Timotheas Hembrom

Hembrom's research and exegetical work on the Santhals highlights the hitherto unknown facts about their creation traditions which seem identical to the Biblical creation traditions. K. P. Aleaz writes that Hembrom worked on finding out parallels between the Biblical creation stories and the Santal creation stories, which seemed identical with those in the Genesis creation stories. In this context of similarity, K. P. Aleaz in A Tribal Theology from a Tribal World - View[12] considers Renthy Keitzer, Nirmal Minz and Hembrom as the Theologians with focus on Tribal cultures and ideologies.

In a recent work by the Scholar Ivy Imogene Hansdak[13] of the Jamia Millia Islamia on Santal creation stories the research of Hembrom was highlighted[14]

The Santal theologian and writer, Dr. Timotheas Hembrom, has made a study of the Santal creation myth in his work, The Santals: Anthropological-Theological Reflections on Santali and Biblical Creation Traditions (1996). Here he begins by comparing Skrefsrud‘s version with Campbell‘s version, and then concludes by validating the latter. This version is then compared with the Biblical creation narrative. Two other writers, Marine Carrin and Harald Tambs-Lyche, have also commented on Skrefsrud‘s version of the Santal creation myth in their work, An Encounter of Peripheries: Santals, Missionaries, and their Changing Worlds, 1867-1900 (2008). According to them, Skrefsrud presented this myth as a parallel to Genesis, a tendency still found among Christian Santals.

As a comparative religion scholar who drew parallels between the Genesis creation story and the Santal creation traditions, Hembram attributes the lead given by Old Testament's leading Scholar, Claus Westermann,[2] "Our very extensive knowledge of literature about creation and primeval time does not allow us to draw a sharp line of distinction between the high cultures and the primitive cultures and then to exclude the latter from the pre-history of the biblical story of primeval events."

The Jug-Sirijol which advances Santali language and literature focusing on the tribal identities continues to be published in Roman script which has been in use since the pre-colonial times. Hembrom had been editor of Jug-Sirijol for a number of years'. Although a new script, Ol Chiki alphabet was propagated in 1979,[15] it had met dissent with the Santhal people who voiced their concerns to the scholarly fora including the University of California, Berkeley[15] and had also referred to the concerns of Hembrom who wrote[15] on the use of Ol Chiki alphabet,

(adapted)…in West Bengal the issue of Santali script was further complicated by the Government when in 1979 it recognized Ol Chiki Script for publication of Santali literature.... but the Ol Chiki script has remained as an abnormally born baby still in an incubator all through these last twenty years.

After early schooling at the Kaerabani Santal High School in Kaerabani, Dumka district, Hembrom had his ministerial formation at Santal Theological College, Benagaria, which had just then received affiliation[16] from the nation's first[5] University, the Senate of Serampore College (University). Hembram studied at the College during the Principalship of J. T. Krogh and moved to Serampore College, Serampore in 1967[17] from where he obtained a Licentiate in Theology from the University under the Registrarship of C. Devasahayam.

In order to upgrade his academics, Hembram proceeded to Bangalore where he studied from 1968 to 1970[18] at the United Theological College, Bangalore, affiliated to the nation's first[5] University, the Senate of Serampore College (University), under the Principalship of Joshua Russell Chandran where he upgraded to Bachelor of Divinity. Hembram companions at the College included H. S. Wilson, P. J. Lawrence, J. W. Gladstone and others who studied at varying intervals.[18]

In his second stint at the College in Bangalore between 1971-1973,[18] Hembrom enrolled for postgraduate studies, Master of Theology, specialising in Old Testament under his Teachers, E. C. John, G. M. Butterworth and Gerhard Wehmeier working out a dissertation entitled Man and his destiny in the priestly sections of the Pentateuch.[19] Hembrom was part of the pioneer group of postgraduate students[18] who specialised in Old Testament comprising A. P. Chacko, Basil Rebera, G. Babu Rao, Nitoy Achümi, and S. J. Theodore. However, Hembrom was awarded a degree only in 1975 in the ensuing convocation of the Senate of Serampore College (University) held on 1 February 1975[20] at the Serampore College, Serampore under the Registrarship of C. Devasahayam, Hembrom was awarded a Master of Theology degree where the Convocation Commemoration Mass in Serampore was conducted by his seminary companion, G. Babu Rao[21][20] who had already become an Old Testament Teacher at Serampore College.[22] at the CNI-St. Olave's Church, Serampore.

While teaching at the Bishop's College, Kolkata, Hembrom availed study leave and pursued research studies with the South Asia Theological Research Institute, Bangalore, a doctoral-level institute under the Senate of Serampore College (University) researching on the Santals with special reference to their creation stories and was supervised by Renthy Keitzar and Nirmal Minz who enabled him to work on his thesis after which Hembrom was able to submit his doctoral dissertation in 1991[4] which was originally entitled The Creation narrative of the Santals and the Genesis Creation narrative: A probing into their theological motifs[4] after which the Senate of Serampore College (University) awarded[23] him a doctoral degree [23] during the registrarship of D. S. Satyaranjan.

Hembrams was a Teacher at his alma mater, the Santal Theological College, Benagaria and started his ecclesiastical teaching ministry. After a two-year break during 1968-1970[18] to upgrade his academics at Bangalore, he returned to the Benagaria[1] and taught again during 1970-1971.

After Hembrams specialised in Old Testament, he proceeded to the Chera Theological College, Cherrapunji where he taught from 1973-1977.[2]

After a stint of four years at Cherrapunji, Hembram moved to the Bishop’s College, Kolkata and was Professor of Old Testament from 1977.[2] His other colleagues at the Seminary included the renowned Religions Scholar, Yisu Das Tiwari.[27] During the latter half of the 1980s, G. D. V. Prasad who specialized in Old Testament joined the College as a Teacher and became a colleague of him .

He also acted as Research Guide and was Registrar[28] at the North India Institute of Post Graduate Theological Studies, a joint initiative of Serampore College and the Bishop’s College, Kolkata. As a member of the Church History Association of India, Hembrom was also elected as the Treasurer of the Eastern India Branch of the Society in 2006.[29]

He is also taught at the Gossner Theological College, Ranchi,[2] an institution known for the Theologian Nirmal Minz who happened to be one of his doctoral supervisors.[2]