P. Solomon Raj

Raj underwent initial studies between 1940 and 1945[4] at the AELC-Andhra Christian College, Guntur and became a teacher. During the tenure of A. N. Gopal as president of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society, Raj was sent for theological studies to the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Madras, where he studied from 1953 to 1956 under thoroughbred faculty, including[8] Professor Hans-Werner Gensichen.

In 1964[4] during the tenure of G. Devasahayam at the AELC Church Society, Raj was sent for post-graduate studies to the Indiana University, Indiana, where he completed a master's degree in education.[4]

When the Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham invited[4] Raj to lecture in communication for term between 1978 and 1983, Raj not only taught at the college but also enrolled as a doctoral candidate and pursued research studies under the guidance of Walter Hollenweger.[4] Raj also spent time at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.[8]

As an artist, Raj first learnt the nuances of art through the Sunday School and later became a student[4] of the notable artist, Damerla Rama Rao and cleared a state examination in drawing and painting. While at the Indiana State University, he learnt woodblock printing and etching.[4] As for batik, he learnt it from his friends in Hyderabad.[4]

Although Raj began his career as a teacher, he soon became a pastor of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society serving as a chaplain of the AELC-Andhra Christian College, Guntur serving during 1956–1959.[4] He then served at the Lutheran Theological College, Rajahmundry for a year, 1959–1960.[4]

In 1960, on the invitation of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), he took up the directorship of the Department for Audio-Visual education and served in Nagpur, the headquarters of the NCCI from 1960 to 1968.[4] In 1968, he moved to Vijayawada to take up a role as director of the radio station, Suvartha Vani[9], a multimedia project of the Andhra Pradesh Council of Churches in partnership with Canadian Baptist Ministries, Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church and Church of South India, serving during the period 1968–1978.[4] K. L. Richardson writes that Rev. P. Solomon Raj of the AELC who had rich experience in radio evangelism also served in the programme of Suvartha Vani.[6]

Raj took up professorship and lectured at the Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham, from 1978 to 1983,[4] where he taught communication. Raj was visiting lecturer in the United States of America during 1984–1985.

Ravela Joseph and B. Suneel Bhanu, who had undertaken a compilation in 1993 entitled Bibliography of original Christian writings in India in Telugu on behalf of the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, acknowledged Raj to be one of the original Christian writers[10] in Telugu. They have listed out the following works by Raj,

• in 1957,[10] How to Study the Bible,[11]
• in 1957,[10] Story Telling[12]
• in 1973,[10] Wild Flowers[13]
• in 1977,[10] A Theological Dictionary[14]
• in 1978,[10] Christ, the King of Kings[15]
• in 1978,[10] The House of Worship[16]

In addition to the books listed out, Raj has also authored,

• in 1986, A Christian Folk Religion in India: A study of the small Church movement in Andhra Pradesh with special reference to the Bible Mission of Devadas.[8] Second edition in 2004 published by the Centre for Contemporary Christianity, Bangalore,[17]
• in 1993, Living flame and Springing Fountain: Batiks and Meditations,[18]
• in 2003, Fiery Wheels: Art works and meditations,[3]
• in 2003, New Wine Skins: The Story of the Indigenous Missions in coastal Andhra Pradesh.[5]

Art forms interested Raj since his Sunday School days, and he soon got to show his arts from the later half of the 1960s.[4] He was Artist-in-Residence in United States of America, Great Britain, Canada, Japan and Philippines (Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, Manila).[4] He held art shows and gave lectures in United Kingdom, United States of America, Japan, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Netherlands and the Philippines.[4]