John Pudota Rayappa, SJ

Visiting Jesuit

P. R. John S.J. is a Jesuit Priest who graduated from Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. He holds a Doctorate in Historical-Dogmatic Theology from Leopold-Franzens University, Innsbruck, Austria. He has served as the Director of Kaladarshini, an Institute of Culture and Evangelization in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. He also worked as the Principal of Vidyajyoti, Institute of Religious Studies and Faculty of Theology, Raj Niwas Marg, Delhi and teaches Systematic Theology with a special focus on Asian (Indian) Contextual Christology co-relating with religions, cultures and the poor.

His service work includes fostering the Global Theology Initiative and involvement in the people’s movements for peace and reconciliation (Karwan e-Mohabbat). He organized (from Vidyajyoti) relief work during the Nepal Earthquake tragedy, relief work in the East Delhi communal riot crisis of 2020, and for the Covid-19 migrants. In civil society, he networks with people as a Christian member of Delhi Minority Commission, Government of Delhi.

He has published a book and edited five books: Indian Faces of Jesus (Anand: Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, 2012), Prathishta: Faith the Foundation of our Future (Delhi: ISPCK/FSAJT, 2013), Searching Christology through an Asian Optic (Delhi: ISPCK/FSAJT, 2017), Fundamentalism in Religions (Delhi: ISPCK, 2018), In His Footsteps: Festschrift in Honour of Father Jojayya Pudota, S.J (Delhi: ISPCK/AJP, 2019) and No Synodality Without… (Delhi: ISPCK/VJC, 2022). He has published articles and other book reviews.