E. C. John

E. C. John (born 1927) is an Indian Old Testament scholar and a member of the Society for Biblical Studies in India. He was also a member of the George Bell Institute at the University of Chichester,Chichester and the Society for Old Testament Study, England.

He was acknowledged for his scholarship of the Old Testament. G. Babu Rao, one of his earliest pupils specializing in the Old Testament wrote that his Professor, E. C. John pointed out parallels for Epiphany and Theophany from Vaishnavism and Saivism respectively.

E. C. John studied theology at the United Theological College, Bengaluru from 1951 to 1954 when Max Hunter Harrison was its Principal. From 1954 to 1957 he served as a Presbyter of the Church of South India in Tiruvalla.

In 1957 he was sent to the University of Cambridge, Cambridge where he pursued postgraduate studies in Old Testament (MA Tripos part iii). During E. C. John's stay at the University of Cambridge between 1957-1959, the decennial Lambeth Conference took place which E. C. John attended it as a guest along with Leslie Brown, and Lesslie Newbigin.

While teaching at the Seminary in Bengaluru, he applied for the Alexander von Humboldt research fellowship and went on study leave from the Seminary to the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg for doctoral studies in Old Testament where he studied under Claus Westermann and Gerhard von Rad who were experts in Old Testament studies. During E. C. John's study period in Heidelberg, his companions included Nicholas J. Tromp, MSC who spent a period of study at the University. Upon completion of E. C. John's doctoral studies in 1968, his thesis was published with the title, Death and life in the prophecy of judgment with reference to Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah, E. C. John returned to Bengaluru and continued teaching in the United Theological College till his retirement in 1993.