Langham Monographs Collection 3 (18 vols.)

by Bernard K. Wong; B. E. Bharathi Nuthalapati; Annie George; Viateur Habarurema

and

14 more

Publisher:

Langham

, 2016–2018

Overview

The Langham Monographs series is filled with useful observations and best-practices formed through cross-cultural ministry settings. Expert authors explore the global effects of Christianity and different perspectives and views on the Bible. Discover the impact of theological education styles on the effectiveness of their students. Authors explore biblical themes for modern missional practice.

Key Features

• Explores issues of local identity and Christ centered self-understanding in missions
• Provides example of how the Bible facilitates cross-cultural education

Product Details

• Title: Langham Monographs Collection 3
• Publisher: Langham
• Volumes: 18
• Pages: 6,067
• Resource Type: Monographs
• Topic: Biblical Studies

Ahmadi and Christian Socio-Political Responses to Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws: A Comparison, Contrast and Critique with Special Reference to the Christian Church in Pakistan

• Author: Qaiser Julius
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 369

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The roots of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws can be traced back to the British colonial rule in India, but their harsher clauses were added to the Pakistan Penal Code during a wave of intense Islamization in the 1980s. Everyone in Pakistan is threatened by the misuse of these laws, even Muslims; however a disproportionate number of victims targeted by these laws have come from two minority groups, the Ahmadis and Christians.

Dr. Qaiser Julius focuses on how these two groups have been affected by Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, their different reactions to these laws, and more specifically, why they are responding differently despite living under the same circumstances. In this well-structured and understandable study, Julius provides a valuable tool for Christians to understand what it means to be a minority in a hostile culture. This thorough analysis presents a way forward for the Christian church in Pakistan, providing hope amidst the discrimination and persecution.

Beginning from Man and Woman: Witnessing Christ’s Love in the Family

• Author: Bernard K. Wong
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 284

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Engaging with contemporary thoughts on love and the family, Bernard Wong argues that our notion of love has been deeply influenced by modern technological culture and political ideologies, leading to the detriment of familial relationships. Dr. Wong demonstrates how Christian doctrines can be used to critique and resist these ideologies. Through a careful analysis of Christ’s love expressed in his life, death, and resurrection, the author presents a notion of Christ’s love bearing the characteristics of fraternal, incarnational, and unfolding love. These aspects of Christ’s love are pertinent to the relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, and families and their neighbours. It is through practicing Christ’s love that Christians strengthen their familial relationships and bear witness to Christ in the world.

Brother Bakht Singh: Theologian and Father of the Independent Indian Christian Church Movement

• Author: B.E. Bharathi Nuthalapati
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 255

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Brother Bakht Singh Chabra, a Sikh convert, was one of the foremost evangelists and Bible teachers in India. Bakht Singh was well known as a pioneer in gospel contextualization and a proponent of indigenous Indian churches. The movement and assemblies he established were often viewed as splinter groups from mainstream churches and many considered his teachings and theology as negatively syncretic. In this publication, Dr. Bharathi Nuthalapati establishes that Bakht Singh’s theology was rooted in the Indian spirituality of experience through personal relationship and devotion to God or Bhakti. Brother Singh Christianized Bhakti and in his hands Bhakti became a Christian idiom. The author also analyzes how pre-Christian, Sikh elements persisted in Bakht Singh’s movement while remaining theologically orthodox, as well as how various aspects of Indian religiosity and biblical and western Christianity were adopted, rejected, reinterpreted, or revolutionized in his movement.

Children’s Perceptions of the Role of Biblical Narratives in Their Spiritual Formation

• Author: Annie George
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 297

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

In the Bible, storytelling is an important means to pass on the revelation of God. God repeatedly commanded the people of Israel to tell his mighty acts to the next generation. Invariably churches follow this mandate and use biblical narratives as a means to transmit God’s self-revelation to enable transformation. The author, Dr. Annie George, listens to the voices of children in order to understand their perceptions of how storytelling of biblical narratives help them in their spiritual formation. Dr. George’s research highlights the importance of evaluating the impact of biblical narratives from a child’s perspective as well as emphasising the need to give the same priority to the spiritual transformation of children as with other areas of study and ministry.

Christian Generosity according to 2 Corinthians 8–9: Its Exegesis, Reception, and Interpretation Today in Dialogue with the Prosperity Gospel in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Author: Viateur Habarurema
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 369

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The social and religious phenomenon popularly known as the “prosperity gospel” has made huge inroads in sub-Saharan Africa and raises many questions surrounding Christian giving. In this book, Dr. Habarurema applies biblical scholarship, historical enquiry and contemporaneous analysis to generosity and financial reward in 2 Corinthians 8–9, as well as to the prosperity gospel movement. With a clear focus on the concepts of divine charis and autarkeia, this study provides insight into the apostle Paul’s exhortations to care for the poor and vulnerable in society as a manifestation by the church of God’s compassion and grace. The author concludes with a series of hermeneutical and theological recommendations to promote a reading which is faithful to Paul’s thoughts in 2 Corinthians 8–9, fully integrated in Paul’s overall theology, and welcoming insights provided by Pentecostal hermeneutics.

Competencies for Leading in Diversity: A Case Study of National Evangelical Associations in Africa

• Author: Aiah Foday-Khabenje
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2016
• Pages: 254

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The patriarchal approach to leadership in the African context is indeed an enigma, judging from the unpredictable outcomes and the quest for effective leadership. In many ways, the secularised big-man in the public square is no different from the sacralised great-man of God in the church. The Lord Jesus Christ calls his followers to servant leadership. The secular world has also established the efficacy of the servant leadership approach for cutting-edge leadership. This book looks at the nature of evangelical associations in their diversity and what it takes for leaders to build unity and harmony for effectiveness, especially in the African context.

Context and Contextuality: Towards an Authentic Mission Perspective for the Churches of the Pacific Coast Slavic Baptist Association

• Author: Vyacheslav Tsvirinko
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2018
• Pages: 607

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Since 1988, hundreds of thousands of evangelical Christians have migrated to the United States of America from former Soviet Union countries, establishing many Russian-speaking immigrant congregations across the country. This study analyzes how these immigrant churches function in their new cultural, social, and religious context. Dr. Vyacheslav Tsvirinko, a Russian who lived in America for over 25 years, examines the holism, authenticity and contextuality of the mission work done by churches in the Pacific Coast Slavic Baptist Association (PCSBA) in America. He defines authentic mission in light of three major Christian groups: the World Council of Churches, the Lausanne Movement, and Anabaptists, and uncovers startling insights on how PCSBA churches engage in mission, both back in their homeland and in America.

The findings and conclusions of this work are invaluable to diasporic Christian communities who wish to address their authenticity in the way they do mission, both internationally and in their local context, creating a path to more fruitful gospel and kingdom work.

An excellent case study that shows missionary work in the contemporary Slavic diaspora on the Pacific coast of the USA, and also offers concrete ways to improve evangelistic and mission work in immigrant churches. This is a solid theoretical and practical foundation for those who want to study mission in various diasporas and who want to improve the fulfilment of Christ’s Great Commission by their congregations.

—Dr. Sergiy Sannikov, president, Euro-Asian Accrediting Association

Vyacheslav Tsvirinko provides a good overview of issues with which immigrants struggle as they find themselves in a different context in an exemplary research work.

—Dr. Peter Penner, director of advanced studies, Eurasian Accrediting Association

Corruption Mocking at Justice: A Theological and Ethical Perspective on Public Life in Tanzania and Its Implications for the Anglican Church of Tanzania

• Author: Alfred Sebahene
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 352

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The church has a duty to fight corruption and injustice. The increased awareness globally of corruption and the threat it poses to humanity has led many in the secular and Christian world to seek solutions to stamp out this scourge. Recognizing the crisis caused by corruption in Tanzania, his own country, Dr. Alfred Sebahene seeks to understand this social epidemic through the application of theological ethics. As a result of the study the author identifies theological-ethical guidelines that inform and add substance to the church’s duty in the public sphere, particularly in the fight against corruption and injustice.

Forgiveness and Politics: A Critical Appraisal

• Author: Kethoser Aniu Kevichusa
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 312

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Forgiveness and politics are often assumed, both ordinarily and academically, to be unrelated and un-relatable. This study not only argues that forgiveness and politics can be related, but also that they are intrinsically related. In making the case, this publication explores both the biblical foundations of forgiveness, and the concepts and practices of politics, justice, and reconciliation. The findings are tested and illustrated within two case studies of forgiveness, examining the conflict in Northern Ireland and several conflicts in Nagaland, India.

Heaven and Earth in Luke-Acts

• Author: Ming Gao
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 308

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Dr. Ming Gao delves into the much-overlooked heaven motif in Luke-Acts in this critical study of a central element in Christian belief. Focusing on several key passages from the biblical canon, Gao analyses them in their Jewish, Greco-Roman and broader literary contexts to enhance our comprehension of the meaning of “heaven" and it’s significance for our worldview. Heaven is not simply a static place where God dwells or a symbol of his power, but is a dynamic arena. This study further reveals that arena as the scene of an unfolding of cosmic warfare, the effects of which are felt on earth. Dr. Gao also elucidates how heaven, as well as being part of reality, acts as a concept that points to the arrival of God’s eschatological kingdom on earth. This book will enhance efforts to understand “heaven,” which is often viewed as an unfathomable mystery by so many Christians.

Heralds and Community: An Enquiry into Paul’s Conception of Mission and Its Indebtedness to the Jesus-Tradition

• Author: Bo Young Kang
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2016
• Pages: 419

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This book is part of the ongoing debate about Paul’s understanding of the relationship between his own mission and the church’s. While this study endorses some previous scholarship on Paul’s silence about the church’s proactive evangelism in his letters, it argues that explanations for such silence cannot be adequately made from exegetical conclusions on related texts alone. Rather, this study suggests that constructing a plausible conception of mission as understood by Paul, influenced by the impact of the Jesus-tradition and Jewish restoration eschatology, is essential for explaining Paul’s thinking. Dr. Kang proposes that Paul’s silence regarding congregational evangelism is due to his unique two-pronged conception of mission—one being the event of eschatological heralds, the other being the event of eschatological community.

Mission through Diaspora: The Case of the Chinese Church in the USA

• Author: Jeanne Wu
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2016
• Pages: 217

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

The Chinese diaspora is well known for transnational economic activity, but less so for the impact of the diasporic Chinese church in the USA and elsewhere in the world.

Surveying 652 US Chinese churches about their mission activities, along with interviews of a subset of respondents, Dr. Wu provides analysis and explanation of mission activities using diaspora theories. The trend for Chinese diaspora church mission to take a “Chinese first” approach capitalizes on shared language, culture and transnational networks to advance the gospel. In this era of globalization, diaspora mission has never been so prescient.

With special emphasis on the context of short-term missions, this book presents fascinating insight to a significant element of the ministry of the global church. This case of the Chinese church in the USA has many applications in the consideration of global missions outside of the Chinese diaspora.

The Perilous Sayings: Interpreting Christ’s Call to Obedience in the Sermon on the Mount

• Author: Amos Winarto Oei
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 246

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Dr. Amos Winarto Oei brings fresh clarity and understanding of the antitheses of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. Providing a thorough evaluation of key historical and contemporary interpretations of Matthew 5:21–48 from notable theologians, Oei illustrates the unity surrounding the teachings of Jesus, even among disparate denominational traditions. Dr. Oei also addresses whether the ethics Jesus set out in the antitheses are for Christians only, or whether they are demands for all individuals and also the state. This book is the product of extensive theological research and sound exegesis and presents a clear argument of the universal nature and individual scope of the ethics and morality of the most famous sermon ever preached.

The Practice of Mission in Egypt: A Historical Study of the Integration between the American Mission and the Evangelical Church of Egypt, 1854–1970

• Author: Tharwat Wahba
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2016
• Pages: 379

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Most historical mission studies have focused on the work of Western missionaries going to Majority World countries, with few examining indigenous churches and their relationship with Western mission agencies in practicing mission. This book is a historical study of the relationship between the Evangelical Church in Egypt and the American Presbyterian Mission, from its beginning in 1854 until after the departure of the Mission from Egypt in 1967, and the transfer of all the work to the Egyptian Evangelical Church. Tracing the mission work of Egyptians within Egypt and neighbouring Sudan, Wahba analyses the impact of the relationship with the American Mission and how it determined the indigenous Church’s practice and perspective of mission.

Rethinking Missio Dei among Evangelical Churches in an Eastern European Orthodox Context

• Author: Vladimir Ubeivolc
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2016
• Pages: 336

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Following a paradigm shift in his own personal understanding of mission, Vladimir Ubeivolc proposes the adoption of mission principles based on missio Dei to meet the social and spiritual needs of people in Moldova. Biblically grounded and insightful, the lessons to be learned from this book apply far beyond Eastern Europe. Dr. Ubeivolc uses his knowledge from six years of research, 20 years of pastoral ministry and a lifetime of experience to summarize the landscape of the Moldovan Evangelical and Orthodox churches and their historical approaches to mission. His evaluation emphasizes the need for a biblical foundation to mission for Eastern European Evangelical churches.

This book’s message is a timely, scholarly reminder of the need to pursue holistic mission if the church of Jesus Christ is to be an authentic and effective vessel to bring transformation to people’s lives and society.

The Structure and Function of the Prologue of Judges: A Literary-Rhetorical Study of Judges 1:1–3:6

• Author: Yohannes Tesfaye Sahile
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 217

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In this book, Yohannes Sahile tackles the problem of Judges’ prologue, proposing that it is a single introduction with a narrative trajectory that begins with the death of Joshua. The prologue captures how, during the period of testing, the generation after Joshua’s death failed in their commission to take possession of the land allocated to them. Instead they lived with and made a covenant with the pre-existing inhabitants of the land promised to Israel. Judges 1:1–3:6 is often understood as a double introduction to the book, but here Dr. Sahile presents a well-argued alternative. He thoroughly dissects the passage in question, adding to ongoing scholarship of Judges and bringing new insight to our understanding of the development of the nation of Israel in the Promised Land.

A Study of the Emergence and Early Development of Selected Protestant Chinese Churches in the Philippines

• Author: Jean Uy Uayan
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2017
• Pages: 554

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Dr. Jean Uayan comprehensively weaves the story of six Protestant Chinese churches in the Philippines into the local history of their individual settings in this important study. Uncovering new insight and historical information from extensive primary and secondary sources, Uayan presents a rich and previously unacknowledged heritage and support from four American mission organisations during the US occupation from 1898–1946. The seeds sown amongst Chinese communities across the Philippines resulted in indigenous churches that took differing journeys to full independence and now are also bearing fruit in missionary activity in South Fujian, China. This book is an important contribution towards a global church history acknowledging the work of the Holy Spirit establishing and building up the church of Jesus Christ among the nations.

This Is True Grace: The Shaping of Social Behavioural Instructions by Theology in 1 Peter

• Author: Joyce Wai-Lan Sun
• Publisher: Langham
• Publication Date: 2016
• Pages: 292

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How and in what respects are the Petrine social instructions shaped by the theological vision of the author of 1 Peter?

This publication investigates the coherence between the social behavioural instructions and the theological teachings found in 1 Peter. Engaging with the Balch-Elliott debate, Dr. Joyce Sun argues that the core question should not be whether Christians should separate from, or accommodate to, wider society, but whether their behaviour is consistent with their ultimate allegiance to God. Sun convincingly demonstrates that the social distinctiveness of Christian communities was actively encouraged in the Petrine literature as a form of cultural and spiritual opposition to wider societal norms.