Introduction to The State of New Testament Studies

Excerpt: I (Nijay) first encountered the book The Face of New Testament Studies, this book\u27s predecessor, when I was in graduate school. I went to seminary primarily because I wanted to learn how to study the Bible in depth for personal and ministry formation. I had not studied the Bible in an academic setting prior to that. The world of biblical studies for this neophyte seminary student was intriguing but mystifying-so many technical terms, multiple differing perspectives, views, and ideas proposed and presented, and all of this was in flux as scholarship moved forward decade after decade. Thankfully, The Face of New Testament Studies (2004) gave me insight into the landscape of NT studies, provided some counsel on the key questions and issues under debate and showed me how different views go in different directions and why. Now, about fifteen years later, the landscape inevitably has changed. Not completely, of course. To play a bit more with the geographical metaphor, we can say that certain landmarks, oceans, and mountains will probably always be there, but some parts of this world have grown, others have eroded, and some have gone through a life cycle of destruction and renewal. This new volume, The State of New Testament Studies, has a similar objective for a new landscape of scholarship: to orient readers to the field of NT studies today. We have retained the basic structure of the earlier book, but all essays are freshly written by current experts, and we have expanded the scope of the project

From timely exegesis to contemporary ecclesiology : relevant hermeneutics and provocative embodiment of faith in a corona-defined world – generosity during a pandemic

In a world where economies have no moral conscience, biblical theologians can challenge local cultures with ancient wisdom about generosity and equity. Systemic solutions require changes in the habits of virtue, and this study focuses on the habit of generosity. Building on the work of Stephan Joubert’s Paul as Benefactor, this study concentrates on Paul’s collection in one notable instance: what he says about generosity in 2 Corinthians 8-9 and, in particular, what he means by isotēs in 2 Cor 8:13–15. Does it mean “equality” or “equity”? Beginning with a reinvigorated interest in the economic vision of the apostle Paul about what is meant by “weak” and “good works” and what the Pastoral Epistles communicate with eusebeia (not “godliness” but “social respectability and civility”), we reconsider the collection as an act on the part of the Pauline mission churches to express more than ecclesial unity. This act embodied a theology of grace in mutual reciprocity and in equitable provision on the part of the wealthy for the poor, not least and not limited to those in their own Christian assemblies. The term isotēs is too easily glossed over when translated as “fair balance”, “fairness”, and so the translation of the term with “equity” or “equality” comes closest to the vision of the apostle. Too few studies on this term baptize it sufficiently in the economics of the ancient world and the early Christian radical vision of siblingship and family. CONTRIBUTION : From the perspective of the Historical Thought and Source Interpretation of the work of Paul, the question of systemic equality or equity is as crucial to navigating the current economic climate as it has ever been. Equality or equity is not limited to Christian communities but following the early church in embodying a theology of grace.This research is part of the research project, ‘Biblical Theology and Hermeneutics’, directed by Prof. Dr Andries van Aarde, Post Retirement Professor and Senior Research Fellow in the Dean’s Office, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria.http://www.hts.org.zaam2022New Testament Studie

The Kingdom and The Church - The Same or the Sacred/Secular Divide?

What is the relationship of the kingdom to the church? Are they the same? Are they different? Is one the sacred and the other the secular or public arena? We will examine how kingdom and church are related in such a way that one can contend that what Jesus meant by “kingdom” is more or less what Paul meant by “church.

The challenge to Philemon (Video)

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonslectureships/1619/thumbnail.jp

Turning to Jesus : The Sociology of conversion in the Gospels

Louisvillex, 214 p.; 23 c

The Meaning of Love - Were We Look for Love

We will examine the radical difference in the meaning of love when it is defined by the dictionary and when it is defined by how God loves

The challenge of Onesimus (Video)

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonslectureships/1618/thumbnail.jp