P. A. Sampath Kumar
P. Antonyraj Sampath Kumar (25 October 1951 – 9 March 2015) was an Indian New Testament scholar who was the President of the Society for Biblical Studies in India, and was the Escande Chair of Asian Christian Studies at Pondicherry University and was the Chief Warden of the Pondicherry University Hostels. He was a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. Studies. Sampath Kumar pursued postgraduate studies at St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary, Bengaluru from 1983 to 1985 in the discipline of New Testament after which he went to Strasbourg and registered as a  doctoral candidate at the University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg for research in New Testament exegesis. In 1990, the University conferred upon him the doctoral degree based on his thesis. For some time he was Professor of New Testament at the United Theological College, Bengaluru and also tutored Babu Immanuel, C. I. David Joy and K. Suraj Kumar and Rev.K.Balakrishnan who were pursuing post-graduate studies during that period. Publications. Papers Presented. Local Seminars. The Chair organized on Saturdays Seminars of the educated people of Pondicherry and its surroundings at the Escande Research Centre for Religion and Culture, Kanagachettikulam, Pondicherry 605014 . This Centre is attached to the chair in Asian Christian Studies, Pondicherry University. These seminars were well attended by the University students, educated people of all religions of Pondicherry and other places. Most of them were regulars of the seminars.