Lynn de Silva
| Lynn Alton de Silva | |
|---|---|
de Silva in the 1970s
|
|
| Born |
16 June 1919 Kurana, British Ceylon |
| Died | 22 May 1982 (aged 62) Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Cause of death | Cardiac Arrest |
| Resting place | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Residence | 490/5, Havelock Road, Colombo 6 |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Alma mater | Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (S.T.M), University of Birmingham (M.A), Serampore College (BD, Th.D) |
| Occupation | Methodist minister and Director of the Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue |
| Known for | Buddhist-Christian Dialogue |
| Home town | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Title | Reverend Doctor |
| Spouse(s) | Lakshmi Sirima née Mendis |
| Children | Lahan Jayalath, Lalith Chrishantha, Shiromi Priyala Rodrigo, Shantha Asiri |
| Parent(s) | John Simon, Clara |
| Relatives |
Siblings: Frederick Stanley, Roy, George Denzil, Eric, Hugh, Pearl |
| Notes | |
Siblings: Frederick Stanley, Roy, George Denzil, Eric, Hugh, Pearl
Lynn Alton de Silva (16 June 1919 – 22 May 1982) was a Sri Lankan theologian and Methodist minister. He was the founder and editor of one of the first theological journals on Buddhist-Christian encounter called Dialogue (1961–1981), chief translator for the revision of the Old Testament of the Sinhalese Bible published as New Sinhala Bible (1973–1982), and director of the Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue (EISD) in Sri Lanka (1962–1982). Lynn de Silva is widely regarded as one of the foremost Christian practitioners of Buddhist-Christian dialogue in Sri Lanka, and also as one of the pioneers in this dialogue.
Lynn de Silva's book titled Buddhism: Beliefs and Practices in Sri Lanka (de Silva 1974) was mentioned in two journals in the early 1980s as being unparalleled as an introduction to Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Possibly his most notable contribution to theology is the book titled The Problem of the Self in Buddhism and Christianity (de Silva 1979), in which he points out an age-old misconception held by Buddhists and Christians that the notion of an immortal soul is a biblical teaching. This book is considered by to be one of the classics in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and one which has become well known among those actively involved in this dialogue. The book was also included in John Hick's Library of Philosophy and Religion series.
Lynn de Silva's father and three of his brothers were Methodist ministers. According to Walter Small, Lynn de Silva and his brothers Fred and Denzil were among the most significant Methodist writers during the period 1931–1964 in Sri Lanka. After entering active service in the Methodist ministry in 1946, de Silva pursued his tertiary education, obtaining qualifications including a Bachelor of Divinity degree, two Master's degrees, and a Doctor of Theology degree. In addition to serving in the ministry, de Silva participated for twenty years in the dialogical and ecumenical activities of the World Council of Churches, and he was Executive President of the Presidium of the National Council for Religion and Peace in Sri Lanka (1979–1980). He died shortly after this role while addressing an audience at a conference, having continued to work until the end. In 1999, the Study Center building of the EISD was dedicated to the memory of Lynn de Silva and Rev. G. B. Jackson, the first director of the EISD.
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