Vision for theological education Efforts to form the Protestant Regional Theologiate In the
postcolonialism scenario the
Protestant Churches in
Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana wanted to form a unified in their administration, especially the Spiritual Formators at the
Protestant Seminary in
Secunderabad. The sustained efforts of the vision of Masilamani and others resulted in the formation of the
Andhra Christian Theological College in 1964 at
Rajahmundry which eventually relocated to
Secunderabad in 1973.
Writings Masilamani was also the President of the Asia Baptist Youth Fellowship. He was the editor of popular Telugu Christian magazines like
Ravi 1947–1960,
Gruha Joythi 1961–1965 and
Kapari 1970–1990 with articles contributed by notable Pastors and Bishops. In fact, M. Edwin Rao who compiled a centennial edition of the history of the
Diocese of Dornakal writes that Bishop
G. S. Luke used to contribute articles to the magazine
Kapari edited by Masilamani.
Ravela Joseph and
B. Suneel Bhanu who had been commissioned by the
Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College to compile the original Christian writings in Telugu have also included the titles of Masilamani in the compilation
Bibliography of Original Christian Writings in India in Telugu which include: • Original writings in
Telugu • A Telugu Theological Glossary, 1965,
Theological scholarship Masilamani was also a scholar theologian. In 1960 when the
ecumenical Indian Christian Theological Conference was held in
Madras, he participated in its proceedings where the notable Theologian
Joshua Russell Chandran also happened to take part. Masilamani presented a paper on the theme
Christian View of Man in Society which was later published in the
Indian Journal of Theology under the title
The Modern Conception of Man in the light of the Christian Faith. The same year, Masilamani also attended a conference called for by the
National Council of Churches in India,
Nagpur and the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society,
Bangalore in the presence of
Paul David Devanandan with the theme,
Christian participation in nation-building: the summing up of a corporate study on rapid social change. In 1981, Masilamani addressed an inter-faith seminar conducted by the
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Educational Trust in
Hyderabad and shared dais with a
Hindu priest and a
Mullah.
Lyricist The
Wisconsin University Scholar,
R. R. Sundara Rao included Masilamani's songs in his treatise
Bhakti Theology in the Telugu Hymnal.
R. R. Sundara Rao who taught at the
Protestant Seminary in
Secunderabad writes that, The name of Masilamani rings bells in the
Catholic Masilamani is one of the proponents of Bhakti Theology of the lyricist
Chetty Bhanumurthy in his lyric compositions in the line of the
Ramanujacharya, the great Indian
Vaishnava Saint on whose life many
Christian parallels can be found. The Christian Hymnal in Telugu has the following nine • Hymn 96 – 'దేవుని నీతి ప్రతాపం – Devuni Neethi Pratapam', •
English Hymns translated into
Telugu • Hymn 65 – The Love of God (original writer unknown), • Hymn 606 – Blest be the tie that binds (
John Fawcett). ==Scholarly appraisal on Masilamani==