Nathanael Somanathan

Photo of Nathanael Somanathan

Department of Theology and Religion
Doctoral researcher

Contact details

PhD title: Theological Anthropology from the intersection between Pentecostalism and Eastern Orthodoxy for a South Asian Buddhist context
Supervisors: Dr Daniela Augustine (80%); Professor Wolfgang Vondey (20%)
PhD Theology and Religion

Qualifications

  • MA in Historical Theology
  • Bachelors of Eng in Electronics and Communications

Biography

I am from an Engineering background however, I accepted a call to ministry and stepped into pastoral ministry. In 2017 I pursued formal theological training and graduated from Wheaton College, US with a Master's in Historical Theology in 2019. Since then I have been working as an associate pastor and full-time seminary lecturer.

Teaching

I teach as a full-time lecturer at Colombo Theological Seminary, Sri Lanka.

Research

My research endeavours to construct a robust Pentecostal anthropology for the Sri Lankan Buddhist context. I will argue that the intersection of Orthodoxy and Sri Lankan Pentecostal spirituality (as found in the Theravāda Buddhist context) offers a better basis for a Pentecostal theological anthropology than the typical Western Pentecostal approaches. Additionally, such a Pentecostal understanding of personhood has to be pneumatological, communal, cosmic and eschatological.

Publications

  • “Can the Suffering God Help?” Colombo Theological Seminary Journal, Vol. 17, 2021, Sri Lanka, December 2021
  • “Trinity, Theodicy and Suffering in Community: A discussion on the Trinitarian doctrine of Creation,” Colombo Theological Seminary Journal, Vol. 16, 2020, Sri Lanka, September 2020
  • "A Theology of the Redeemed Christian: The Anthropology of the Greek Patristic Fathers and Calvin." A paper presented at the Faith Entrusted Theology Conference, Sri Lanka, February 2020
  • "Culture Wars and Pentecostalism." A paper presented at "Inheritance," Wheaton graduate student research conference, Wheaton College, IL, US, April 2019