Eminent Aloysian Theologian - Rev. Fr. Dr. Aloysius Pieris S. J.

Compiled by K. K. De Silva


Introduction

Family Background

Extract from Dissertation (2012) by W.F. Romesh Lowe, O.M.I. on The Word- Crucified in the Theology of Aloysius Pieris S. J. 

"Marian Aloysius Pieirs was born on 9th April, 1934 into an upper middle class traditional Catholic family in Sri Lanka. His mother, a devout Catholic, had longed to have a Jesuit son, named her tenth child Marian Aloysius wanting him to grow up into an Aloysius Gonzaga, S.J., imbued with Marian spirituality. Humorously and yet very symbolically Pieris states that it took long years of meditation and reflection to make Mary and Aloysius finally ome to terms with each other in his heart and mind in his continuous effort to be true to his name, Marian Aloysius. He is the tenth in a family of twelve children. Pieris attended the village Catholic school where his father was the head master. He left for Galle Seminary in 1949 when he was fifteen years of age.
Aloysius Pieris father is Walter John Pieris, the Second son of Dajahetti Muhamdiramge Don David Pieris. His mother is Setunga Mudalige Dona Anselmina the daughter of Setunga Mudalige Don Jusey Appuhamy. They lived at St Joseph’s Villa, Hallolouwa, Kandy. Walter John Pieris, saw three of his six daughters become nuns as well as two of his six sons become priests and a granddaughter a nun."

Early Years & Home Environmet

Aloysius Pieris had his primary education at St. Mary's School in his home town, Ampitiya , Kandy, Fr. Milroy Fernando S. J. (2013) describes his home environment as follows:

"Born in 1934, his home was adjacent to the then Papal Seminary in Ampitiya, Kandy, run by the Jesuits, and as a child, he developed the habit of frequenting the seminary as an 'earnest seeker' of knowledge from these wise but humble men, who ' wasted their precious afternoons listening to my childhood dreams.' Wanting to become a priest, he started learning Latin, but his parents, fearing that the child was getting too Westernised, arranged with an ex-Buddhist monk to teach him Pali at home. Perhaps this was the foundational experience that Pieris would go on to explain later about a Western model of inculturation being inadequate to the task of creating a genuinely Asian variety of Christian theology."


Secondary Education

He was admitted to St. Aloysius College, Galle in 1949, at around the age of fifteen. He resided first at the College Boarding House and thereafter  at the St. Xavier's Seminary, Kalegana. He came under the  spiritual influence of  Rev. Fr. Vito Perniola S. J. , the Rector &  Rev. Fr. Aloysius De Mattia S. J. . Fr. Perniola , may also have influenced Fr. Peiris to specialise in Oriental Languages & engage in the study of Buddhism.

Fr. Pieris was a few years ahead of us at the College, but he was well known to us as students, because he used to carry away most of the prizes in his class at the Annual Prize Giving.
Fr. Pieris sat for the Senior School Certificate examination & the London General Certificate Examination - Advanced Level & passed with several distinctions, including Latin & Pali.

Fr. Aloysius Pieris S. J. at SAC



He entered the Jesuit Order in 1953 at the age of 19 years after his Novitiate in India. He completed his eccleesiastical studies at the Sacred Heart College, Shembagannur in Tamil Nadu & also studied classical Indian thought, literature & Sanskrit (Fernando, 2013) . He returned to SAC a few years later as Sub Prefect. 



Summary 1953-1974

1953-1955 Entered Jesuit Order on 23 December, 1953. Novitiate  in Calicut, India
1956-1959 Philosophical Training  at the Sacred Heart Collage, Shembaganur, Tamil Nadu, India.
1961 Bachelor of Arts, First Class Honours in Pali & Sanskrit, University of London
1962-1966 Theological Studies and Pastoral Exposure at Pontifical Faculty of Villa San Luigi, Posillipo, Naples
1966-1968 
1968-1971 Buddhist Studies at Vidyodaya Campus. Dissertation : Some Salient Aspects of Consciousness and Reality in Pāli Scholasticism as Reflected in the Commentaries of Ᾱcariya Dhammapāla. Awarded Ph.D.
1971-1972 (Sept to Apr) Tertianship in Ahamadabad, India. *
1972-1973 Gregorian University, Rome.
1973 Lecturer at he East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila,
1974 (7 June) Established  “Tulana,” the Centre for Research and Encounter.

* "During his Tertianship (the final period of Jesuit formation) in India in 1971, he let his hair and beard grow long, clothed himself in loose saffron coloured shirt and sandals, wrapped himself with a pilgrim’s shawl and "plunged into" the life of a mendicant monk following in the footsteps of the Buddha. The experience he had in Banaras, the holy city on whose outskirts the Buddha preached his first sermon after his enlightenment, was a true 'moment of inculturation' for Pieris." (Page 11 of the Daily Mirror of 13 Dec. 2013 - Prophet of the Poor and Inter-religious Dialogue by Fr. Milroy Fernando S.J.)

Important Milestones

His spiritual journey & achievements, as recorded by Sr. Frances de Silva, the Archivist at the Tulana Research Centre for Encounter & Dialogue, Kelaniya & updated by Dr. Ms. Sheila Fernando in 2015, appear below.

Early Education

In Ceylon

1940   St Mary’s School, Ampitiya

1949 St Aloysius College, Galle

 Higher Education

In Ceylon

1961 BA (First Class Honours in Pali & Sanskrit, Univ. of London)

1971 PhD (in Buddhist Philosophy, Univ. of Sri Lanka, Vidyodaya Campus)

Hony. D. Litt. Award , 2015, Uni. of Kelaniya


 Ecclesiastical Studies  (Pontifical Degrees recognized by Secular Universities

 In India

1959 L.Ph (Sacred Heart College, Shembaganur)

 In Italy

1964 Diploma in Prepolyphonic Music, Fond. Cini, Venice

1966 STL (Pontifical Theological Faculty, S. Luigi, Naples)

In Netherlands

1987 ThD (Tilburg), Secular Studies

 Professorships (Chairs)


In USA

1987 Franciscan Chair of Mission Studies, Washington Theological Union, Maryland, USA

1988 Henry Luce Chair of World Christianity, Union Theological Seminary [cross-registration with Columbia University], New York, USA

1992 A.P.Wilson Distinguished Visiting Chair of Theology, Divinity School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA

 Special Lectureships


In UK 

1982 Teape Westcott Lectures, Univ. of Cambridge,

1990 Martin D’Arcy Lectures, Univ. of Oxford,

1990 Drawbridge Lecture, King’s College, Univ. of London,

1990 Von Hugel Lecture, St Edmund’s College, Univ. of Cambridge,

 Taught Courses

In Sri Lanka

Vidyodaya Pirivena, Pali and Buddhist University, Colombo(1993)

Prajnà Pitha, Jesuit Institute of Integrated Religious Studies, Kandy

 In Italy

Gregorian University, Rome (1972-73)

Pontifical Theological Faculty, Naples, 1973

 In Philippines

East Asian Pastoral Institute of the Athaneo de Manila University, (1972/3 to1993/94)

In USA

Graduate Theological Union, Berkley [cross-registration with Univ. of California, Berkley] USA, 19763.


Examiner or Supervisor of Post-Graduate Students

In Sri Lanka

Post-Graduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya,

Pali and Buddhist University, Colombo (Vidyodaya Pirivena).

Dept of Western Culture & Christianity, University of Kelaniya,

University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

 In India

Serampore University

Jnanadip Institute of Philosophy, Pune

Vidyajyoti Faculty of Theology, Delhi

 In Germany

Tubingen University

In Hong Kong

Hong Kong University (Buddhist Studies Department)


 Positions Held

 In Sri Lanka

Founder-Director, Tulana Research Centre, Kelaniya, from 1974. Accommodated the Fr. S. G. Perera Memorial Library there.  https://thuppahis.com/2023/04/12/discernment-the-tulana-resource-centre-at-kelaniya-fostering-discernment/

Co-founder, Patron and Trust Board Member of Sr Greta Nalawatta’s Centre for Education of Hearing Impaired Children, Dalugama, from 1982.

 In Italy

Member of the International Board of Advisors on Inter-faith and Inter-churchRelations (Jesuit headquarters, Rome), 2011-2013.

 In USA

Advisor, Dilaltato Corde  Inter-Monastic Dialogue (USA)

 Editorial Work

 In Sri Lanka

Co-Founder and Co-Editor of Dialogue NS (with Dr Lynn A de Silva), since1974 and Current Editor

Editor, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection, (International Journal of Theology), Kelaniya.

 In UK

Member of Editorial Board of Directors, Concilium (International Theological Journal) since 1986 (resigned due to ill-health, but serving in the Advisory Board)

Member of the Board of Editorial Advisory Panel of World Faith Encounter,London.

 Conducted Seminars

 In Sri Lanka

Post-Graduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, Kelaniya University (March 2006)

Dept of Western Civilization and Christian Culture, Kelaniya University, 2009 and 2010.

 

Public Lectures 


(incomplete)

 In Sri Lanka

University of Kelaniya

 In Germany

Ecumenical Institute, Munster University, 1981

 In Ireland

Maynooth College, Dublin University,

In Netherlands

Missiological Faculties ( of the Universities of Holland), gathered at Utrecht University, 1979.

In Philippines 

Athaneo de Manila University, Philippines.

St Xavier’s University, Cagayan d’oro, Philippines

 In Tokyo

Sophia University, Tokyo (lectures given conjointly with Gusatavo Gutierrez).

In UK

Department of Theology, Birmingham University, 1982

University of Leeds

In USA

Dept of Religious Studies, Univ. of California, Santa Cruz Campus, 1976

Resource Person (incomplete)


In Sri Lanka
Inter-monastic Congress III, Kandy, 1980
Asian Theological Conference, EATWOT, Wennappuwa, Sri Lanka, 1979
Bishops’ Institute of Social Action VI, (FABC), Kandy19??
Good Shepherd Provincial Chapter, Wattala, ??
Good Shepherd Provincial Chapter, Wattala, ??
Christian Brothers Regional Chapter, Mutwal, 1994
Christian Brothers Regional Chapter, Mutwal, 2004.
Marist Brothers’ 10th International Conference, Negombo, 2005.


In India
 Inter-monastic Congress II, Bangalore, 1973
Tricontinental Conference of EATWOT, New Delhi, 1981 
Tricontinental Consultation of EATWOT, New Delhi, 1987
  Asia Pacific, Regional Chapter of Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Bangalore, 1989

In Italy
  SEDOS Congress on the Future of Missions, Rome, 1983?

In Ireland
Columban Seminar, Dublin, Ireland, 198?

In Philippines
 South East Asian Major Superiors Fifth Congress, Manila, 1985

In Thailand
Bishops’ Institute of Social Action, VII (FABC), Thailand, 1986

Membership

In Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Association of Buddhist Studies (SLABS), Sri Lanka.

In UK
Pali Text Society (London/Oxford).

Network of Africa, Asia & Latin America
Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians

Dissertations / Articles on the Theology of Fr Aloysius Pieris

Incomplete

Guttzler, Antoinette, The Soteriology of Aloysius Pieris : An Asian Contribution.(2002). Fordham University

https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3037217/

Premawardhana D. The Unremarkable Hybrid: Aloysius Pieris and the redundancy of multiple religious belonging (2011).
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292378299_The_unremarkable_hybrid_Aloysius_Pieris_and_the_redundancy_of_multiple_religious_belonging

A Study of Asian Inculturation: A Case Study of Aloysius Pieris’ Basic Human Communities. (2012). Madang Journal of Contextual Theology .
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318770463_A_Study_of_Asian_Inculturation_A_Case_Study_of_Aloysius_Pieris'_Basic_Human_Communities

Lowe, W.F. Rome O.M.I.on The Word- Crucified in the Theology of Aloysius Pieris S. J. (2012) . University of Ottawa

https://ruor.uottawa.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/22ee117a-f302-44a7-b1e8-f22ef38b25f3/content


Smyth_Bernard, . From  Babel to Pentecost: Using the Soteriologies of Gustavo Gutierrez and Aloysius Pieris to Challenge Facets of the Project of Neoliberal Globalization and Nurture the Development of New Liberation Theologies.(2014).
University of Toronto.
https://utoronto.scholaris.ca/items/7a46b99f-7660-40d9-b500-ed81a965c5db/full


Nguyen Thang N. Jon Sabrino & Aloysius Pieris in Dialogue : Towards a Christological Model for Praxis & Liberation (2021).  Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations : 93.
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/jst_dissertations/93





Articles about Fr. Aloysius Pieris (Lowe, 2012)


Abeyasinghe , Nihal, The Radical Tradition: The Changing Shapes of Theological Reflection in Sri Lanka, The Ecumenical Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1985, pp.126- 132.

Amaladoss, Michael, Life in Freedom: Liberation Theologies from Asia, Maryknoll, Orbis Books, 1997, pp. 93-96.

Balasundaram , Franklyn, J., “The Theology of Aloysius Pieris, SJ”, in: The Prophetic Voices of Asia, published as Logos, nos. 1&2, CSR, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1994, pp. 116- 140.

Carney , Gerarld T., “Review of Love Meets Wisdom,” in: Horizons, vol. 16, no. 2 (1989), pp. 414-15.

Crusz, Robert, Marshal Fernando, Asanga Tilakaratne, (eds.), Encounters with the Word (A Festschrift Honouring Aloysius Pieris), EISD, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2004.



England , C. John, and Jose Kuthianimattathil (eds.), Asian Christian Theologies: A Research Guide to Authors, Movements, Sources-Vol.1, Orbis, Maryknoll, N.Y., 2002, pp. 504-506.

Gibbs , Philip, The Word in the Third World: Divine Revelation in the Theology of Jean-Marc Ela, Aloysius Pieris and Gustavo Gutierrez, (Doct. Diss., 1995) published as Tesi Gregoriana. Serie Teologia, 8, Rome, Gregorian University Press, Rome, 1996.

Glorieux, Frederik, “Does Christ Have an Asian Face? An Analysis of Aloysius Pieris’ Theology Religions”, Louvain Studies 30, 2005, pp. 325-49.

Haire , James, “Review of Asian Theology of Liberation”, in: Pacifica, 3 (1990), pp. 359-361

HAMILTON, Andrew, “What has Asia to do with Australia: Reflections on the Theology of Aloysius Pieris,” in: Pacifica 3 (1990), pp. 304-322.

HARDY, Richard P., “Review of Love Meets Wisdom,” in: Église et Th., 21, (1990), pp.430- 432.

PHAN C. Peter, Christianity with an Asian Face: Asian American Theology in the Making, Orbis Books, Maryknoll, N.Y., 2003, pp. 104-109.


Praise from Superiors , Colleagues & Admirers

Rev. Fr. Milroy Fernando,  S. J., 

"Prophet of the Poor & Inter-religious Dialogue",

About Tulana

"He went back to Sri Lanka and began work in his "laboratory", which was the Tulana Centre for Research and Encounter, established on 7th June 1974. A peasant farmer volunteered to be his cook and thus became, as Pieris says, the co-founder of 'Tulana', a basic human community, where people of all religions share life together. Over the years it has developed into many things in one:- a mini-university where scholars from here and abroad come for research, research guidance, consultation and thesis supervision, and where students and others attend seminars, workshops and training and study courses. It is also a Mini retreat centre, where people come for meditation and spiritual accompaniment; a social animation centre for those engaged in social issues; and a forum for artists, who want to express their philosophy in non-logical, non-verbal media of communication. Pieris, who finds traditional theology too mathematical and formulatory, turned to the oblique language of poetry and parable and to the evocative idiom of art and music. In his centre we find many expressions of Christian themes executed by Buddhist artists. The reason for doing so was 'instead of telling the non-Christians who Christ is we have asked the non-Christians to tell the church, who Christ is. They teach us the authentic language in which Christ is understood in Asia'.

Read the full article here:

https://www.pressreader.com/sri-lanka/daily-mirror-sri-lanka/20131213/281857231347931?srsltid=AfmBOopoj_JQhiZnZ-Jr8QLItMAOKRd7MvI6AOOMvMfZfGe1bOLQQ61-

Avishka Mario Seneviratne

A Tribute to my Guru

"Fr. Aloy saw in me something which I never noticed until then. One day he asked me “Avishka, do you want to be a priest?”. I did not want to be one and I made that clear to Fr. Aloy. “Ah that doesn’t matter. I want you to meet a scholarly priest. Come along!”. He did not technically introduce me to a priest but to a collection of old books owned by one of the most eminent historians, Fr. S. G. Perera SJ. The late Fr. Perera’s collection of rare books on Ceylon, supplemented by Fr. Aloy’s own additions in the last 50 years, has made this collection one of the finest sets of books on Lankan affairs, especially history.
Fr. Aloy who has been its curator was very concerned about its safety and would not allow anyone, except those with genuine interest to peruse them. He said to me: “I see your thirst for knowledge. You want to know more about the country, the church, individuals! You better read these books and see what they have to offer”. What they had to offer was immense and my life changed. I must have spent nearly a thousand hours in this library across the last decade. I still have a long way to go in terms of perusing the books."
------'
"Last year, Fr. Aloy asked me whether I could be the editor and designer of the first part of his autobiography. He was previously determined not to ever publish this document. However, I convinced him of the importance of that work, for it was not only his life but also a history of the period in question. So, accepting his invitation was an honour. I produced the limited edition
 “A Theography of My Life and Work, Volume 1 (1934 – 1973)” 
by Fr. Aloy. He was deeply moved when I presented him with the first copy on his 89th birthday."

Read the full article here :


Rev. Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda 

D. Litt. Award for Fr. Aloysius Peiris

"He has to his credit authored 20 books, some of which are now used as texts in certain universities. He has published approximately 300 research papers in local and international journals. Fr. Pieris’s publications include many scholarly articles on both canonical and post-canonical Pali literature as well as on Abhidhammika philosophy. Some of his writings have appeared in many Western languages such as Italian, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and also in Asian languages such as Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese.

He has had a rare opportunity of learning Sanskrit and Pali under two most revered teachers, Sanskrit under the Indian pundit V.  Varadari Thiupathi of Hindu University of India and Pali under an internationally renowned Pali scholar Rev. Dr. Fr. Vito Perniola sj. In 1961 he graduated from the University of London in both Pali and Sanskrit with first class honours.

He is also an internationally known and respected theologian. His doctoral studies in theology were completed in the Pontifical Theological Faculty, S. Luigi, Naples in 1966. Later in 1987, the Tilburg University of Netherlands awarded him another doctorate in recognition of his pioneering work on an “Asian Theology of Liberation”. During the 1980s he was the most sought after resource person to the Asian Bishops’ Conference."

Read the full article here :



Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Fernando OMI


A loving tribute to Fr. Aloy on His 90th birthday renowned scholar and good shepherd

"Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal, I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment.  In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator/guide and ongoing formator/acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefitted from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI."

Read the full article here :

https://www.dailymirror.lk/print/news-features/A-loving-tribute-to-Fr-Aloy-on-His-90th-birthday-renowned-scholar-and-good-shephard/131-287112


Dr. Shanthikumar Hettiarachchi

An Epochal Trend Setter Fr. Aloysius Pieris SJ

If I had to pick an indigenous theologian who was brave enough to push the unbendable boundaries of his own rigid church and granted for himself  and others permission on behalf of the people to do theology, and one who taught many  ‘to drink from our own wells’, then it is our own  Fr Aloy. Hence, he is a TREND SETTER of our times and deserves the honour he received by a premier academic institution of Sri Lanka, the University of Kelaniya.


Read the full article here :
https://www.dailymirror.lk/print/opinion/an-epochal-trendsetter-fr-aloysius-pieris-sj/172-97479



Radio Veritas Asia


Building Bridges at 92: Sri Lankan Jesuit Aloysius Pieris


A Life of Peacebuilding

What sets Father Pieris apart is his commitment to theology as praxis. His writings go beyond academic exploration they are deeply informed by social and political analysis. He urges that any theology for Asia must take into account the realities of poverty, pluralism, and power. Religion, in his view, must be a force for liberation and healing not division.

This perspective made him a key resource in the 1980s for the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), where he helped shape a distinctly Asian Catholic theology dialogical, incarnational, and deeply rooted in the continent’s spiritual traditions.

In 2015, the University of Kelaniya, Pieris’ alma mater, conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Literature award for his contribution to interreligious dialogue and human liberation. Former students and colleagues describe the recognition as much more than an academic accolade; it was a national tribute to a life lived in service of peace and justice.

Ongoing Legacy

Now in his tenth decade, Fr. Pieris continues to teach, write, and mentor. Every day, he spends hours engaging with students and visitors at Tulana. His clarity of thought and depth of wisdom continue to inspire those committed to peace, interfaith understanding, and theological renewal.

His intellectual contributions do not imitate European theological formulas. Instead, they emerge from Asia’s soil, attentive to the cries of the poor and the spiritual insights of its ancient traditions. For Pieris, theology is not an abstract discipline it is a spiritual act. He lives what he teaches: “Theology is spirituality, and spirituality is theology.”

In a world often torn by sectarian violence and misunderstanding, Father Aloysius Pieris offers a different path one of listening, discernment, and loving dialogue. Through the Tulana Research Centre, his books, lectures, and personal witness, he has helped build bridges across some of Sri Lanka’s deepest divides. His work shows us that interreligious harmony is not merely possible it is essential. And with courage, humility, and intellectual openness, it can become a lasting reality.

Read the full article here:

https://www.rvasia.org/feature-story/building-bridges-92-sri-lankan-jesuit-aloysius-pieris

Sirasa Interview with Fr. Aloy.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PTJ_bCSBd9s


Conclusion


At the time Fr. Aloysius was at the Kalegana Seminary, two other class mates of mine were also there : Thomas Fernando & Joseph Perera were also brilliant students and had the potential to become doctors, engineers etc. Joe's elder brother, Mark,  was already a Jesuit & his elder sister, Rita, was a nun at the Convent.  Both completed their formal training as Jesuits & came back to the College as Sub Prefects, but like Fr. Cyril Ponnamperuma before them, they too left the Order after sometime. Joe was a High Court Judge at the time of his tragic death in a road accident  & would no doubt have been a Supreme Court Judge, had he lived. Thomas left our shores & established himseil in the UK. Had they remained as Jesuits, they too would have achieved eminence , like Fr. Aloysius.




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