Daniel Sadananda

Daniel Rathnakara Sadananda is a New Testament Scholar who is re-elected as the General Secretary(Triennium 2017-2020) of the Church of South India Synod headquartered in Chennai as well as the Chairperson (triennium 2015-2018) of the Council of the United Theological College, Bangalore, the only autonomous College under the Senate of Serampore College (University). He also serves as the Vice President of National Council of Churches in India (2016-2020) as well Executive Secretary of the Communion of Churches in India comprising CNI, CSI, Marthoma Churches and now MCI.

In terms of scholarship, Sadananda is an authority on Johannine theology and has also contributed the history of the Basel Evangelical Mission by initiating research into Moegling's encyclopedia, Bibliotheca Carnatica and Ferdinand Kittel's complete works.

After ministerial formation at the Karnataka Theological College, Mangalore, Sadananda was ordained as Deacon in 1986, and as Presbyter in 1989. Sadananda studied at the United Theological College, Bangalore where he enrolled for a postgraduate programme, Master of Theology, specializing in New Testament under Professor Dr. M. V. Abraham between 1988-1990. Sadananda's companions during his study years' at Bangalore comprised B. D. Prasad Rao, H. R. Cabral and Jonadob Nathaniel, the present Director Translations of the Bible Society of India. Sadananda's postgraduate thesis was entitled Sacramentalism in the Fourth Gospel: An exploration into the sacramental concern of the Fourth Evangelist done under Professor M. V. Abraham for which he was awarded a Master of Theology (M. Th.) degree by the University under the Registrarship of D. S. Satyaranjan.