"Distinctively

He Hopes New

College Will Be

Pacific "

7 rom the Rev. L. D. Fullerton, first )rganising Secretary of the Pacific Geological College, Suva, and now of New York.

Professor George A. F.

Cnight, first principal of the new

Pacific Theological College in

Juva, Fiji, was due in Suva in ate September to take up his

ippointment—with high hopes

or the college’s future.

A NGLICAN, Congregational, i. Methodist and Presbyterian hurches in the Pacific have joined i establishing the college, which is eing built at Veiuto, overlooking uva harbour.

“It is my hope,” Dr. Knight told le before he left New York, “that s the college grows, it will develop ito a distinctively Pacific institution, nd not a pale copy of a British or jnerican theological school.

“We will learn as we go along, hope we will be able to wed the zademic standards of the Western orld to the emerging life of the acific.

Relevant

“The college must be relevant to le Pacific, not to London!

“I hope that in time the college ill produce its own theologians, who ill think in Pacific concepts, so that le eternal truths of the Christian nth will be expressed far more leaningfully for Pacific peoples.”

Dr. Knight, who was accompanied > Suva by his wife and daughter mn, a recent Arts graduate in hicago, hopes to visit many of the acific territories from which his udents will come before the college pens next year.

He wants to meet church leaders tid the staffs of regional theological :hools to discuss the contribution lat the college can make to the acific as a whole.

Dr. Knight comes to the college ith an international reputation as Biblical scholar. He has published 3 books. His first professorial ap ointment was in 1947.

Before his present appointment, he as Professor of Old Testament at

McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago for five years; lecturer in Old Testament and Semitic Languages at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, from 1959 to 1960; and Professor of Old Testament in Knox College, Dunedin, New Zealand, from 1947 to 1958.

Professor James Muilenburg, one of America’s leading Biblical scholars, told me: “You are certainly very fortunate to be getting a man of Dr. Knight’s calibre. He has an established reputation as a scholar and is an excellent teacher. We all think very highly of him.”

What is of equal significance is that Dr. Knight’s students think as highly of him as do his fellow pro fessors.

Brilliant Teacher

Two of my fellow students took courses under Dr. Knight at Mc- Cormick Seminary in Chicago. One described him as a “brilliant teacher” who “takes a personal in terest in his students in a way which I have never seen in any other professor”.

He added; “He sets high standards but he has the ability to appreciate the students’ difficulties; and although he is a distinguished scholar, he does not live in an ivory tower.”

The other student, a German doing a doctoral degree here, has told me many times of Dr. and Mrs. Knight’s warm-heartedness, and how their home is always open to foreign students. (Dr. Knight readily admits that his wife “makes a good cup of tea”).

I have had the opportunity of spending some time with Professor Knight and his gracious wife in New York. They will bring a wide ex perience to their new work in Suva, and a great deal of charm and a capacity for warm understanding of students.

Educated In Scotland

Dr. and Mrs. Knight were both born in Scotland, as were their children. Dr. Knight was educated at Glasgow University, taking an MA with honours in Semitic languages.

He was also prizeman in Greek, Geography and Hebrew, and was very active in student affairs. He holds doctors’ degrees from Glasgow University, the Melbourne College of Divinity and from Coe College of the Presbyterian University of lowa, USA.

His first appointment, after finish ing at University, was to Budapest in 1935 as director of the Church

Scotland’s Schools and Mission the Jews in Hungary.

When war came, he became rector of all non-Aryan relief work Hungary and Yugoslavia for all otestant churches of the west, mdling refugees from Germany.

In 1940, he returned to Scotland id in the next six years served two rge Scottish churches. In 1947 he gan his distinguished teaching reer.

Author

Professor Knight’s first book was iblished in 1942; his 13 th—his -ond to be published this year— s just come off the press in the lited States.

A list of articles he has written r learned journals is as long as nr arm”.

Like his books, they are con med mainly with either interpreting e Old Testament or with dialogue tween Christians and Jews. His ajor work, A Christian Theology of e Old Testament was issued in a atch edition in 1962.

In 1956, Dr. Knight was a visiting iturer at Leiden University, Holland, lis was during his sabbatical leave, icn he also studied the work of eological colleges in Thailand, ngapore and Indonesia.

Dr. Knight has done many things lich demonstrate the students Jgment that he is no professor “m ivory tower”.

In 1960, he was knighted by the leen of the Netherlands in re gnition of his relief work among fugees, and his contribution to the ttlement of Dutch migrants m sw Zealand. He is an Officer in e Order of Orange Nassau.

Experienced Broadcaster

Not surprisingly, Dr. Knight is :e-chairman of the World Council Churches’ Committee on the lurch and the Jewish People.

Dr. Knight has had extensive ex rience in broadcasting. During the ir, his church in Glasgow was rmanently wired to the BBC and broadcast services some 65 times, Jf of these being in the overseas ogrammes.

Back in Scotland in 1959-60, he is editor of the Scottish BBC digious News and appeared on tele don. In New Zealand he was a ;quent broadcaster.

He served for a time as chairman the National Council of Churches immission on Religious Broadcast g, and also as the Chairman of e New Zealand Radio “Brains -ust”.