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Culture is defined as the shared values and practices found in a community. Cultural values are then varied from one social group to the other. In contrast, gospel is static. The values and principles from Scripture do not change. Moreover, when gospel and culture tensions occur--especially in the application of the gospel message in a specific culture--do believers from a specific culture adopt the culture of the Bible? If so, is there one unified culture in the Bible? From the Canaanite culture to the Greco-Roman and Jewish cultures, Scripture exhibits many cultures. Should the believers from a specific worldview follow all the cultural practices of the Bible? Can the believers from Kerala or Bihar in India hold on to their own indigenous cultures? How might one appropriate the message of the gospel in their respective cultures? Contextualizing the gospel is an important task in the practice of Christianity. This means that the identification of the principles of contextualization is important in order to answer the aforementioned questions. One Gospel, Many Cultures will be a valuable addition as these pertinent questions on gospel and culture are addressed by renowned scholars.
The Sermon on the Mount contains many comparisons. In this book, the functions of these comparisons are studied by the methodology called comparative characterization. Characterization is the way a character is characterized in a narrative. Comparative characterization is the characterization of a character using comparisons. In comparative characterization, another character is used as a foil to bring out a characteristic trait of a concerned character. Jesus characterized the ideal disciple in the Sermon on the Mount with many descriptions and imperatives. To characterize the ideal disciple Jesus used many comparisons and highlighted the characteristic features that embody the ideal discip...
There is a growing recognition that God’s design is for us to read Scripture alongside the whole church in all of its cultural and linguistic diversity. Exploring the New Testament in Asia is a textbook for students and scholars of the New Testament to help the church hear and see the good news of Jesus anew. This collection of essays offers theological reflections on New Testament themes from Asian perspectives, while addressing contextual issues in light of the New Testament. Touching on topics such as salvation, holiness, poverty, ethnic tensions, reconciliation, honoring elders, persecution, and hospitality, the scholars in this book demonstrate the importance of a varied contemporary context for understanding the New Testament. The result is a theological contribution that is both contextually relevant and biblically faithful.
Understanding and assessing the New Testament writings from Asian viewpoints provides a unique and original outlook for interpretation of the Christian Scriptures. To that end, An Asian Introduction to the New Testament is the first book of its kind to take full account of the multireligious, multiethnic, multilingual, multicultural, and pluralistic contexts in which Asian Christians find themselves. Into this already complex world, issues of poverty, casteism, class structure, honor and shame aspects, colonial realities, discrimination against women, natural calamities and ecological crises, and others add more layers of complexity. Perceiving the New Testament in light of these realities enables the reader to see them in a fresh way while understanding that the Jesus Movement emerged from similar social situations. Readers will find able guides in an impressive array of more than twenty scholars from across Asia. Working with volume editor Johnson Thomaskutty, the authors make a clear case: the kernels of Christianity sprouted from Asian roots, and we must read the New Testament considering those roots in order to understand it afresh today.
This book provides analysis of a variety of biblical narratives and texts which are the vehicle for the expression, articulation and performance of diverse identities in the Indian context and is the first attempt to do so for a global audience of scholars and students. From pan-Indian social problems attributed to caste, class and gender inequality, to specific North Eastern tribal settings, Dalit struggles in rural Andhra Pradesh and the experience of Christian autorickshaw drivers in urban Chennai, the book explores the diverse geographical, cultural, social, economic and linguistic settings in which the Bible is encountered. The holistic and multidisciplinary approach to Biblical studies...
Think Write is a comprehensive critical thinking, research methodology, and academic writing handbook. It is designed to aid students to understand and meet the varied expectations of higher theological studies. Concepts such as critical thinking, theological thinking, problem statement, primary question, methodology, plagiarism, citation format, can all be difficult to grasp. This book explains each of these in a way that would make sense to MTh and PhD students from the various theological departments. Along with advice to enhance academic research and reading, practical suggestions are offered to improve research assignments, Thesis Proposals, and dissertations. Included is a citation guide based on the Chicago Manual of Style.
2 Peter and Jude, though brief, are rich resources for understanding the call to live godly and holy lives. Importantly they provide essential discussion on false teachers, individuals whom many of us today narrowly define based on their unorthodox views or teachings. While there is truth in this definition, Dr. Uytanlet expands on this by skillfully expounding 2 Peter and Jude to show that our understanding of false teachers should be broadened to include lifestyle and character. In acknowledging these important areas, 2 Peter and Jude demonstrate that false teachers may hold to correct doctrines, but their loose morals and abuse of power make them false teachers. This key commentary highlights the importance of mining these Catholic Epistles further and expertly brings their messages to an Asian context. The Asia Bible Commentary Series empowers Christian believers in Asia to read the Bible from within their respective contexts. Holistic in its approach to the text, each exposition of the biblical books combines exegesis and application. The goal is to strengthen the Body of Christ in Asia by providing a pastoral and contextual exposition of every book of the Bible.
A perennial challenge for theological education is the integration of what is learned in the classroom with students' church life and ministry. Is there a connection? How can greater connection be fostered? Many seminaries earnestly wrestle with these questions. Whereas some of the underlying issues are common to all seminaries, others are influenced by the cultural context in which theological education, church life, and ministry take place. In additional to cultural factors, the history, lifestage, and current state of the church and of theological education are different in each context. The integration of theology, church, and ministry is crucial to the effectiveness of a Chinese seminar...
This book is an explanation of the author’s investigation into James’ concept of God, using the historical-critical approach as a hermeneutical tool to find out how it was important to different realms of the early Messianic community and its significance to Christians today. The Epistle of James faced lot of struggles to be included in the New Testament. For various reasons, the book was not considered for early canonization. The main reason was the view that there were less theological aspects in the content of the book. Martin Luther described this book as “an epistle of straw.” Respectively, scholars like Martin Debelius, J. H. Ropes, E. J. Goodspeed and A. M. Hunter also underscore the nature of its relatively limited theology by highlighting other aspects of the Epistle of James. Therefore, this book attempts to investigate James’ theological concepts by looking into his use of the concept of God in the socio-political, religious and economic settings of the people in the text.
Explore theories, readings and interpretations from island perspectives In this collection the authors focus on contextual, cultural, and postcolonial criticisms. This work seeks to move beyond simply reacting to, rejecting, or recasting biblical interpretations that misunderstand or mischaracterize island space. Instead it serves as an entry point to thinking biblically through the island. The contributors are Margaret Aymer, Randall C. Bailey, Roland Boer, Steed Vernyl Davidson, Jione Havea, Hisako Kinukawa, Grant Macaskill, Mosese Ma'ilo, J. Richard Middleton, Althea Spencer Miller, Aliou C. Niang, Andrew Mein, Daniel Smith-Christopher, Nasili Vaka'uta, and Elaine M. Wainwright. Features: Sixteen essays by islanders rooted in Asia, America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Oceania Essays that invite a conversation on how being islanders and islandedness condition the way islanders read biblical texts Three sections of articles, two of which engage the first