Allan Palanna appointed Commonwealth Theologian
Tuesday, 6th January 2026
The Reverend Dr Allan Palanna has been appointed as Westminster Abbey's Commonwealth Theologian in Residence for the Lent Term 2026.
This annual appointment is offered to an exceptional theologian from a Commonwealth country, living as a member of the residential community at Westminster Abbey, whilst pursuing a research or writing project for a period of four months.
About Dr Palanna
The Reverend Dr Allan Samuel Palanna is a Presbyter of the Church of South India, Karnataka Southern Diocese, and currently serves as Professor of Christian Ethics in the Department of Theology and Ethics at the United Theological College, Bengaluru, India. He earned his PhD in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Kent, Canterbury, under the supervision of Professor Robin Gill. Dr Palanna has previously been a research scholar and taught Ecumenical Social Ethics at the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Bossey, Switzerland.
Dr Palanna’s research critically engages with Christian social ethics within the Indian socio-political context, with particular attention to ethics of healthcare, theology, and the church’s public witness. He is also the editor of Mission Statement and Priorities of the Church for the Decade 2021–2030 (Chennai: Church of South India, 2022), a volume commissioned by the Church of South India.
A living relationship with the Commonwealth
Dr Palanna said:
‘I am deeply honoured to undertake this residency at Westminster Abbey, whose historic and living relationship with the Commonwealth creates a rare and vital space for discerning the moral and theological imperatives of our shared life. As a nation that helped shape the modern Commonwealth from its earliest years, India continues to model how diverse cultures, faiths, and democratic commitments can be held together in a spirit of shared responsibility. Formed within the Church of South India, itself a unifying ecclesial vision born at the dawn of India’s independence, I carry a keen awareness that the story of the Commonwealth is inseparable from enduring struggles for identity, justice, healing, and reconciliation. My sabbatical at the Abbey will be an extraordinary invitation to enter more deeply into this legacy, to be shaped by the Abbey’s long-standing commitment to fostering fellowship across nations, and to contribute to its ongoing theological conversations on human dignity, care for the earth, and the church’s public witness in a deeply fractured world.'
The Abbey’s Canon Theologian, the Reverend Dr Jamie Hawkey, said:
‘Westminster Abbey’s deep and long-standing commitment to the Commonwealth has already been greatly enriched by the presence of The Reverend Dr Ishaya Anthony, from the Diocese of Kwoi, Nigeria, and the Department of Religious Studies, University of Johannesburg, as last year’s inaugural Commonwealth Theologian in Residence. Allan Palanna’s appointment in 2026 offers fresh and imaginative opportunities for mutual learning and engagement far beyond the life of the Abbey. Through this particular appointment, we are also again delighted to support theological scholarship in the Anglican Communion, as we seek to sustain and deepen our bonds of affection.’
