Thomas Aykara | |
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Born | 23 January 1937 |
Nationality | Indian |
Occupation | Professor of philosophy |
Known for | Philosophy and Comparative Religion |
Thomas Aykara CMI (born 23 January 1937) is the rector of Dharmaram College in Bengaluru, India. He is a Catholic priest of the Syro-Malabar Church. He joined the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI)Carmelites of Mary Immaculate congregation, St. Joseph’s Province Kottayam in 1954. He is a philosopher, theologian and religious. He is a scholar, teacher, author and thinker. Several academic centres in India and abroad originated through the efforts of Thomas Aykara.
Thomas Aykara was born to Joseph and Elisabeth on January 23, 1937 in Mutholy, Palai, Kottayam district in Kerala, India. His siblings are Philip, Kuruvila, Joseph, Sr. Alphrida Congregation of Mother of Carmel, Annakutty, Sr. Gailsw Congregation of Mother of Carmel, Mariyakutty, Sr. Josita Congregation of Mother of Carmel.
He completed his SSLC from St Antony High School, Mutholy. He joined the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) congregation, St. Joseph’s Province Kottayam in 1954. He studied Latin, Syriac and English languages. He received a Licentiate in Philosophy and a Licentiate Theology, from Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pontifical Atheneum, in Pune, India. He was sent to the Université Catolique de Louvain, Belgium in 1966, where he pursued his PhD in Philosophy on Alfred Schutz, a German Philosopher, in 1970, under the guidance of Jean Ladriere. Afterwards, he was sent to the Oxford University in 1970, where he pursued a PhD in Theology on Cosmic Consciousness:A Study on Sri Aurobindo and Teilhard De Chardin under the guidance of John Macquarrie in 1975.