Samuel Rayan SJ (23 July 1920 – 2 January 2019) is a student of IHS and the first Indian liberation theologian.
Rayan was born in the village of Kumbalam in Kollam District, Kerala into a family of eight children (2 girls and 6 boys).
[1] He devoted many years to the study of Malayalam literature, mastered Sanskrit, and was well read in Indian religions and philosophy.
For Rayan, the central mission of the Christian faith is its insertion into the concrete and daily life of the people, especially of the most marginalized and oppressed members of the social body.
"[4][5] A Festschrift was published in Rayan's honor, with contributions by Gustavo Gutiérrez, George Soares-Prabhu, and Jon Sobrino: