The Asian and Asian American Hermeneutics Group of the Society of Biblical Literature is a forum in which biblical and religious scholars can advance and contribute to the study of Asian and Asian American interpretation. The group is part of a growing shift in biblical criticism specifically and hermeneutics generally that focuses on the difference that cultural location makes in reading texts. The Asian and Asian American Hermeneutics Group is one of the primary avenues for scholars to share their work on Asian and Asian American interpretation. The group is intentional about including the broad range of diversity cultural, generational and religious that makes up the different Asian and Asian American communities.
Grassroots Asian Theology by
A dynamic chapter of church history is now being written in Asia. But the theological inflections at its heart are not well understood by outsiders. Now in Grassroots Asian Theology Simon Chan examines Asian Christianity at its daily, sustaining level. There he uncovers a vibrant theology that is authentically Asian and truly engaging. --from back cover.
Mangoes or Bananas? by
Introduction -- Toward a theology of mission -- Criteria for a missiological theology : part one -- Criteria for a missiological theology : part two -- Asian theologies up to World War Two -- Ecumenical Asian theologies after World War Two -- Conservative Asian theologies after World War Two -- Toward an Asian Christian theology -- A personal journey.
Towards an Asian theology by
"This is a condensed version of the author's seminal work, Mangoes or Bananas? Based on the premise that theology and mission are inseparable, the author applies four missiological criteria to representative examples of Protestant Asian writings to assess their adequacy or otherwise as contextual theologies. The greatest problem with most of these theologies appears to be that, at heart, they have been domesticated by western dualism and Enlightenment thought. Authentic Christian theologies will only emerge with the dual recovery of confidence in both gospel and culture within Asian Christianity"--From the publisher.
Migration and Diaspora by
Engage and explore readings from a multi-religious, globalized, multicultural region The papers in this collection were presented at the third meeting of the Society of Asian Biblical Studies held at the Sabah Theological Seminary, Malaysia in 2012. The essays represent the work of women/feminist scholars in biblical hermeneutics in this region who have raised questions against traditional, male-centered interpretations, offering distinct perspectives based on their experiences of pain, subjugation, and a forced sacrificial philosophy of life. Features: Articles focused on finding justice for women through dialogue with biblical texts Reflections on migration, diaspora, displacement, discrimination, and conditions generated by poverty and systemic oppression Five essays from women in China, Japan, and Korea
The Bible and Asia by
Though the Bible is a product of West Asia, its influence on Europe and the Americas has received far more attention than its complex career in the East. R.S. Sugirtharajah corrects this imbalance with an expansive new study of Asia's subversive and idiosyncratic relationship with the Bible. This is the story of missionaries, imperialists, exegetes, reformers, and nationalists who molded Biblical texts according to their own needs in order to influence religion, politics, and daily life from India to China. When the Bible reached east and south Asia in the third century CE, its Christian scriptures already bore traces of Asian commodities and Indian moral stories. In China, the Bible merged with the teachings of Buddha and Lao Tzu to produce the Jesus Sutras. As he recounts the history of how Christianity was influenced by other Asian religions, Sugirtharajah deftly highlights the controversial issue of Buddhist and Vedic influence on Biblical religion. Once used to justify European rule in Asia, the Bible has also served to promote the spiritual salvation of women, outcasts, and untouchables. The Bible has left a literary mark on Asia in two ways: through its influence on Asian writers and through the reinvigoration of modern Asian vernaculars when proselytizing missionaries introduced Western print culture to the East.
Theologies of the Multitude for the Multitudes by
This volume explores a number of topics in theology and ethics from perspectives inspired by the work of Kwok Pui-Lan.
Religious Language and Asian American Hybridity by
Julius-Kei Kato lets the theories and experiences of Asian American hybridity converse with and bear upon some aspects of Christian biblical and theological language. Hybridity has become a key feature of today's globalized world and is, of course, a key concept in postcolonial thought. However, despite its crucial importance, hybridity is rarely used as a paradigm through which to analyze and evaluate the influential concepts and teachings that make up religious language. This book fills a lacuna by discussing what the concept of hybridity challenges and resists, what over-simplifications it has the power to complicate, and what forgotten or overlooked strands in religious tradition it endeavors to recover and reemphasize.
Double Particularity by
With the center of worldwide Christianity moving to the global South, and even as American Christianity becomes more reflective of immigrant populations, the theological need for a deeper engagement with context is more urgent than ever. Karl Barth, particularly his thought on election, Christology, and reconciliation, offers much wisdom and insight for the churches of the majority world and for these ethnic churches. Hence, this study is a contribution to the development of a connection between Barth and contextual theology, to the stimulation and enrichment of both.
What Is Asian American Biblical Hermeneutics? by
This volume covers the major genres within the New Testament and broadens Biblical hermeneutics to cover not only the Bible, but also Asian American literature and films, genome research and events such as September 11.