...

Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

and the gospel of Mark became the dialectical poles of Kappen's thought and life, in view of liberating the human person from hidden oppressive psychological and social forces. Healing and wholeness are found in the person of Jesus, the Son of God. His theological stances evoked strong criticism in traditional circles of the Church. In 1972 Kappen moved out of Jesuit large institutions and started living among the poor wherever he was posted: in

Cochin Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Ke ...

, and later in Trivandrum,

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

and

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

as well. Despite regular attempts to bring him back into regular Jesuit community life, his superiors ultimately consented to let him adopt a lifestyle more conducive to his creative writing. His ''locus theologicus'' was the people, and particularly the poor. His studies were geared towards transformative

social action In sociology, social action, also known as Weberian social action, is an act which takes into account the actions and reactions of individuals (or ' agents'). According to Max Weber, "Action is 'social' insofar as its subjective meaning takes ...

in India. This led him to a study of the liberating and humanizing potential of the original teachings of Jesus, with a strong preference for the Gospel of Mark. He also drew on Indian traditions, particularly that of religious dissent represented by the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...

and the medieval

Bhakti Movement The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th centu ...

. He wrote and lectured extensively on the cultural restructuring of Indian society. Ever critical of systems, structures and institutions, Kappen felt his search was leading him beyond denominational and religious affiliations as well as political ideology. In Kappen's view, No political, religious or economic system was absolute, but were all to be valued only insofar as they serve the people. Thus, he felt that party and their ideologies, even of religious ones, could act as spiritual prisons, which he did not want to be confined in, while Jesus offered freedom. This stance in particular brought him into conflict with Rome. In 1977, he published ''Jesus and Freedom'', with an introduction by the Belgian priest and professor at the Louvain University

François Houtart François Houtart (7 March 1925 in Brussels – 6 June 2017 in Quito) was a Belgian marxist sociologist and Catholic priest. Houtart studied philosophy and theology at the seminary of Mechelen (Belgium) and became a priest in 1949. He earned ...

. The book came under official Church scrutiny. Kappen responded with a pamphlet entitled ''Censorship and the Future of Asian Theology''. He wrote:

“I write with responsibility. There can be defects or errors in my work. I am not infallible. Responsible thinkers and scholars the world over could judge and sift my work. In public discussions we can help each other and learn from one another. That is how truth grows in history: through a social process, and not through secret censorship”.

Kappen was censured for the publication. Kappen had been visiting professor to the Pontifical Faculty of Theology (Pune), Vidyajyoti College of Theology (Delhi), The

Catholic University of Louvain The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

( Belgium) and Maryknoll Seminary (

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...

). Kappen began experiencing heart problems in the 1980s. He first quit smoking, then began slowing his intellectual pursuits. Nonetheless, he was particularly incensed by the bombing of Iraq in the gulf war of 1990-1991. It is possible that this heightened emotional state contributed to a fatal heart attack on 30 November 1993. Kappen died in

; his body was returned to Kozhikode, where he is buried.

Writings in English

* ''Jesus and Freedom'', Orbis Books, New York, 1977. * ''Marxian Atheism'', 1983. * ''Jesus and Cultural Revolution; an Asian Perspective'', 1983. * ''Liberation Theology and Marxism'', 1986. * ''The Future of Socialism and Socialism of the Future'', Bangalore, 1992.

Writings in Malayalam

* ''Vswäsathilninnu Viplavathilèkku'' (From Faith to Revolution),1972. * ''Marxian Darsśnathinu Orämukham'' (An Introduction to the Philosophy of Marx), 1989 * ''Pravachanam Prathisamskruthi'' (Prophecy and Counterculture),1992. * ''Akraistavanäya Yèśuviné Thèdi'' (In Search of the Non-Christian Jesus), 1999 (posthumous).

Posthumous publications

* ''Tradition Modernity Counterculture'', 1994. * ''Hindutva and Indian Religious Traditions'', 2000. * ''Divine Challenge and Human Response'', 2001. * ''Jesus and Society'', ISPCK, Delhi, 2002. * ''Jesus and Culture'', ISPCK, Delhi, 2002. * ''Towards a Holistic Cultural Paradigm'', 2003.

Bibliography

in English

*Philip Mathew and Ajit Murickan (ed), ''Religion, Ideology and counterculture; Essays in honour of S.Kappen'', Bangalore, 1987.

in Malayalam

* ''Prathi-samskruthiyilekku'' (Counterculture Thoughts of Fr. Sebastian Kappen), Manusham Publications, Ettumanoor, 2008.

External links

Sebastian Kappen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kappen, Sebastian 1924 births 1993 deaths Liberation theologians Syro-Malabar priests 20th-century Indian Jesuits Malayali people People from Idukki district 20th-century Indian Roman Catholic theologians