Speaking at JB Wesley Family Camp in Desaru

This year, I will be celebrating the nation's 51st Merdeka in a slightly different manner.

In a matter of minutes, I will be leaving for Johor Bahru, the southern gateway of Peninsular Malaysia. From JB (as it is popularly known), I will be making my way to the popular east coast beach, Desaru.

The Johor Bahru Wesley Methodist Church has graciously invited me to be their family camp speaker to be held at Pulai Desaru Beach Resort from August 30-September 1, 2008. Based on the theme of "We Live By Faith and Not By Sight", I will be speaking on a series of 3 messages in the camp.

For my messages, I will be focusing on Paul's letters to the Corinthians. Paul uses a host of imageries borrowed from the Greco-Roman world of his time to drive home the point that he would like the churches to learn. In this family camp, I hope to explore 3 powerful imageries that Paul uses in his letters to the Corinthians to unpack what it means to “live by faith, and not by sight.”

Session 1: We live by faith, not by sight: Our relationships - Lessons from the temple imagery

Session 2: We live by faith, not by sight: Our Story - Lessons from ancient physiognomy and the imagery of Paul's body

Session 3: We live by faith, not by sight: Our Legacy - Lessons from the athlete imagery

It will be a very packed weekend, and I would appreciate that readers of this blog could offer a prayer for me. Thank you.

TEE Course: Parables of Jesus - Part 3: The Parable of An Inculpatory Servant and A Gracious Master

Since I will soon be teaching a course on the Parables of Jesus for our Theological Education by Extension programme, I thought that it might be good for me to attempt to write a parable as well.

The following parable is inspired by many personal encounters with believers who question God or others for the consequences of their actions. Sometimes it is sad that we refuse to take responsibilities for our mistakes, weaknesses, and failures; rather, we find it much easier and convenient to point our fingers at others.

Parable of An Inculpatory Servant and A Gracious Master

How then shall I describe our relationship with God or with one another? It is like a slave that works for a very wealthy master. One day, the master discovers that the slave has stolen some money from the safe, and he questions the slave about the theft. The slave denies any knowledge until the master produces the evidence as recorded in the CCTV. However, instead of dismissing the slave, the kind master graciously decides to give the slave a second chance to work for him, hoping that the slave would have an opportunity to repent from his serious mistake and would turn over a new leaf and become a better person instead.

A few weeks have passed, and the master discovers to his horror that the slave has once again stolen some money from the safe. The master confronts the slave, but as in the first instance, the slave denies any knowledge, refusing to admit his acts of dishonesty. When the evidence of his dishonest act as recorded in the CCTV is brought forward, the slave becomes very angry and upset at the master for exposing his deeds and for dismissing him from his job.

Not only does he not repent from his sins, the slave decides to engage a lawyer to sue the master for an amount of RM10 million for installing the CCTV with the purpose of surveillance in order to expose his shame. Now that his reputation has been seriously undermined and the prospect of finding a job elsewhere appears dim, the slave also demands another RM10 million in compensation from the master for potential loss of income.

Questions:
What is the main point of this parable, taking into account the culture and custom of an Asian society than places emphasis on honour and shame?

How many of us, instead of taking responsibility, would blame God and our fellow brethren for our sins and the consequences of our actions?

Joseph Komar Has His PhD!

We have just received news that my colleague, Joseph Komar, has passed his viva. He earned his PhD from South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies.

Congratulations! And we look forward to celebrating with you when you returned in September.

There is now an additional PhD in the faculty of STM.

NT Position at Fuller Theological Seminary

I have just come across another NT position available. The recruitment notice is reproduced below.

Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of Theology invites nominations and applications for a tenure-track faculty position in New Testament studies in support of the Seminary’s Center for the Study of Hispanic Church and Community, beginning Fall 2009. Rank is open.

The successful candidate will possess faith and lifestyle congruent with the mission of Fuller Theological Seminary as expressed in the Statement of Faith and other statements and standards of the Seminary, a completed PhD in New Testament studies or a cognate field, demonstrated competence or promise with regard to teaching and research/writing, the ability to teach in Spanish, and commitment to shaping pastoral leaders for ministry in the Latino/a community. Preference will be given to candidates with pastoral experience in the Latino/a community, who have experience teaching Latinos/as, and who have published in Spanish.

The normal course load is 6 courses/year, with 3-4 courses/year offered in Spanish.

Depending on qualifications and desire, mentoring of PhD and ThM students is possible.

The full position description (including directions for application) is available at http://www.fuller.edu/about-fuller/jobs/all-positions-list.aspx.

Send the requested materials via e-mail to

hisp-progmgr@dept.fuller.edu, or to

Dr. Howard Loewen,

Dean, School of Theology,

Fuller Theological Seminary,

135 N. Oakland Ave.,

Pasadena, CA 91182.

Electronic submission of application materials is preferred.

Application deadline: October 6, 2008.

The Passing of Dr David Scholer

After struggling with cancer for many years, Dr. David M. Scholer, who had served Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary as professor of New Testament, passed away on Friday, August 22, 2008. He was 70.

For further details on the legacy of Dr Scholer, click here.

BNTS Update: Paul Seminar

Finally, the details of the various seminar groups for the upcoming BNTS Conference at Durham is updated. Click here for the links to the papers to be presented in the various seminar groups.

For the Paul Seminar, I am particularly intrigued at the paper to be presented by Dr Paul Ellingworth (Aberdeen). The paper is entitled: '"Nobody Knows de Trouble I Seen": Hardship Lists in Paul and Elsewhere'. According to the abstract, this paper "surveys discussions of Paul's hardship lists from 1910 to 2007; analyzes the lists' distinctive vocabulary and discourse structure; and briefly comments on their christological implications."

I wish I could get hold of Ellingworth's paper as this sounds very similar (at least from the abstract) to Chapter 1 of my thesis submitted in March 2007, and now in the final stages of being revised for publication by T&T Clark.

Apart from the paper by Ellingworth, there is a very interesting joint session with the Acts Seminar on Paul's Damascus Road experience by Dr Barry Matlock (University of Sheffield) from the perspective of the Pauline letters, and Tim Churchill (London School of Theology) from the perspective of Acts. This is followed by a response by Prof Loveday Alexander (University of Sheffield).

The papers by Dr Matlock and Dr Churchill can be downloaded by clicking on the following links.

Download Churchill Paper

Download Matlock Paper

I wish I could be at Durham this year.....Perhaps my Principal would like to make a trip back to Durham too, his alma mater.

NT Position at Xavier University

NT position at Xavier University:

Xavier University, Department of Theology, invites applications for a tenure-track position in New Testament beginning in August 2009.

Candidates should demonstrate a marked excellence in critically assessing the New Testament and early Christian documents within their historical contexts and developments. Candidates should have a facility with diverse interpretive methods and approaches to sacred texts as well as the ability to reflect on and communicate the theological and ethical implications of the early Christian traditions for an engagement with today’s pluralistic world. Ability to teach Second Temple Jewish literature is desirable. Ability to contribute to Jewish-Christian dialogue is an asset. Teaching load usually includes a course in Theological Foundations. The teaching of Biblical Languages as well as Masters level courses would be part of the possible teaching responsibilities. Ph.D. (or equivalent) or imminent receipt of doctoral degree is required. Some teaching experience is preferred.

Xavier University has a strong commitment to diversity and seeks a broad spectrum of candidates including women and minorities.

Xavier University is a Roman Catholic institution in the Jesuit tradition, committed to excellence in teaching, high quality scholarly activity, and creative and intelligent engagement with questions of interfaith dialogue, peace and justice.

The Theology Department currently consists of thirteen full-time, doctorally prepared professors.

The Department offers the Bachelor and Master of Arts in Theology degrees. Preliminary interviews of select, qualified applicants will be conducted at the SBL annual meeting in Boston in November.

Send application letter, curriculum vitae, graduate transcriptions, and three letters of recommendation to:

Professor Marie J. Giblin,

Department of Theology,

Xavier University,

3800 Victory Parkway,

Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-4442.

Application and letters of reference must be postmarked by October 3, 2008. Web page at www.xavier.edu. Xavier University is an AA/EOE employer

TEE Course: Parables of Jesus - Part 2

I have been reviewing some of the resources that could be recommended to the students who will be taking my upcoming elective course on Teaching and Preaching the Parables of Jesus. One of the graded assignments for this module is the preparation of a lesson plan/sermon based on the student's choice of a parable of Jesus. To give some practical ideas in helping the students prepare for their lesson plan, I have been reviewing some of the resources available in the market.

One of the most useful resources that I have reviewed is Zondervan's The Parables of Jesus under the Deeper Connections DVD series.

This series contains a comprehensive study guide on six of the parables of Jesus:

• Matthew 13:24-33: the coming of the Kingdom
• Luke 7:36-50: the grace of the Kingdom
• Luke 15:11-32: the God of the Kingdom
• Matthew 13:44-46: the demand of the Kingdom
• Matt 22:1-14: the mission of the Kingdom
• Matt 25:31-46: the fulfillment of the Kingdom

Each of the studies above is taught by six well known and well respected NT scholars:

• Gary Burge
• David Garland
• Mark Strauss
• Michael Wilkins
• Matt Williams
• Ben Witherington III

In order to help the participants appreciate the impact of the message of the parables in the times of Jesus, each of the lesson plans consists of three components:

• historical and cultural background
• an engaging investigation of the biblical text and its meaning
• challenging application of the message of the parable in contemporary context.

This DVD series is also accompanied by a Participant's Guide that helps the participants navigate through the teachings of the instructors. It also contains thought provoking questions for discussion. In addition, the Participant Guide also brings the application of the message of the parables further by providing five daily personal reflection studies that could be used as personal devotions.

I will be using some of the lessons from this DVD series for my lectures and will engage the students to review critically the effectiveness of the teaching method and to consider how to contextualise this resource for the use in our local context.

Hopefully, this excellent series by Zondervan could help us reflect on how best we can creatively teach and preach the parables of Jesus so that the message of the parables can still be driven home in our contemporary context.

NT Position: Fordham University

Another NT position is now being advertised, this time by a reputable Jesuit university in New York. I have reproduced the recruitment advertisement below.

The Department of Theology of Fordham University is seeking a scholar who is grounded in critical and theological approaches to the New Testament. Competence in other methodological approaches and/or the history of interpretation would also be welcome. The area of specialization is open; however, research interests in Gospels would complement the existing strengths of the Department.

Start date: Fall, 2009.

Rank: Assistant Professor.

Competitive salary.

Teaching load is ordinarily 3/2 (semesters).

Ph. D. required.

A complete application consists of a personal letter of application, resume, transcripts, three letters of reference, and a representative example of scholarly work (e.g., unpublished research paper, published article). No faxes or e-mail attachments, please.

Applications must be complete in the department by October 20, 2008. We anticipate conducting preliminary interviews on Monday, November 24, at the SBL Annual Meeting.

Please send all application materials to

Chair of the Search Committee,

Department of Theology,

Fordham University,

441 E. Fordham Road,

Bronx, NY 10458.

Fordham is an independent, Catholic university in the Jesuit tradition that welcomes applications from women and men of all backgrounds. Fordham is an EO/AA employer.

TEE Course: Parables of Jesus - Part 1

I will be teaching a modular course for the seminary's Theological Education by Extension programme to be held at the Kuala Lumpur/Petaling Jaya centre (which happens to be my church) on the weekends of September 5-7 and 12-14.

The course, Teaching and Preaching the Parables of Jesus, is an elective course that offers an in-depth study of selected parables of Jesus, including a survey of the history of their interpretation, their role in Jesus' ministry, and reflection upon their challenge for NT theology and interpretation. Special attention will be paid in the use of parables in contemporary teaching and preaching ministry where students will attempt to understand the parables of Jesus in light of their First Century Jewish environment, and to bridge the gap between then and now in applying the parables to their present situations in life.

One of the requirements of the course is to create a 15-minute teaching/preaching presentation based on the student's choice of a parable of Jesus, in consultation with the instructor. The presentation should include the student's interpretation of the parable in the form of sermon, teaching lesson, drama, Sunday school material, bible study, movie clip, music, or any other creative form which demonstrates a clear indication of how the parable functioned in the ministry of Jesus and how the parable is relevant to the situation of the current audience of the student. This assignment will be evaluated based on originality, creativity, and clarity of the presentation and the effectiveness of conveying the message of the parable to the student's contemporary audience.

For registration of the course, please get in touch with Ms Sarah Yap, Director of TEE Programme at sarahyap at stm dot edu dot my.