Dr. Jordan Pickering is a biblical-studies scholar at the University of Cape Town YMCA Christian Study Centre, South Africa, and the author of Turn Neither Right Nor Left: Recentering Evangelicalism and Troubled Waters: A Fresh Look at Baptism and Why We Argue. Today’s topic: How the structure of Genesis 12 illuminates a hidden moment of silence, which in turn speaks to us about the nature of faith and blessing, and God’s long-term plan for the nations.
Dr. Ida Glaser, Director of the Oxford Center for Muslim-Christian Studies in Houston, joins David Capes to talk about a new commentary she has just co-authored with her colleague, Anwarul Azad.
Dr. Glaser is series editor for the entire project. It is a unique series. It has been 1000 years since serious Christians have attempted to write Bible commentaries alongside and for Muslim culture.
The goal is to put the Bible into conversation with the Qur’an. Many of the stories in Genesis 1-11 are found in the Qur’an and Muslim tradition, although they often also differ.
So one goal of the series, and of this commentary is to put the Christian Scriptures alongside the holy book of Islam.
Because Muslim-background believers will certainly have these accounts in mind when they read them in the Christian Bible.
Ida’s co-editor for the series is Martin Accad, a Lebanese scholar. Tragically, Ida’s co-author for this book Anwarul Azad died with Covid not long after he completed his portion of the manuscript.
Most Bible commentaries written in the west do not help Muslim-believers because they are written against a background and for people who come from very different backgrounds. And western commentaries do not fit their contexts.
Here is what one Old Testament scholar from Canada says of the book:
“This commentary on Genesis represents the fruit of deep conversation between the Abrahamic faiths. Accessible to the reader without avoiding challenging issues, it provides a fresh encounter with this foundational biblical text. An engaging read for all.”
MARK J. BODA, PhD. McMaster Divinity College, Canada
Be sure to stay for a nugget of wisdom from Ida at the end.
Dr. Glaser joined David Capes on an earlier podcast to discuss the mission and history of the Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies at Oxford. To hear that podcast click here.
To learn about the Center for Muslim-Christian Studies, Houston, click here.
To read about the Center for Muslim-Christian Studies, Oxford, click here.
Dr. Tremper Longman III, Emeritus Professor of Biblical Studies and Distinguished Scholar of Biblical Studies at Westmont College, has written more than 20 books, including Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes and Intimate Allies. He was one of the main translators for the New Living Translation and has served as a consultant on other popular translations of the Bible including the Message, the New Century Version, and the Holman Standard Bible. Tremper helps us reconsider the Hebrew wording of Genesis 2:18 usually translated as “a helper suitable to him” or “a help meet.”
E. R. (“Randy”) Richards, Provost and Professor of New Testament at Palm Beach Atlantic University, joins David Capes on “The Stone Chapel Podcast” to talk about his book, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes (written with Brandon J. O’Brien [IVP], 2012).
The book’s subtitle Is “Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible.”
Dr. Richard’s life has been shaped by his experiences as a missionary in Indonesia. In those years he saw how he tended to read Scripture through a cultural lens vastly different from the world of the Bible.
This is not a book about bashing the West; no, Richards celebrates all the contributions the West has made to furthering the gospel. But he does want to alert us to the subtleties of “what goes without being said” in our culture and the Scriptures’.
He gives two examples: the first, from the Joseph story (Genesis) and second, from Paul’s admonition in 1 Timothy for women to dress “modestly.” What goes without being said, in both cases, differs from various cultures.
Now, any cultural reading could be off, and Dr. Richards admits that. Someone, he says, should write a book “Misreading Scripture with Eastern Eyes.” This is an important book and a timely book. The Bible does not come from the Middle West but from the Middle East.
A Word in Edgewise 
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