Global Perspectives on the Bible

<p></p> <h2>Brief Table of Contents</h2> <ol> <li>Text: Genesis 1-3</li> <li>Text: Genesis 1-3</li> <li>Text: Genesis 12-21</li> <li>Text: Genesis 22</li> <li>Text: Genesis 25-3</li> <li>Text: Genesis 37-50</li> <li>Text: Exodus 1-15</li> <li>Text: Exodus 20</li> <li>Text: Numbers 22-24, 32, 36</li> <li>Text: Deuteronomy 6, 10, 16, 24</li> <li>Text: Joshua 1-11</li> <li>Text: 1 Samuel 16 - 2 Samuel 21</li> <li>Text: Isaiah 40-55</li> <li>Text: Ezekiel 1-24</li> <li>Text: Jonah</li> <li>Text: Micah 3 and 6</li> <li>Text: Psalm 22, 23, 42, 148</li> <li>Text: Psalm 137</li> <li>Text: Proverbs 31</li> <li>Text: Job</li> <li>Text: Song of Songs</li> <li>Text: Ruth</li> <li>Text: Lamentations</li> <li>Text: Ezra and Nehemiah</li> <li>Text: Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2</li> <li>Text: Matthew 5-7; Luke 6</li> <li>Text: Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 25:1-13</li> <li>Text: Matthew 20:1-16; Matthew 25:14-30; Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20-21; Matthew 13:1-23</li> <li>Text: Luke 4:18-19; Matthew 15:4-9; Mark 12:38-44; Mark 7:24-30 and Matthew 15:21-28</li> <li>Text: Luke 20:20-26 and Matthew 22:15-22 and Mark 12:13-17; Matthew 3:10; Matthew 7:16-20; Matthew 12:33; Luke 13:6-9; Luke 18:18-30</li> <li>Text: Matthew 9:27-30; Mark 4:35-5:1; Matthew 8:5-13</li> <li>Text: John 1-10; 16</li> <li>Text: Gospel of John</li> <li>Text: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 19-20</li> <li>Text: Acts 2</li> <li>Text: Romans</li> <li>Text: Ephesians</li> <li>Text: Philippians 2</li> <li>Text: Revelation</li> <li>Text: Revelation</li> </ol> <p></p> <p></p> <h2>Detailed Table of Contents</h2> <ol> <li><strong>Genesis 1-3</strong> <ul> <li>A Comparison of Chinese Creation Myths and Biblical Texts: Sonia Kwok Wong (China)</li> <li>The Hindu Purusa-Sukta Compared to Biblical Texts: M. Aravind Jeyakumar (India)</li> <li>The Concept of Human Community in African Creation Stories: David T. Williams (South Africa)</li> <li>Six Differences between Two Creation Stories in Genesis: Meir Bar-Ilan (Israel)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Genesis 1-3</strong> <ul> <li>A Theistic Evolutionist Perspective on the Bible and Modern Science: Patrick Gray (United States)</li> <li>A Literal Reading of Genesis 1: Keith Megilligan (United States)</li> <li>Genesis and the Treatment of the Natural World: Jonathan Merritt (United States)</li> <li>Animals and Our Relationship to Them as Outlined in Genesis: Phillip Sherman (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Genesis 12-21</strong> <ul> <li>Parallels Between Life in India and Abraham's Trials: K.B. Georgekutty (India)</li> <li>Raimundo Panikkar's Interpretation of Melchizedek in Genesis 14: Erik Ranstrom (United States)</li> <li>An "Ethnic Minority" Interpretation of Hagar and Ishmael: Janice P. De-Whyte (Ghana and England):</li> <li>Sodom and Gomorrah in Light of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras: Roland Boer (Australia)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Genesis 22</strong> <ul> <li>Genesis 22 and Conflict in the Modern-Day Middle East: Clare Amos (Lebanon)</li> <li>A Comparison of Genesis 22 to the Qur'an: F. Volker Greifenhagen (Canada)</li> <li>A Personal Reflection on the Sacrifice of a Son: Shira Salamone (United States)</li> <li>Five Historical Explanations for Genesis 22 and its Inclusion in the Scripture: Christo Lombaard (South Africa)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Genesis 25-33</strong> <ul> <li>A Jewish Feminist Reflection on Rebekah: Arlette Poland (United States):</li> <li>God's Treatment of Esau as it Relates to Theology and Doctrine: Shirley Phelps-Roper (United States):</li> <li>Leah and the Challenges of Women in Polygynous Partnership: Madipoane Masenya (South Africa):</li> <li>Jacob's Reconciliation with His Father and the Continuing Power of the Bible:</li> <li>Clarence Mitchell (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Genesis 37-50</strong> <ul> <li>Forgiveness as a Central Theme of the Joseph Narrative: Eric A. Seibert (United States)</li> <li>Joseph's Actions through a Modern Economic Lens: Wayne Tarrant (United States)</li> <li>An LGBT Reading of Genesis 37-50: Mona West (United States)</li> <li>A Personal Conversation with Joseph: Francis G.H. Pang (Hong Kong and Canada)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Exodus 1-15</strong> <ul> <li>Two Aspects of Exodus through a Buddhist Lens: Vanessa R. Sasson (Canada)</li> <li>A Comparison of the Divine Name with Kitaro Nishida's Concept of God: Eiko Hanaokat (-Kawamura) (Japan)</li> <li>The Exodus Story as Historical Fiction: Megan Bishop Moore (United States)</li> <li>A Liberationist Reading of the Exodus Story: Gilbert Lozano (Brazil)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Exodus 20</strong> <ul> <li>The Ten Commandments in an African-American Community: Febbie C. Dickerson (United States)</li> <li>The Ten Commandments and the Separation of Church and State: Jonathan Redding (United States)</li> <li>The Confucian Ideal of Honoring Parents While Also Honoring God: Maggie Low (Singapore)</li> <li>Translating the Ten Commandments into the Native Language of Greenland: Flemming A.J. Nielsen (Greenland)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Numbers 22-24, 32, 36</strong> <ul> <li>The Balaam Story through a Pentecostal Lens: Lee Roy Martin (United States)</li> <li>The Balaam Narrative as a Story about Temptation and Protection: Tony Wing (United States</li> <li>Numbers 22-24 as a Justification for Overrunning Indigenous Peoples: Roland Boer (Australia)</li> <li>Numbers in the Context of Western Colonization of the Islands of Oceania: Jione Havea (Oceania)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Deuteronomy 6, 10, 16, 24</strong> <ul> <li>Korean Celebrations of Culture Compared to Exhortations in Deuteronomy: Heewon Chung (South Korea)</li> <li>Deuteronomy as Inspiration for Chinese Christians Living in Indonesia: Andrea K. Iskandar (Indonesia)</li> <li>Deuteronomy as a Lesson on How to Treat the Oppressed: Song-Chong Lee (Korea)</li> <li>Deuteronomy as a Blueprint for Social Justice: Santiago Slabodsky (Argentina)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Joshua 1-11</strong> <ul> <li>Understanding Joshua through Progressive Revelation: Michael Penny (United Kingdom)</li> <li>Four Strategies for Reading Joshua Non-Violently: Eric A. Seibert (United States)</li> <li>A Defense of God: Stanley V. Udd (United States)</li> <li>God as an Egotistical Deity: Maria Vlashchenko (Russia)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>1 Samuel 16-2 Samuel 21</strong> <ul> <li>The David Stories as Sanctioning a Life of Reckless Abandon: Seth Boulton (United States)</li> <li>Four Interpretations of the David-Jonathan Relationship: James N. Pohlig (West Africa)</li> <li>The Woman of 2 Samuel 20 and Abigail as Peacemakers: Andreas Kunz-Lubcke (Germany)</li> <li>The Inspiration of Rizpah's Courageous Helplessness: Valerie Bridgeman (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Isaiah 40-55</strong> <ul> <li>Words of Hope for Contemporary Exiles in South and Central America: Gilbert Lozano (Columbia, Brazil)</li> <li>Fear of the Future among Igorot Tribes of the Philippines: R.G. dela Cruz (Philippines)</li> <li>Isaiah as Resistance Literature: Rubertha Taylor (United States)</li> <li>The Myth of Baliraja Compared to the Servant Figure in Isaiah: Rajkumar Boaz Johnson (India)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Ezekiel 1-24</strong> <ul> <li>"Doom and Gloom" in Ezekiel and Today's News Networks: A Comparison: John Fink (United States)</li> <li>God's Mistreatment of Female Jerusalem in Ezekiel 16: Aaron Koller (United States)</li> <li>Ezekiel 16 as Hope and Warning for Orphans in Bulgaria: Elizabeth A. Steger (Bulgaria)</li> <li>Ezekiel 18 in the Context of Shame Cultures and Guilt Cultures: James N. Pohlig (West Africa)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Jonah</strong> <ul> <li>Jonah as Missionary: Jonathan Seitz (Taiwan)</li> <li>A Tongan Island Reading of Jonah as Oriented Toward the Ocean: Nasili Vaka'uta (New Zealand)</li> <li>Jonah and the Challenges and Contradictions of Buenos Aires: Mariel Pons (Argentina)</li> <li>Jonah as a Book of Surprises and Reversals: Jione Havea (Australia)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Micah 3 and 6</strong> <ul> <li>Micah 3 as a Warning to Greedy Preachers in Korea: Hyung Won Lee (Korea)</li> <li>A Jewish Lesbian Interpretation of Micah 6:8: Rebecca T. Alpert (United States)</li> <li>Micah and Hope for Toronto's Poor: Shannon E. Baines (Canada)</li> <li>"The Image of Limited Good" in Relation to Micah: James N. Pohlig (Nigeria, Mexico)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Psalm 22, 23, 42, 148</strong> <ul> <li>Psalm 22 as an African Spell: Zacharias Kotzé (South Africa)</li> <li>A Christian Reading of Psalm 23 and West African Shepherds: Danielle Smith (Senegal)</li> <li>Psalm 42 and Anorexia: Amy Lambert (United States)</li> <li>Psalm 148 and the Native American View of Animals: David Aftandilian (United States</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Psalm 137</strong> <ul> <li>Psalm 137 and the Histories, Experiences, and Challenges of the Bahamas: Fiona C. Black (Bahamas)</li> <li>"Rivers of Babylon" and the Torture of Detainees in Abu Ghraib: Erin Runions (United States)</li> <li>The Violent Conclusion of Psalm 137 in Relation to 9/11: James Mackay (United States)</li> <li>Righteousness and Hatred in Psalm 137: Maria Vlashchenko (Russia)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Proverbs 31</strong> <ul> <li>Aspiring to Be the Woman of Proverbs 31: Melanie Chitwood (United States)</li> <li>Reading Proverbs 31 Suspiciously: Athalya Brenner (The Netherlands, Israel)</li> <li>Pandita Ramabai's Translation and Use of Proverbs 31: Rajkumar Boaz Johnson (India)</li> <li>"Praise of Lady Yum," Proverbs 31, and a Challenge to Patriarchy: Heewon Chung (South Korea)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Job</strong> <ul> <li>An African-South African Woman's Perspective on Job 3: Madipoane Masenya (South Africa)</li> <li>Job 3 and 42 and Their Relation to People Living with HIV in South Africa: Gerald West (South Africa)</li> <li>Job's Critique of a Theology of Prosperity in Latin America: Gilbert Lozano (Brazil)</li> <li>The Troubling Theology of Job and its Place in Contemporary Life: Jonathan Redding (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Song of Songs</strong> <ul> <li>A Comparison of the Song to Literature and Film in India: Monica J. Melanchthon (India)</li> <li>Hearing the Song as a Secular Cultural Product: Athalya Brenner (Israel)</li> <li>The Song as Jesus' Personal Love Notes: Lynn Cowell (United States)</li> <li>The Song as a Censored Allegory: Roland Boer (Australia)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Ruth</strong> <ul> <li>Ruth and the Plight of Foreign Female Workers in Modern-Day Israel: Athalya Brenner (Israel)</li> <li>Ruth as a Successful Global Citizen, Migrant Worker, and Marriage Migrant: Yani Yoo (Korea)</li> <li>Ruth's Relevance to the Same-Sex Marriage Debate: Comea M. Walthall (United States)</li> <li>Ruth as the Ideal Surrogate Mother?: Francis G.H. Pang (Hong Kong)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Lamentations</strong> <ul> <li>The Three Voices of Lamentations and Korean Minjung Theology of Han: Yeong Mee Lee (Korea)</li> <li>Lamentations and the Form and Function of Dalit Poetry: Monica J. Melanchthon (India)</li> <li>The Theological Difficulties of God's Destruction of Jerusalem: Ulrich Berges (Germany)</li> <li>The Depiction of Jerusalem As an Unprotected Widow: Naomi Graetz (Israel)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Ezra and Nehemiah</strong> <ul> <li>Asian North American Women and Ezra's Banishment of Foreign Wives: Grace Ji-Sun Kim (United States)</li> <li>A Cuban Reflection on the Biblical Experience of Exile: Franco Valdes (Cuba, United States)</li> <li>A Few Personal Thoughts on the Identity Crisis of Biblical Exiles: Danielle Smith (Senegal, United States)</li> <li>The Complicated History of the Competition of Ezra and Nehemiah: Juha Pakkala (Finland)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2</strong> <ul> <li>The Annunciation to Mary in the Qur'an: F. Volker Greifenhagen (Canada)</li> <li>The Parallels and Differences Between the Birth Story of Lord Lao and Jesus: Bede Benjamin Bidlack (United States)</li> <li>Herod's Slaughter of Children and Other Atrocities Throughout Time: Nestor O. Miguez (Argentina)</li> <li>Reading Luke's Christmas Story with Those in Haiti: Kent Annan (Haiti)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Matthew 5-7; Luke 6</strong> <ul> <li>Comparing Buddhism's Noble Eightfold Path and Jesus' Beatitudes: Elizabeth West (United Kingdom)</li> <li>The Beatitudes and the Accra Confession: Margaret Aymer (United States)</li> <li>The Sermon on the Mount in Light of Wealthy Batak Christians in Indonesia: Batara Sihombing (Indonesia)</li> <li>Reading Matthew 6 with Those in Impoverished Tanzania: Sakari Hakkinen (Tanzania)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 25:1-13</strong> <ul> <li>The Parable of the Good Samaritan and Those in Need: James Wiseman (United States)</li> <li>Frederick Douglass's Use of the Good Samaritan in Abolitionist Rhetoric: Margaret Aymer (United States)</li> <li>The Parable of the Weeds and Wheat from the Perspective of Korean Christianity: Eunjoo Mary Kim (Korea)</li> <li>A Comparison of Marriage Practices in India with the Parable of the Ten Virgins: Surekha Nelavala (India)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Matthew 20:1-16; Matthew 25:14-30; Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20-21; Matthew 13:1-23</strong> <ul> <li>The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard and the Unemployed in South Africa: Gerald West and Sithembiso Zwane (South Africa)</li> <li>Reading the Parable of the Talents with First-Century Palestinian Peasants and Those in India: David Joy (India)</li> <li>A Queer Reading of the Parable of the Leaven: Robert E. Shore-Goss (United States)</li> <li>A Confucian Reading of the Parable of the Sower: Kurtis Hagen (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Luke 4:18-19; Matthew 15:4-9; Mark 12:38-44; Mark 7:24-30; Matthew 15:21-28</strong> <ul> <li>Luke 4 and the African-American Bushwick Neighborhood in New York: Josiah Young (United States)</li> <li>Honoring Your Parents and Ancestors: Andrea K. Iskandar (China)</li> <li>The Widow's Offering and Dalit Theology: Johnson Thomaskutty (India)</li> <li>Personal Reflections on the "Hybrid" Identity of the Phoenician Woman: Valarie Bridgeman (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Luke 20:20-26; Matthew 22:15-22 and Mark 12:13-17; Matthew 3:10; Matthew 7:16-20; Matthew 12:33; Luke 13:6-9; Luke 18:18-30</strong> <ul> <li>“A Knife Behind a Smile” and the Interaction Between Jesus and Jewish Leaders: Ken Chan (China)</li> <li>The Metaphor of the Fruit Tree and the Concept of Character: Bjorn Stærk (Norway)</li> <li>Ukraine, the United States, and Jesus' Interaction with the Rich Young Ruler: Vasyl Khokhla (Ukraine)</li> <li>The Rich Young Ruler's Imagined Self-Defense to a Contemporary Church in Argentina: Nestor O. Miguez (Argentina)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Matthew 9:27-30; Mark 4:35-5: 1; Matthew 8:5-13</strong> <ul> <li>The Trouble with "Blind Faith": Bjorn Staerk (Norway)</li> <li>Reading the "Calming of the Sea" with Those Living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa: Gerald West and Bongi Zengele (South Africa)</li> <li>A Comparison of Jesus' Miracles in the Qur'an and the Gospels: F. Volker Greifenhagen (Canada)</li> <li>Four Observations about Jesus' Interaction with the Centurion: Robert Jager (Slovakia)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>John 1-10; 16</strong> <ul> <li>The Image of the Good Shepherd as Inspiration for a Prison Minister: Bilal Ansari (United States)</li> <li>Jesus and John the Baptist in the Context of a Group-Oriented Society: Menghun Goh (Malaysia)</li> <li>A Mother's Perspective on the "Born Again" Theme and the Birthing Metaphor: The: Beth M. Stovell (United States)</li> <li>Does God Really Love Everyone?: Shirley Phelps-Roper (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Gospel of John</strong> <ul> <li>An Ecological Reading of John 1 and Jesus as Gardener in His Encounter with Mary: Robert E. Shore-Goss (United States)</li> <li>The Image of the Vine Against the Backdrop of Serbian Agrarian Culture: G. Kevin Steger (Serbia)</li> <li>An Inclusivist Interpretation of John 14:6 through a Baha'i Lens: Michael Sours (United States</li> <li>The Maori concept of Mana as a Vehicle for Understanding Doxa in John: Derek Tovey (New Zealand)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 19-20</strong> <ul> <li>Questioning the Historicity of the Resurrection Narratives: Oyvind Strommen (Norway)</li> <li>Jesus' Post-Resurrection Meal Through the Lens of Filipino Hospitality: Marilou S. Ibita (Philippines)</li> <li>A Dalit Indian Reading of John's Crucifixion and Resurrection Narrative: Joseph Prabhakar Dayam (India)</li> <li>A Queer Reading of the Emmaus Story in Luke 24: Robert E. Shore-Goss (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Acts 2</strong> <ul> <li>Pentecost's Diverse Languages from the View of Immigrant Communities: Margaret Aymer (United States)</li> <li>The Influence of Acts 2 on Revolutionary Christian Movements in the Black Diaspora: Joseph L. Tucker Edmonds (United States)</li> <li>The Unification Theme of Acts 2 in View of South Africa's Experience with Apartheid: David T. Williams (South Africa)</li> <li>Five Thoughts on Acts 2 Relating to Theology and Practice in the Pentecostal Movement: Lee Roy Martin (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Romans</strong> <ul> <li>Anti-Judaism As a Result of Misreading of Paul's Theology in Romans: Fritz Voll (Canada)</li> <li>Paul's Inclusion of the Gentiles as an Opening for non-Christian Traditions: Erik Ranstrom (United States)</li> <li>Paul's Identity Against the Backdrop of the People of Hong Kong: Xiaxia (Esther) Xue (Hong Kong)</li> <li>New Zealand's Ethnic and Cultural Diversity and Paul's Vision of Community: George Wieland (New Zealand)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Ephesians</strong> <ul> <li>A Call for Koreans to Practice Right Relationships with God and Each Other: Johann D. Kim (Korea)</li> <li>Ephesians 6:12 in an Ethiopian Context: Rich Hansen (Ethiopia)</li> <li>The Supernatural in Ephesians and a Critique of Scientific Rationalism: J. Ayodeji Adewuya (United States/United Kingdom)</li> <li>Comparing Ephesians and the Confucian Vision of Peace: Te-Li Lau (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Philippians 2</strong> <ul> <li>How to Read "Jesus Exalted Above All Others" in the Context of Inter-Religious Dialogue: Nicholas Alan Worssam (United Kingdom)</li> <li>A Comparison of the Cosmic Being of Hinduism and the Christ of 2:6-8: John Shearer (United States)</li> <li>A Baha'i Perspective on the Humility of Christ: Daniel Grolin (Denmark)</li> <li>Jesus' Humility and Selflessness in Opposition to Today's Self-Centeredness: Paula Roberts (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Revelation</strong> <ul> <li>The Construction of Gender in Revelation: Shanell T. Smith (United States)</li> <li>A Goth Reading of Revelation 19-21: Beth M. Stovell (United States)</li> <li>Revelation As a Warming to Contemporary Churches: Brent Roper (United States)</li> <li>A Literal Reading of Revelation: Chris Griffin (United States)</li> </ul></li> <li><strong>Revelation</strong> <ul> <li>Interpreting Revelation in Largely Illiterate Churches in Africa: Onesimus A. Ngundu (Africa)</li> <li>Ukraine and the Vision of Utopia in Revelation: Vasyl Khokhla (Ukraine)</li> <li>A Critique of the Typical Interpretation of Revelation in Haiti: Ronald Charles (Haiti)</li> <li>The “Lukewarm” Church of Laodicea and Morally Inconsistent Christians in the Philippines: R. G. dela Cruz (Philippines)</li> </ul></li> </ol> <p></p>