More Information
ISBN: 9781839732799
Imprint: Langham Global Library
Format: Paperback
Dimensions (mm): 229 x 152 x 15
Publication Date: 30/09/2022
Pages: 302
Series: Foundations in Asian Christian Thought
Language: English

Exploring the Old Testament in Asia

Evangelical Perspectives

£18.99

Exploring the Old Testament in Asia is the first evangelical Old Testament textbook written both from and for an Asian cultural context. Rooted in the theological conviction that God still speaks through the Old Testament in all its fullness, the twelve essays in this book address key theological issues pertinent to the diverse cultures and contexts of Asia. Touching on topics from polytheism and kinship bonds to Scripture translation and the biblical conception of wisdom, the writers position themselves in conversation with Asia’s rich spiritual, cultural, and literary heritage. The result is a theological contribution that is both contextually relevant and biblically faithful.

Author Bios

Jerry Hwang
(Edited By)

JERRY HWANG has a PhD in Biblical Theology from Wheaton College, Illinois, USA, and has served as an Old Testament faculty member at Singapore Bible College since 2010. His interests and publications lie at the intersection of Old Testament studies, Asian cultures, and missional theology. As a Chinese American who has spent time in France and now lives in Singapore, Jerry has lived cross-culturally all his life and speaks English, Mandarin, French, and Spanish.

Angukali Rotokha
(Edited By)

ANGUKALI ROTOKHA has a PhD in Old Testament from the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, Bangalore, India. She has taught at Oriental Theological Seminary, Nagaland, India and South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, Bangalore. She is a member of the executive committee of her local church in Bangalore, where she also serves with the teaching/preaching ministry, and she has been involved in Christian ministry for nearly twenty years.

Endorsements

This is the volume for which I have been looking for a very long time. It contains the finest collection of evangelical studies in First Testament theology by Asians for Asians that I have encountered.

Daniel Block, DPhil
Wheaton College, Illinois, USA


Amidst widespread approaches to the Bible from the perspectives of the margin in Asia, it is refreshing to read an exploration of the Old Testament by Asian evangelical scholars.

Chubamongba Ao, DTh
Everest Theological Institute, Nepal


This excellent collection of essays by scholars across Asia beautifully highlights the relevance of the Old Testament for the church today, showing how these readings can come to life in new ways in Asian contexts.

Charlie Trimm, PhD
Biola University, California, USA


I enthusiastically commend this fine collection of essays. How helpful to see the deep engagement of the Old Testament with contemporary Asian cultures. In our global village, this book is invaluable wherever we live.

Paul Barker, PhD
Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, Australia


These stimulating essays demonstrate an accurate understanding of Asian issues in their specific contexts, sound exegetical and theological analysis of parallel Old Testament contexts and passages, and careful evaluation of Asian issues with relevant Old Testament beliefs, values, and practices.

Roy Kong Low, PhD
Grace Biblical Seminary, Hong Kong


Focusing on the interpretation and application of the Old Testament in diverse Asian contexts, the articles in this volume repeatedly show the varied interfaces between the Bible and culture, as well as how to engage in thoughtful, constructive dialogue. Not only Asian Christians but also all who love the global church will benefit greatly from this book.

Kevin Chen, PhD
Christian Witness Theological Seminary, California, USA


Exploring the Old Testament in Asia is a rare find. An excellent scholarly yet practical book, offering Old Testament theology from the Asian context for Asian communities, and written mainly by Asian authors.

Rev. Dr. Patrick Fung
OMF International


This is a much-needed book for understanding the Old Testament in modern-day Asia, where the maturing Asian church needs a contextualized lens through which to apprehend the marvelous and timeless truths of God’s first written revelation to humanity.

David M. Howard, Jr., PhD
Bethlehem College and Seminary, Minnesota, USA


These essays are certainly not the last word on their respective subjects – many of them could have been expanded to book-length studies – but they are a welcome word nonetheless, opening up many areas for further research.

Philip Satterthwaite, PhD
Biblical Graduate School of Theology, Singapore


This is a creative book heralding Asian evangelical biblical scholarship at its best with key scholars who not only take the Hebrew Bible seriously, but also resolve difficult, challenging, and relevant issues.

Joseph Shao, PhD
Asia Theological Association


The publication of this book is a dream becoming a reality! It is an indispensable read for anyone who aims to dig deep theologically and biblically into Asian issues.

Rev. Riad Kassis, PhD
Langham Scholars Ministry


I highly recommend this book for all who are passionate about the Scripture and its relevance to all people.

Chloe T. Sun, PhD
Logos Evangelical Seminary, California, USA


As a Western Christian with intercultural interests, I found the essays fascinating. They encourage all readers, Western and non-Western, to think critically of assumptions they bring to the Old Testament.

Willem VanGemeren, PhD
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Illinois, USA


Exploring the Old Testament in Asia: Evangelical Perspectives is an excellent book to understand the Old Testament from an Asian evangelical perspective.

Junias Venugopal, PhD
Wheaton College, Illinois, USA


The authors provide not only well-researched models of contextual readings but also contribute fresh insights into Scripture that are of importance to the global church.

Michael Widmer, PhD
Theological Seminary Chrischona, Switzerland

Table of Contents

  1. Foreword
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. Abbreviations
  4. Introduction Angukali Rotokha and Jerry Hwang
  5. Chapter 1: The Hebrew Bible and Translation as Scripture Bayarjargal Garamtseren
  6. Chapter 2: Yahweh and Other Gods Koowon Kim
  7. Chapter 3: Men, Women, and God: Understanding the Male-Female/Husband-Wife Relationship through Genesis 1–3 Havilah Dharamraj
  8. Chapter 4: Israel, The Nations, and the Missio Dei Jerry Hwang
  9. Chapter 5: Leadership, Power, and Authority Annelle Sabanal
  10. Chapter 6: Old Testament Law and Ethics Mona P. Bias
  11. Chapter 7: Taiwanese Christian Li: The Embodied Worship of the Lord Shirley S. Ho
  12. Chapter 8: Education, Learning, and Wisdom: Lady Wisdom Invites Us! Elaine Wei-Fun Goh
  13. Chapter 9: Old Testament Narratives: Historiography and Historicity Angukali Rotokha
  14. Chapter 10: Exodus and Liberation: Naga Nationalism and the People of God Angukali Rotokha
  15. Chapter 11: Kinship, Patronage, and Corruption Peter H. W. Lau
  16. Chapter 12: Prosperity Theology in Asia: Description and Evaluation in Light of the Old Testament Huu-Thien Tran N. and Daniel C. Owens
  17. Contributors
  18. Subject Index
  19. Author Index
  20. Scripture Index

Contributors

Bayarjargal Garamtseren


Koowon Kim

KOOWON KIM holds a PhD in Old Testament and the Ancient Near East from the University of Chicago, Illinois, USA, and a MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He has been training pastors at Reformed Graduate University, Seoul, South Korea, since 2008. He has previously authored or co-authored theological monographs with Brill and SBL Press and contributed to various reference works published by Baker Books, InterVarsity Press and Lexham Press.


Havilah Dharamraj

HAVILAH DHARAMRAJ, PhD (Durham, UK), is the Academic Dean at the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, where she teaches Old Testament. She is one of the editors of, and a contributor to, the South Asia Bible Commentary.


Annelle G. Sabanal


Mona P. Bias


Shirley S. Ho

SHIRLEY S. HO (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is Filipino-Chinese, and has lived in Taiwan for the past eleven years. She is currently Assistant Professor of the Old Testament at China Evangelical Seminary, Taipei, Taiwan, and teaches courses on Biblical Hebrew, the Old Testament, and Research and Writing. Shirley is currently writing her post-doctoral project on Proverbs, and has presented her article, The Journey of a Son: Narrative Reading of Proverbs 1–9, at the 2017 SBL International Meeting, at Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.


Elaine W. F. Goh

ELAINE W. F. GOH (ThD, South East Asia Graduate School of Theology) is currently a lecturer in Old Testament studies at Seminari Theoloji Malaysia (Malaysia Theological Seminary). She has published a book on Ecclesiastes entitled Wisdom of Living in a Changing World: Readings from Ecclesiastes (Genesis, 2013). Her areas of research are in Old Testament studies and biblical wisdom literature. In her dissertation research, she worked on cross-textual hermeneutics between Ecclesiastes and the Analects. Her published essays include one on intertextual reading in Reading Ruth in Asia (Society of Biblical Literature, 2015).


Peter H. W. Lau

PETER H. W. LAU first trained as a medical doctor before getting a MDiv from Sydney Missionary and Bible College, New South Wales, Australia, and a PhD in Old Testament from the University of Sydney. He has been lecturing at Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, Seremban, Malaysia, since 2010. He has also authored books on Ruth, Ezekiel and Psalms and serves as the Old Testament Review Editor for Themelios.


Huu-Tien Tran N.

Huu-Thien Tran N. (PhD, AGST Alliance) is a pastor with the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South, also known as ECVN). He teaches Old Testament Theology at the ECVN Institute of Bible and Theology and serves as the senior pastor of a local church in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He is also a Langham scholar. He has authored a commentary on the book of Ruth in Vietnamese (2022) and co-wrote a textbook and workbook of Basic Biblical Hebrew Grammar in Vietnamese (2016). He is currently working on a dictionary of Hebrew-Vietnamese to provide a basic tool for Vietnamese to learn biblical Hebrew, while working on publishing his dissertation, “The Chronicler’s Reading of Biblical Sources: A Model for Asian Biblical Hermeneutics.”


Daniel Owens


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