Welcome to the Department of Christian Civilization

The Department of Christian Civilization at the University of Jaffna is one of the remarkable centres of teaching and research related to Christian studies in Sri Lanka. Year 2019 was a landmark year for the Department of Christian Civilization as it remembered its 40^th year as a unit and 30^th year as a Department in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Jaffna. The Department offers the students the opportunity to graduate in Christian Civilization with General (3 years) and Special (4 years) degrees. It has as its aim to produce graduates with the profile which falls in line with the vision, mission, strategic goals and objectives of the corporate plan of the University of Jaffna. Christian Civilization is also offered as one of the field of studies at the Centre for Open and Distance Learning (CODL) for external students. The department offers also the opportunity for post-graduate researches leading to M. Phil. and Ph.D. in Christian Civilization through the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies. Master of Christian Studies, a postgraduate Master’s Degree programme is going to be launched shortly.

History of the Department

In 1974, when a campus of the University of Ceylon was established at Thirunelvely in Jaffna, the long standing aspiration of the people of Jaffna for a higher education center was partially fulfilled. The Jaffna Campus became an independent and autonomous University bearing the name ‘University of Jaffna’ on January 01, 1979. From a very modest beginning, the UoJ has grown enormously and is today the home of ten faculties, with fifty seven academic departments, several service, academic and support units and centers. Such an expansion has given the UoJ an opportunity to journey towards the achievement of its vision and mission and to increase its commitment to the region and open its doors to the society to serve and guide towards excellence.

University of Jaffna is the pride of the Tamils and the centre of knowledge of the Northern Sri Lanka; it stands as a magnificent institution with the vision “to be a leading centre of excellence in teaching, learning, research and scholarship”. It has produced thousands of graduates during the last forty four years. As a growing academic venture it progresses ever young and ever new. Christian Civilization joined in to add to the beauty of this institute as a Unit in the Faculty of Arts in 1979 and became a Department in 1989. Year 2019 was a landmark year for the Department of Christian Civilization as it remembered its 40^th year as a unit and 30^th year as a Department in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Jaffna.

Mr. S. Jebanesan, now Rt. Rev. Dr. S. Jebanesan, the Bishop emeritus of the Church of South India, prepared the syllabus and was appointed as a Lecturer and the first Coordinator of the Unit, Christian Civilization. Eleven students were enrolled as pioneering students of this unit. When the Department of Language and Cultural Studies was started in 1981, this Unit along with Arabic and Islamic Civilization became part of it. Rev. Dr. A. J. V. Chandrakanthan joined as a permanent lecturer and Unit Coordinator in 1981.

In 1989 the Department of Languages and Cultural Studies was divided into the Department of Linguistics and English and the Department of Christian and Islamic Civilizations. As a result the students had the opportunity to offer Christian Civilization for General and Special Degree of Bachelor of Arts. When the Department of Christian and Islamic Civilizations was created, more students opted to follow the course in Christian Civilization. The University Grants’ Commission too admitted students to this Department on the ‘special intake’ quota and thus the number steadily grew.

Owing to the ethnic crisis and displacement, even when the students of Islamic discipline left the University of Jaffna, the Department has to continue and is continuing with the initial name as Department of Christian and Islamic Civilizations, though all the students of Islamic Civilization continued to follow their study in the other Universities of the country.

During and after the exodus of 1995, Prof. S. Sivalingarajah, then Senior Lecturer in Tamil, was appointed as the Acting Head of the Department, until Rev. Dr. Anton Matthias, was appointed as the Head of the Department on 1 October 1997. Rev. Prof. G. V. Pilendran took charge of the department as the Head in the latter part of the year 2004 and he continued his services till early 2017. Rev. Dr. J. C. Paul Rohan was appointed as the head in the early 2017 and he continues up to date.

1979 - Christian Civilization Unit - Mr. S. Jebanesan (Now the Bishop emeritus of the Church of South - First Coordinator)

1981 - Rev. Dr. A.J.V. Chandrakanthan - Permanent Lecturer and Unit Coordinator

1989 - Christian Civilization Unit was made a Department

22.04.1991- 31.03.1997 Rev. Dr. A.J.V. Chandrakanthan (Head)

01.04.1996 - 30.09.1997 Prof. S. Sivalingarajah (Acting Head)

01.10.1997 - 04.11.2004 Rev. Dr. R.A.J. Mathias (Head)

05.11.2004 - 31.01.2017 Rev. Dr. G. Pilendran (Head)

01.02.2017 - Rev. Dr. J.C. Paul Rohan (Head)

University of Jaffna is the only University in Sri Lanka that conducts a Special degree undergraduate programme in ‘Christian Civilization’. The Department offers the students the opportunity to graduate in Christian Civilization with General (3 years) and Special (4 years) degrees. It has as its aim to produce graduates with the profile which falls in line with the vision, mission, strategic goals and objectives of the corporate plan of the University of Jaffna.

The graduate profile of the Department has the following objectives:

• Enlightening the students to become aware and conscious of the changes that occur in their environment and to respond to them with a Christian spirit.

• Helping them to use the knowledge to make a meaningful human life ‘worth living’ in this world with values, full of joy and satisfaction.

• Inculcating that the final end of education is to expand the heart, mind and attitude and to accommodate people of different ideologies, cults, cultures and ethnic groups and respect all human beings as neighbours and children of God.

In order to achieve this graduate profile, the students are given various facilities and opportunities in the department; the revised curriculum with OBE and SCL with the help of the international scholars and institutions; presentations with ICT, small group discussions and reports; field visits and handing over the reports; providing opportunities to interact with local and international experts of pertinent field.

Besides offering General or Special degree programmes for the internal students, the Department also conducts undergraduate degree programme for the external students through the Centre for Open and Distance Learning. Further the Department offers the opportunity for postgraduate researches leading to MPhil and PhD in Christian Civilization through the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies. Those who have done their bachelor degrees in our department and in the various Universities around the world have registered here and completed their M.Phil and Ph.D researches. So far four have completed their Ph.D and eight have completed their M.Phil. There are still others reading at present.

Arrangements are almost over to start a Master of Christian Studies, a postgraduate Master’s Degree programme through the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies. It will be launched shortly.

The qualified priests and pastors ministering in the peninsula have always given a helping hand for the lectures in the Department. Also lecturers of St. Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Jaffna, affiliated to the Pontifical Urban University in Rome and of the Christian Theological College at Chunnakam, affiliated to the Serampore University in India, willingly assist the Department as Visiting Lecturers and Department is indebted to them. At the moment the Department has three permanent academic staff and goes forward

The various endeavours of this Department have been facilitated and enhanced by the two Centres of the University since 1986. St. Thomas’ Centre for the Christians and the Good Shepherd Centre for the Catholics were opened in 1986. These Centres with residential chaplains regularly organize various activities, seminars, retreats, religious services, etc. Also the facilities of these Centres are regularly used by the Department for its various functions and activities.

The graduates and the post graduates who have completed their studies in this Department are serving at various capacities nationally and internationally. They are the pride and hope of this mission.

An International Research Conference on ‘Christian Studies’ was organized by the Department of Christian Civilization for the first time at the University of Jaffna in collaboration with the Centre for Performing Arts which was held on the 7^th and 8^th of December 2018. The theme of the Conference was “Towards a New Christian Humanistic Ethos”. The conference was a success and was able to achieve what it wanted. So many people contributed in so many ways to turn the conference into a smooth running event with many academic inputs, discussions and networking. It has taken the Department to new heights and assured the quality enhancement of its graduates.

Our Journey Continues...!