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Papers of Duncan Forrester (b. 1933)

 Fonds
Identifier: CSWC 48

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of reports, articles, press cuttings, pamphlets and other papers collected by Forrester relating to India and in particular to Indian politics and religion. Some of the material includes correspondence or drafts of papers to be published by Forrester. The material dates from 1950s-1970s, mainly from the 1960s and early-mid 1970s. Topics covered include: general elections; India emergency (1975); political parties; central government, administration and constitution; state politics and federation; Madras Legislative Assembly Study (1966); politics in Tamilnadu, Madras, Andhra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab; religion, secularism, communism, Harijans, and tribal politics; politics of language; community development and Panchayati Raj; education; scheduled caste graduates; caste; Coorgs; and political biography.

Dates

  • Creation: 20th century

Language of Materials

English Hindi

Conditions Governing Access

Contact the repository for details.

Conditions Governing Use

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Biographical / Historical

Duncan Baillie Forrester, Church of Scotland missionary in Madras, India and theologian, was born in Edinburgh on 10 November 1933. He was educated at St Andrew's University (1951-1955) then spent a year at Chicago University (1955-56). After working in industry for a year he went to Edinburgh University in 1957 to study for the ministry and graduated BD in 1960. He was licensed by the Presbytery of St Andrew's in 1960 and started work at St James' Mission and Hillside Church. In 1961 he went to Madras with the Church of Scotland and was the professor of politics in Madras Christian College until his return to Scotland in 1970. Forrester had been ordained in India in 1962 but he returned to a largely academic life. He was first chaplain but also lecturer at the University of Sussex (1970-1978, receiving a D Phil in 1976), then professor of Christian ethics and practical theology at Edinburgh University where he also acted as Dean of the Faculty of Divinity and was Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues for a period. Forrester received a ThD from the University of Iceland in 1997 and a DD from Glasgow University in 1999. He has published widely, his particular interest being in Indian politics and religion and in ethics and political theology. He retired from Edinburgh University in 2001.

Extent

21 boxes

Arrangement

The material is arranged as described above and as deposited in the Centre. The original box titles have been kept.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was presented to the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World by Duncan Forrester in the mid 1980s.

Accruals

None expected.

Related Materials

The Centre Library holds many books and pamphlets on India.

General

The biographical history was compiled using Fasti Ecclesiae Scotticanae (editions 10 and 11)

Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository

Contact:
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379