Revd. Valson Thampu is an Indian educator,
Christian theologian
Christian theology is the theology of Christian belief and practice. Such study concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Christian tradition. Christian theologians use biblical exegesi ...
, who was the
Principal of
St Stephen's College,
University of Delhi
Delhi University (DU), formally the University of Delhi, is a collegiate central university located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly and is recognized as an Institute of Eminence (IoE) ...
,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
, from 2008 to February 2016. Prior to this he was a lecturer at the college and its officiating principal since May 2007. He is a translator from Malayalam to English and his translation of ''The Scent of the Other Side'' won the Crossword award. His second translated work, ''Gift in Green'' was published by HarperCollins in 2011.
Prior to that he served as a Member of the Delhi Minorities Commission for two terms (2000 -2004) and Member, the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (2004-2007). He was nominated twice to the National Integration Council under the category, 'Distinguished Citizens of India'.
He was a controversial figure during his tenure as Principal of St. Stephen's, with numerous calls for his removal (particularly from alumni, as well as from professors at the institution). Under his leadership, St. Stephen's rose in national estimation and came to be ranked first among all colleges in India, for all courses taught in St. Stephen's.
He is an ordained minister of
Church of North India
The Church of North India (CNI) is the dominant united Protestant church in northern India. It was established on 29 November 1970 by bringing together the Protestant churches working in northern India. It is a province of the worldwide Anglica ...
and a member of the
National Minorities Commission and Delhi Minorities Commission.
Thampu pursued Ph.D. in Theology from
.
In view of the irreversible spiritual degeneration that churches in India have suffered, he renounced his priesthood in 2016.
Sexual abuse coverup and Controversy
In 2015, a researcher in the St. Stephens College alleged Valsan Thampu of covering up sexual abuse and misconduct. She said that Thampu tried "to destroy her" by getting her to put on paper that her complaint was an "academic problem." Thampu, is also accused of forcing the rape victim to withdraw her complaints by "explaining the legal aspect" to her, and intimidating her. He is accused of blackmailing her so he would ensure her PhD would be completed as long as she cooperated and withdrew the complaint.
On investigation by the police, it turned out that no case could be made out against the faculty member, who was 85% physically disabled, who was framed in this case. The facts about this and a host of controversies comprise the substance of Thampu's memoir titled On A Stormy Course (Hachette India, 2017).
Works
* ''Kristiya drishtanta: a Christian viewpoint''. with Kathleen D. Nicholls, Christopher Raj. Publisher: TRACI (Theological Research and Communication Institute), New Delhi, 1989.
* ''AIDS, heresy and prophecy: what the virus says''. TRACI, New Delhi, 1993.
* ''The Word and the World: a Biblical perspective on contemporary issues''. TRACI, New Delhi, 1995.
* ''Cross-cultural issues in AIDS: an Afro-Asian advocacy''. TRACI, New Delhi, 1995.
* ''Rediscovering Mission: Towards a Non-western Missiological Paradigm''. TRACI, New Delhi, 1995.
* ''Be thou my vision: spiritual resources for the healing ministry''. TRACI, New Delhi, 1997. .
* ''Religion and politics: minorities and the regeneration of the mainstream''. Media House, 1999. .
* ''Pilgrims to the light: encounters in a shared destiny''. Har-Anand Publications, 2000. . Ed
Excerpts* ''Tongues of fire: Sermons for today''. TRACI, New Delhi, 2001. .
* ''Harvest of Hate: Gujarat Under Siege'', with
Swami Agnivesh
Swami Agnivesh (born Vepa Shyam Rao; 21 September 193911 September 2020), was an Indian social activist and the founder of Arya Sabha, a political party based on the principles of Arya Samaj. . Rupa & Co, India. 2002. .
* ''The Word and the World'', TRACI, New Delhi, 2003.
* ''Othappu: The Scent of the other side'', OUP, 2009.
* The Dream and the Dragon'', TRACI, New Delhi, 1994.
* Gift in Green" HarperCollins, Delhi, 2011
* Bible: The Armour of Light, Delhi, 1996.
* Hidden Treasures. Delhi, 2005
* On A Stormy Course: In the Hot-seat at St. Stephen's. Hachette, India, 2017.
* The Saint of Parumala: A Tribute. Kottayam, 2017.
* Thoughts for Trying Times, Mumbai, 2021.
* Beyond Religion: Imaging A New Humanity. Pippa Rann Books & Media, UK, 2022.
References
External links
St. Stephen's College, Official Website
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vthampu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thampu, Valson
Scholars from Delhi
Academic staff of Delhi University
Indian religious writers
Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences alumni
Indian Christian theologians
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)