Background
He was born on 23 July 1920 at Kumbalam in Kollam District, Kerala into a family of eight children (2 girls and 6 boys).
He was born on 23 July 1920 at Kumbalam in Kollam District, Kerala into a family of eight children (2 girls and 6 boys).
He was ordained priest on 24 March 1955. Being a radical humanist, Rayan is convinced that the human person in community is the object of God"s special love. Rayan speaks for care of the earth, concern for life and commitment to people.
Rayan"s theologizing is deeply rooted in his life, his land and his commitment to Jesus.
Born in and brought up in a village in Kerala, he devoted many years to the study of Malayalam literature. He mastered Sanskrit and is well read in Indian religions and philosophy.
According to Rayan theology is a reminder of the great demands of the Kingdom. As Rayan says, "Rice is for sharing, bread must be broken and given.
Every bowl, every belly shall have its fill, to leave a single bowl unfilled is to rob history of its meaning.
To grab many a bowl for myself is to empty history of God." Rayan"s God is a God of life and hope. He draws on the richness of India"s great religious traditions and finds therein a deep respect for the human person and humanity, which is the core of his theology. Two of his major works are: Breath of Fire: The Holy Spirit: Heart of the Christian Gospel ( / 9780225662436 / 0-225-66243-4),The Holy Spirit:Heart of the Gospel and Christian Hope, ( / 9780883441886 / 0-88344-188-8).
Professor Kurien Kunnumpuram has been editing his collected works, which is being published.
Foreign Rayan the central mission of the Christian faith is its insertion into the concrete and daily life of the people, especially of the most marginalized and oppressed members of the social body.