René Van de Walle (28 January 1924 - 9 June 2009) was a Belgian Jesuit priest, biblical scholar, and academic. He specialized in the Old Testament and taught at the major National Catholic Seminary of Jnana Vidyadeepth in Pune (India). He contributed to scholarly research through his writings which appeared in the major theological journals in India for nearly two decades.
Born in Larrey, Côte-d'Or (France) on 28 January 1924 the young René entered the novitiate of the Jesuits in Drongen (Belgium), on the 7 September 1945. After a year of preparation â learning Sanskrit and Indian civilization â in Wépion, he sails off to India where he first spends another year of language study (Hindi) in Hazaribagh. Then follow philosophical studies in Shembaganur near Kodaikanal (1949âÂÂ1952).
After two years of educational experience among the tribals of Chotanagpur (Ranchi) René is sent for theological studies in Pune, at the De Nobili College, from 1954 to 1958, with priestly ordination by Bishop Andreas DâÂÂSouza (of Pune) at the end of the third year, on March 24, 1957.
However, given his intellectual bent, the young priest is destined for higher ecclesiastical education, and hence sent for a two years âÂÂbienniumâ at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome (1960âÂÂ1963). His dissertation - required for the doctoral degree -, deals with The Murmuring of the Jews in the Wilderness. While in Rome, on the 2 February 1963, he makes his final religious profession in the Society of Jesus.
Back in India Fr Van de Walle immediately begins his academic career at the national Seminary (nowadays Jnana Deepa VidyapeethâÂÂ) in Pune (then Poona), a major town of Maharashtra, east of Mumbai, on the West coast of India. There Van de Walle was Professor of Old Testament and was associated with the revision of the Marathi Bible produced by the Bible Society of India. He remains in Pune continuously until his retirement and departure to Belgium in 1989.