His Grace was born on 28 June 1952 at Arikuzha, Thodupuzha, to Rev. Fr Yohannan Puttanil and Mrs Mariam. He did his schooling at Government UPS School Arikuzha and NSS High School, Manakad. Thereupon he joined New Man College, Thodupuzha and passed out his Pre-degree and Degree from there. He did his MA from St John’s College, Agra.

In the theological front, he took his BD degree from Serampore College and United Theological College, Bangalore. And went for his DTh from Protestant Faculty, University of Munich.

He was ordained a priest in 1990 and the very same year was consecrated as Bishop and was given the charge of Kandanad Diocese. He was a teacher at Syrian Orthodox Theological Seminary at Vettickal during 1990-95. From 1992, His Grace was the President of Kerala Council of Churches till 1998.

Dr Athanasius is a known social worker and a philanthropist. He runs Swasraya Rehabilitation & Training Centre at Vettickal, Mulanthuruthy; Trinity Retirement Home, Kolenchery; Samanvaya Study and Dialogue Centre, Pampakuda; Sukhada Retreat Centre, Kolenchery; Santhula Hospital and Deaddiction Centre, Vadakara; and Giliyad, Retreat Centre & Orphanage, Vadkara.

His Grace is an author of few well-known books. A Comparative Study of Theological Methodologies of Irenaeus and Sri Sankara (1990); Church and Society (1992); Neethi Samooham; and Anthyokya Malankara Bandham: Oru Punarchintanam are the main titles.