Dr. Catherine McDowell is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, having previously taught at Wheaton College. She also serves part-time as a professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Séminaire Théologique Mondelus in Milot, Haiti. Among other things, she has authored, The Image of God in the Garden of Eden: The Creation of Humankind in Genesis 2:5-3:24 in Light of the mīs pî, pīt pî, and wpt-r Rituals of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Today’s topic: Though some English translations have failed to convey this, the author of Ruth 3:17 was using word order to emphasize both Boaz’s excessive generosity and God’s care for the poor and marginalized.
The book begins with an assumption: we don’t read the Bible in a vacuum. We read it in the midst of the ups and downs of our lives.
As a result, a different way of reading the Bible is called for, a strategy that asks the question: “So what?”
Nijay wrote this book for those who consider themselves students of the Bible, whether seminary students, pastors, or interested laypeople.
By choosing these particular words, Dr. Gupta hopes to break down “Christian-ese.” Each of the 15 words are tied to a particular book or set of books.
Most New Testament theologies are written for academics. They are big books often running 1000 pages or more. They tend to be esoteric and filled with academic speak.
Rather than focusing on the day to day, namely, life, many New Testament theologies stay in the abstract. While Nijay reads these big books and appreciates them, he wanted this book to be much shorter and more to the point.
The New Testament is filled with church letters, pastoral letters. The authors were writing amidst the rough and tumble of life.
Since there was not enough time to talk about all these words, David and Nijay focused briefly on three: forgiveness, salvation, and hope.
Listen carefully to the podcast to pick up on the nuances of these words.
Here is what one scholar had to say about the book:
“Do you suspect there’s more to the Christian faith than what you’re hearing? Dr. Gupta brings the best of biblical scholarship to the pews, where standard Christian ways of talking about things have grown stale. By highlighting these fifteen key words, he opens a whole new world of understanding that will reinvigorate Christian practice. If you are hungry to move beyond clichés, this book is your invitation to a nourishing feast.”
—CARMEN JOY IMES, Associate professor of Old Testament, Biola University, author ofBearing God’s Name
Dr. Christian Askeland, Senior Researcher at Museum of the Bible, is interested in the origins and diversity of early Christianity, endeavoring to reconstruct historically the movements from which the relevant texts and manuscripts arose. He has authored John’s Gospel: The Coptic Translations of its Greek Text. When reading scholarship about the NT, one frequently encounters references to the Coptic language and its texts. What is this language? When did it originate? How is it important for studying ancient texts and traditions?
Danny Carroll Rodas is an Old Testament ethicist who serves as the Scripture Press Ministries Professor of Biblical Studies and Pedagogy at Wheaton College and Graduate School in Wheaton.
He has been to the Lanier Theological Library on a couple of occasions, most recently to give a lecture in Spanish to members of our community. You can watch the lecture here.
In today’s podcast Dr. Carroll R. discusses the work of three Old Tesatament prophets: Isaiah, Amos, and Micah. He does an artful job explaining the history, culture, and poetry behind these prophets whose oracles were recorded a brief time after they were delivered.
The words of the Lord came to Hebrew prophets in their day but they continue to speak in ours.
Among other things, the Hebrew prophets were cultural critics in their time and can be in ours when our values and practices violate the decent and reasonable laws of God.
Questions emerge today about immigration, the environment, and our polarized rhetoric and politics. Does God have anything to say on these challenging topics.
Here is what Dennis Edwards of North Park Theological Seminary said about the book:
“Perhaps some of us employ the adjective prophetic hastily or uncritically, but many more of us are reluctant to heed the words of prophets–even the prophets identified in the Bible. Carroll demonstrates why and how biblical prophets speak to a myriad of social issues, including many that we presently face. His rigorous exegesis, historical analysis, and cultural awareness converge to give Bible readers a better understanding of Scripture’s prophetic tradition and how it applies right now.”
Danny joined us on the podcast a few months ago to discuss the Bible and immigration. Click here to listen to the podcast.
Dr. Randy Hatchett is Professor of Theology and Program Coordinator for Theological Studies and for Christianity at Houston Baptist University. Among other things, he has written Engaging Theology: A Biblical, Historical, and Practical Introduction. In this conversation with Dr. Capes he reminds us that at every step the study of biblical languages is crucial for reading the unfolding story of our texts (economy) and the necessary theologizing upon these texts (theology).
“Exegetically Speaking” is a weekly podcast of the friends and faculty of Wheaton College, IL and The Lanier Theological Library. Hosted by Dr. David Capes, it features language experts who discuss the importance of learning the biblical languages—Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek—and show how reading the Bible in the original languages “pays off.” Each podcast lasts between seven and eleven minutes and covers a different topic for those who want to read the Bible for all it is worth.
A Word in Edgewise 
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