Jesuit philosopher dedicated to God, humans totally

By Kuruvilla Pandikatt

Pune: With the passing away of Jesuit Father John Vattanky on February 22, the Church and the nation have lost an erudite scholar, a passionate lover and a visionary thinker.

His critical or logical mind, coupled with his passionate heart, contributed significantly to a better understanding of the classical Nyaya and Navya-Nyaya schools making them relevant for our times. As a committed and devoted Catholic, he was open to the rich philosophical traditions of India. He interpreted this tradition, deepened it and made it available to contemporary scholars, both Indian and non-Indian, Hindu and non-Hindu.

Father Vattanky was born on July 3, 1931, at Palackattumala in the Kottayam district of Kerala. After his preliminary studies at Papal Seminary, Kandy, John joined the Jesuit Novitiate at Kozhikode in 1950. He was ordained a priest in 1963 at St Mary’s College Kurseong where he did his theology.

He taught philosophy at S.H. College, Shembaganur for a while before leaving for higher studies. After obtaining MA in Oriental Studies from the Oxford University and doctorate in Indology from Vienna, he returned to India in 1974. He established the Indology Institute at St Xavier’s College, Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram), and as its director, got immersed in research and writing.

Later, in 1982, he shifted the Institute to De Nobili College in Pune rechristening it as Centre for Advanced Indian Studies. He also served as professor of Indian Philosophy at Jnana Deepa, Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Pune. In 2012 Fr John shifted his Institute to Kanjirapally in Kerala and continued his research in Indian Philosophy and Syriac Theology. In 2015, he suffered a stroke and became paralyzed and was brought to Christ Hall, Kozhikode where he remained till his death.

The contribution of Father Vattanky to studies in Indian Philosophy has been recognized globally. His monumental work is Gangesa’s Philosophy of God published in 1984. His other writings include Development of Nyaya Theism (1993), Nyaya Philosophy of Language (1995), and A System of Indian Logic (2003).

There are many more academic articles through which he shared his intellectual height and affective depth with his colleagues. Many would admire him working hard and listening patiently to the Indian scholars (pundits) and taking painstaking notes regularly and on a daily basis. He had the remarkable stamina for hard and sustained intellectual work. The classes he taught at Jnana Deepa were highly appreciated. As a teacher he had been a mentor to generations of students, who have been inspired by his wisdom and intellectual acumen.

What guided his philosophical quest and Christian reflection may be summed up in three of his enduring passions: Passion for Indian Philosophy, Rooted in Logic and Love, and Open to Oriental Roots. He was fully convinced of the relevance of classical Indian philosophy. That is why the first festschrift in his honor was aptly titled An Indian Ending: Rediscovering the Grandeur of Indian Heritage for a Sustainable Future (2013).

It was remarkable that his book Gangesa’s Philosophy of God was favorably appreciated by Kanchi Sankaracharya, who honored him specially. It is this passion for his Indian roots that made him the most sought after Christian thinker among the secular or University circles in India. A man of deep conviction, faith and devotion, Father Vattanky had a rigorous and inferential mind for philosophizing, especially the logic of Navya-nyaya system and equally a heart for God and the people.

It is no wonder that the second volume in his honor was titled Logic and Love: Reflecting on Father Vattanky’s Contribution to Indian Philosophy and Spirituality. Towards the last phase of his life, he had discovered the depth of Oriental theology and symbolism. After learning Syriac in his old age (2012), he studied the life and writings of St. Ephrem (306-373) and was truly enamored by his symbolic theology, which, he believed, fulfilled his mystical orientation.

Father Vattanky died at Christ Hall, Kozhikode, after being bedridden for six years. He endured the suffering peacefully and never complained about his difficult times. He was ever thankful to his numerous care-takers. May the life and vision of Father Vattanky be an inspiration for us as Indian and Christian to be fully committed to our God, to the nation and the Church, so that we are fully human and fully divine!

(Jesuit Father Kuruvilla Pandikattu came be contacted at kuru@jdv.edu.in)