Dr Godwin Shiri: An Accomplished Theologist, Author, Research Scholar and Social Scientist..

Dr Godwin Shiri as the name itself suggests is truly a Godly person who won the hearts of people all along and wherever he went across the globe. He is a well-read, widely travelled religious personality having contributed any number of books and translations of eminent philosophers. He is turning 79 today and looking back there seems to be a huge list of accomplishments worth cherishing on the way.

Priest on his own inclination: Dr Godwin Shiri himself voluntarily opted for the priestly vocation of becoming a Pastor at a young age, much against the wishes of his family. The sight of the Cross of Lord Jesus Christ and the scenario of thousands of workers marching holding red flags in his native town Mangaluru had a lasting effect on him as a young boy. Recalling the good old days Godwin Shiri admits-"Perhaps they sowed in me the seeds of compassion and social justice".

Graduate in Bengaluru, Ph D in Germany: For having developed an inkling towards philosophy at too young a age it was quite but natural that the lad later pursued a career complimenting his childhood desire. He graduated with a Bachelor in Divinity (BD) and post-graduation with a Master in Theology in Christian Ethics, both from the United Theological College (UTC), Bengaluru. Later he earned his doctorate in Theology (D Th) in Missiology from the Hamburg University in Germany.

Alumnus of the historic institution: Dr Godwin Shiri is an alumnus of the historic institution, Karnataka Theological College (Seminary), Mangaluru. KTC is an ecumenical seminary catering to Kannada-speaking students wishing to pursue the priestly vocation. Interestingly, both, legendary Dr Hermann Moegling well known as the Father of Kannada journalism and Reverend Ferdinand Kittel of the only one epoch-making Kittel's Dictionary fame were related to this historic institution. Dr Hermann Moegling was the first principal way back in the 1850s'.

Several countries on Five continents: During his prolonged career stretching to multiple decades Dr Godwin Shiri travelled across the country apart from visiting any number of countries on five continents. Rome, Basle (Basel), Berlin, London, Rotterdam, Mexico, Harare, Sumatra, and Saba of Malaysia were just a few of them. In all these places and elsewhere he was a speaker in seminars and conventions.

The revelation of the pathetic condition of Dalits and Dalit converts to Christianity: It was in 1984 when his college in Mangaluru asked him to survey the condition of village churches in Kalyan Karnataka districts. That survey was a revelation to him about the pathetic condition of Dalits, Dalits converted to Christianity for the first time. Although the Dalits converted to Christianity their social status remained the same apart from being deprived of the hitherto privileges extended to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. It was only the beginning of his journey to highlight their plight to society, church leadership and state started, by way of grassroots studies, study and action, publication and dissemination of information.

Active contact with Basava Samithi, Bengaluru: He was also in active contact with the Basava Samithi of Bengaluru in the 1990s and the subsequent decade. The latter published three of his articles in the Basava Journal. One was an editorial note on 'An Inter-Faith Dialogue on Basava and Jesus' in June-September 1992. Another article 'Basava, Castesim and Untouchable' was also in June-September 1992. But much more important and worth recollecting were the two national-level inter-faith seminars jointly conducted by the Basava Samithi and CISRS. Dr Godwin Shiri is happy with the accomplishment as he says: They were path-breaking initiatives which gave me immense joy and satisfaction.

More than a dozen books published: So far, more than a dozen books of his have been published by different publishers. He has also published a large number of research articles on varied subjects like Social thought, Caste Dalits, Christian Dalits' issues, Dalit women, gender issues, minority rights, urban and rural poverty and likewise. He also did an in-depth study on the life and teachings of Basavanna, legendary pastor and inter-faith bridge builder Reverend Channappa Uttangi and pioneer trade union leader Comrade Simpson Soans of coastal Karnataka. Thanks to the special place for these personalities in his heart he did an elaborate study about them and contributed several writings on them.

List of publications: Here are the titles of some of his published books:

*Karnataka Christians and Politics published by the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS), Bengaluru in 1978.

*Christian Social Thought in India, published by CISRS in 1982.

*The Wholeness in The Legacy of Basel Mission in India, published by Karnataka Theological Research Institute (KATHRI), Mangaluru in 1985 and reprinted in 2009.

*The Plight of Christian Dalits: A South Indian Case Study by CISRS, Bengaluru.

*The second edition of the above is to be reprinted shortly.

*The Plight of Christian Dalits: A South Indian Case Study, in Kannada and published by CISRS, Bengaluru in 1997.

*The second edition of the above book was published in 1998.
*Our Slums Mirror a Systematic Malady-An Empirical Study of Bengaluru Slums, published by CISRS in 1999.
*Co-authored 'A Handbook for Socio-Economic Empowerment of Christians' published by All India Christian People's Forum, Karnataka Chapter, Bengaluru in 2000.
*The above book was published in Kannada in 2000.

Responsible as a publisher: Dr Godwin Shiri is also responsible as a publisher for the following SCMI Bible study booklets:

*Christians and Power, 1985.
*Justice and Peace will Jon Hands, 1986.
*The Earth is the Lord's, 1987.
*A Purposeful Education for All, 1989.
*With Christ Towards a New Creation, 1989.
*SCMI Handbook, 1987.

Handbook for Minorities reprinted five times: Dr Godwin Shiri's passion for creating awareness, and mobilizing and empowering the marginalized has paid him rich dividends. He published a Handbook for minorities which eventually was revised and reprinted five times in the 1990s and 2000s and thus was widely circulated. He was appointed as a Member of the Karnataka State Minority Commission in the 1990s'.

Unique fund of resource material: Dr Godwin Shiri had been a social ethics teacher at Karnataka Theological College in Mangaluru and a Visiting Professor at the United Theological College, Bengaluru. He has guided several post-graduate and doctoral theses. But the bigger satisfaction for him is that all his writings have created a large and unique fund of resource material now being used by research scholars.

Invited by Birmingham University: Dr Godwin Shiri was invited to be a 'William Paton Fellow' of Selly Oak Colleges of Birmingham University, Birmingham in the year 2000. For one year he spent there lecturing and researching resource materials at the Oxford library.

Head of two historic and national level organizations: Dr Godwin Shiri has headed two historic and national level organizations as a Director. They are the Student Christian Movement of India (SCMI) and the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS).

Handbook on Simpson Soans becomes a Handbook for the comrades: Dr Godwin Shiri considers it a privilege to introduce Reverend Channappa Uttangi to the non-Kannada world by way of publishing for the first time his selected writings into English. The biography of veteran Communist leader Comrade Simpson Soans was a big hit in the cadre-based party. The Kannada book published by the Communist Party of India (CPI) became a Handbook for the cadres.

Research/Study under progress: Attitudes and Policies of Christian Missions on Caste in 19th Century, South India is a historical and analytical critique. The study is based on the data he collected from CMS archives at Birmingham University and USPG archives at Oxford when he was a William Patson Fellow(1999-2000) at Selly Oak, UK.

Research Study Proposed: Dalit Christians and Lower Social Group Muslims is a comparative analysis of the level of self-empowerment potentials of these two communities and some preliminary explorations of this proposed study have been already completed.

History of Trade Union Movement: Dr Godwin Shiri is also working on a volume tracing the history of the Trade Union movement in coastal Karnataka concerning the contribution of veteran Trade Union leader Simpson Soans.

An Ambassador of true Indian culture and values: Dr Godwin Shiri signs off with a note: I had the privilege of travelling far and wide, but wherever I went I was the ambassador of a true Indian culture and values.

-Manohar Yadavatti