LABC Team, from left to right sitting down: C. René Padilla (General Editor), Rosalee Velloso Ewell (New Testament Editor) and Milton Acosta (Old Testament Editor). Standing: Ian Darke (Project Coordinator) and Gilbert Montero (Assistant to the Project Coordinator).

Please share a little about yourself.
I was born and I grew up in São Paulo, Brazil in the Southeast. My dad is Brazilian, and my mom is from Northern California. She went down to Brazil 40 years ago for a summer missions trip and here we are! We grew up here in São Paulo, and I have one brother. My dad is a prominent evangelical leader and somewhat well known in Brazil for his expository preaching.

After graduating from high school in Brazil, I went to Westmont College in Santa Barbara for a BA in Religious Studies. From there I went to Fuller Seminary and did the MA in Theology. Then from Fuller I went on to do my PhD at Duke in Biblical Ethics and wrote the dissertation on the identity and mission of the people of God. I wish I had known about Langham back then!

In North Carolina I met Sam, my husband. We now have three children and we’ve been in Londrina, Brazil since 2003. We came down to teach at the South American Theological Seminary (SATS). Sam was on the faculty until 2006 and I taught New Testament, Theology and did administrative work at SATS until 2008. We still live in Londrina but now we’re involved in other projects.

How did you get connected to Langham Partnership and the LABC project?
Langham found me at about the same time I found Langham. The project had been a dream of René Padilla, the General Editor, and others, from a long time ago. Somehow my name came up in discussions about it. Though I had heard of Langham before, I got connected through the LABC. It worked out really well because editing and writing are what I like doing most. And to work on a project that has such an incredible vision, goal for ministry and for impact on the church, then it made it even more wonderful to be involved.

What is the greatest joy and the greatest challenge in this kind of work?
The greatest joy is meeting these Christians from around South America and Central America, and learning about how there are similar struggles, similar blessings, and what God is doing in the continent. Brazil tends to be isolated from Spanish-speaking Latin America. This project has really been instrumental in bringing leaders, theologians, and writers together even though they’re not physically in the same space. We have a web site set up where they can exchange thoughts with one another and prayer requests and that’s been really great.

The greatest challenge: You start working on these things and you just want to say “Why can’t Christians just get along?” Sometimes, but thankfully not often, it’s hard to find people who are willing to put their internal politics, seminary politics, or denominational squabbles aside and really think about what kinds of blessings this project can bring to the church in Latin America. We’ve been really fortunate. There are wonderful people working on the LABC. And there’s the financial challenge of raising funds for the project. In North America or Europe there is a tendency for people to think that Latin America is “doing ok” so they’re not as interested in giving to projects focused here. They don’t know, for example, that Brazil is one of the top 5 countries listed for its gross inequality or that Colombia has one of the highest rates of displaced peoples on the planet, and that violence and racism are rampant in Latin American countries and in our churches. I think it’s also hard for people to give because of the turbulent political and economic ties between the US and Latin American countries. Central and South America are a bit too close to home for many in North America. Related to this challenge is the one of raising funds from within Latin America. There’s a lot of money here but there isn’t a history of Christians giving to the church or to any other Christian project. It’s a challenge in Latin America and it’s a challenge with Christians who are connected to Latin America but who live in the States.

What kinds of resources are pastors using now?
It really depends on where they are. A lot of pastors are in urban areas…so those pastors, at least theoretically, have access to seminary libraries, bookstores, etc. For those pastors and leaders in rural areas, frankly I have no idea what they use. Most of the tools are old, dating back to the 50s and 60s, like translated Bible dictionaries from English or German. It varies by denomination but they usually don’t have much and pastors are on their own. A related problem is that some of them have never been encouraged to read or study in the first place. Strong biblical training in general isn’t necessarily valued as a tool for preaching.

In that sense the commentary project will be very useful because it will get people engaged again. Part of why there isn’t much interest is because even the seminary professors have so few tools to work with. You couple that with big publicity campaigns for what are generally pretty bad books and then you’re really out of luck. The prosperity gospel is huge, they have a lot of ads, they own TV stations, etc. For a pastor it’s a challenge to preach the truth because in the neighborhood there might be ten churches and nine of them are preaching prosperity gospel sermons, and that’s where people go because they want to hear that. The guy who’s not preaching that could lose his church just for lack of people. That all adds to the culture of not having many tools.

How will a one-volume Bible commentary impact the level of biblical preaching in Latin America and other Spanish or Portuguese speaking nations?
On its own, it will be a one of a kind tool. There is no such resource that is geared to the different contexts within Latin America and that’s written in a way (we’re being really strict with our writers in this sense) that will also help people fall in love with the Bible again. The idea is to get them to want to read, to study more and to see how that study can be incredibly transformative for their ministries. For example, one of the things is unique in the LABC is that we have three or four guiding questions right at the beginning of the commentaries that readers can use for Bible study, discussion groups, etc. They are meant to make people curious and to read on. Giving pastors and leaders a useful study tool that also encourages them to read more is one of the best features of the LABC and shows how it can most impact biblical preaching in Latin America.

Secondly, it will be very important for it to be used alongside things like the Langham Preaching programme because then you’ll have the best of both worlds. We’ll have the best literature and capable instructors that can explain to those small groups how to use the commentary, how to take their preaching to the next level, and how to develop things using this excellent tool.

How did you identify the contributors? Who are they, in broad terms?
They are evangelicals/protestants from all over the continent and their backgrounds vary a lot. But they are all in agreement with the vision for the commentary and with the Lausanne Covenant, our main theological measuring stick. We’ve worked hard at getting denominational and country representation. We will probably have at least one person from every country. They are all scholars but not all have PhDs (that would be impossible and it wouldn’t be a fair representation of the church) and we’ve also tried to represent all the major seminaries. Men, women, younger people, older people. Even the editors are from different countries.

Please share two or three specific prayer requests for the project.
a)    Timeliness. That people will continue to get their work in by the specified deadlines. We don’t want any delays or extra costs. We’re very aware of the need to get this done within the timeframe we’ve set out.

b)    Health and encouragement for the writers. A number of them have family members or who themselves are suffering from various illnesses. Some have cancer and others have lost loved ones recently. They are really excited and they are working hard but these matters weigh heavily on them. Some are stuck out in the middle of nowhere, and one of the reasons why they like this project so much is because all of the sudden they have people elsewhere praying for them. We pray for our writers every week in general and for specific requests regularly.

c)    Financial support from the US, Europe, but also from within Latin America, where a change in mentality is needed. People aren’t trained to ask people for money and people aren’t used to being asked for money. The prosperity gospel movement has dominated the financial ethos of church giving; and there’s already not much of a tendency to give. There is a lot of suspicion. It’s a big wall. But it’s important to raise more money from within Latin America so there’s a sense of ownership of the project by those in the churches that will benefit so much from the commentary. The LABC board is aware of the importance of that.

The East European Literature Advisory Committee (EELAC), now part of Langham Literature, has been assisting with the nurture and development of indigenous publishing houses in 11 Eastern European countries since the fall of communism. In Serbia we have been partnering with Soteria Publishing since the mid-1990s. Soteria has come a long way since its early days. It now employs four people and has a list of more than 80 key titles behind it. Sales have grown by more than 200% in the last three years alone.

Serbia is perhaps the most difficult country in Eastern Europe for evangelical publishing. Protestants are viewed with suspicion and the law is biased against them. It is commonplace for evangelical churches to have ‘spies’ in the congregation on a Sunday morning, watching for ‘subversive or heretical’ teaching. The Serbian Orthodox church forbids the reading of anything heretical, and this includes anything published by a non-Orthodox publisher. Given the strong and open hostility of the Serbian Orthodox church towards evangelicals, it has been a subject of prayer that Soteria should be protected and its ministry extended amongst Orthodox readers, who need to know what God says through the Bible. Thanks to God, we have seen at least three specific answers to that prayer:

1) CEO of Soteria Dane Vidovic noticed a recurring name on his mail order list that he did not know. The orders were normally for multiple copies of his Bible commentaries and theological resources. He was naturally suspicious that he was being monitored by the authorities. Then he received a phone call from the man asking if he could visit. Dane’s suspicions and fears grew, especially since he has been tracked down to his home phone. A few days later there was a knock at the door and when he opened it he was faced by three fully robed Orthodox priests, looking very official and complete with long black beards. One of them said, ‘I am the one who has been buying your Bible books. My friends and I have found this way of studying the Bible very helpful. Would you help us further by leading us in Bible studies?’ Dane has been doing exactly that. One of those priests was a trainee iconographer, about to devote his life to making icons for Orthodox worship. After a while he said, ‘Now I don’t want to spend my life doing this when the Bible makes it clear we have direct access to God through Christ who is alive.’ He and his friends are now preaching sermons to their congregations, using the commentaries published by Soteria. One of the others has told Dane that people have commented on how his preaching is ‘more real.’ One elderly woman asked him where he had found this new improved way of thinking and was amazed when he replied, ‘from the books of the evangelist Billy Graham.’ Surely God’s Word has an amazing impact when it is faithfully opened up and understood! We pray with renewed vigour that the Gospel of the Bible will be preached in churches of all types in Serbia and God’s kingdom extended by this unforeseen channel.

2) Shortly after the publication of John Stott’s Why I Am A Christian and a commentary on Genesis in the Bible Speaks Today Series, the fax machine at Soteria clicked into action with a completely unexpected letter of request. It came from the Monks of the Serbian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. Mount Athos is on a remote and inaccessible peninsula, populated only by monks in a string of monasteries, shut off from the outside world. The Serbian monks had somehow managed to get hold of these titles. They would normally be regarded as heretical writings by Serbian Orthodox people, but the monks were delighted to hear of new commentaries from Soteria. Indeed, they asked for copies of everything that was available because they found the books were making the Bible exciting!

3) As Soteria’s reputation for high quality and reliability has been established and grown, it has attracted the opposition of many Orthodox church leaders, but it has also attracted the respect of some. One in particular contacted Dane recently to say that he had taken on a new role as a publisher for the Orthodox Church. He has asked Dane if he is willing to mentor him in good title selection. They are now planning a joint publishing project which is a tremendous opportunity for Soteria as it will give this title, as well as others, significant credibility and approval.

Here are some comments about the impact of Why Don’t We Read the Book That Christ Read?:

Letter received from a North African academic:

‘I was invited to teach a course in systematic theology in a Bible school in North Africa. I received your book on the Old Testament during a conference in Malta, and I was so excited about it so I decided to complete reading it in the plane on my way to present the course. I had prepared very well for the course and was ready to share it. When I arrived at the airport, I was told that the course has been already being taught. I was asked to teach another course starting tomorrow. I was totally devastated. How was I going to prepare for another course in such a short time? I had no materials and resources to use in preparation. Then an inspirational idea came to my mind: Why do not have a course based on Dr Kassis’ book? This I did! The outcome of my teaching time was great and very exciting. The chapters on wine, Song of Songs, and violence in the OT were so helpful to my students. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such a helpful and beneficial book.’

An encounter in the Middle East:

Riad was recently at a conference center where “Mona” (not her real name), a qualified teacher in high school, approached him with her husband, who is a well-known physician. She greeted him warmly and both thanked him for the book. She added:

‘My two brothers are well educated but both had great difficulties accepting the Old Testament. One day we were all together in our summer house and I was reading your book. When my brother knew what I was reading, he commented satirically: “Are you still interested in the Old Testament?” I told him that this book will answer all your questions. You should read it! “No way,” he responded. After the vacation I went back to the city but left the book at the summer house. To my surprise my brother visited me after several weeks to say: “I read the whole book that you left at the summer house. As soon as I started reading it I could not stop. It has really changed my perspective on the Old Testament.”

Mona concluded:

‘I am fascinated with your book and I keep on buying copies from the Bible Society House to give it to my Muslim and Christian friends.’

Riad reports on his book’s impact on seminaries:

‘I am glad to inform you that my book is one of the required readings for Old Testament courses at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Beirut and the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Cairo, Egypt. These are the two most strategic seminaries in the region. I am really humbled and grateful to God and Langham Writers Program for making it available for these future leaders as most of them read only Arabic. I was recently teaching an intensive course on biblical wisdom and Arabic proverbs at the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Cairo, Egypt. More than 65 students expressed their desire to have personal copies of my book, not just to read it themselves but to lend it to their friends to read it.

‘I am humbled as I hear comments from many of these students praising how much the book has helped them in their understanding of the Old Testament in a Middle Eastern context. A student commented: “This book is God’s gift to the Middle East. Please do write more books of this kind!”

‘In fact, my book is the only serious book in Arabic on Old Testament issues written by an evangelical. In my heart I have said: Thank you, Lord, for Langham Writers program! I do highly appreciate what you are doing.’

Read more about Riad Kassis and his book, Why Don’t We Read the Book That Christ Read?

Learn more about Langham Literature’s Langham Writers Programme.

Pastors receive copies of the ABC from Flying Mission. (Read more on the Flying Mission web site)

Margaret Russell, volunteer with Flying Mission, writes, ‘We at Flying Mission were delighted that [Langham Literature] was able to supply us with ABCs. We have gradually presented them to pastors…we never forgot about the huge contribution you made to the lives of pastors (and congregations)…The pastors are from a variety of denominations, but all passionate about preaching and discipleship! So a HUGE thank you to you all for all that you have made possible in Zambia and Botswana!’

Flying Mission reports that after one presentation of the ABC, one pastor, visibly moved, said, ‘Thank you so much! I’m thinking of John 13:1, and I’m feeling the extent of God’s love for me!’ Another pastor added, ‘Thanks to the Lord for his provision for me. I’m looking forward to researching the teaching on prayer!’

Langham Literature is thankful to partner with such ministries as Flying Mission to maximize the efforts to equp grassroots Bible teachers with much needed Christian resources. For more information on how you can support the Langham Literature program, visit http://www.langhampartnership.org/get-involved.

Josephine was fascinated by the problems faced by the Boni women of Kenya, whose society had swung from matriarchal to patriarchal in one generation. Emily had been a witness of the riots in Kenya in 2008. Lubungu had witnessed the devastation wrought by conflict in the Great Lakes region. David had dealt with grief as a theoretical construct, and then had to face it in his own family. Others were wrestling with issues affecting the young: How does the church help teenagers enter adulthood if it forbids traditional initiation? Should Christian parents ask a bride price, and should their children pay it? Still others were dealing with academic problems: What is the relationship between Christianity and politics in Africa? How does the Christian understanding of God relate to the traditional African understandings of who he is?

Participants of the Langham Literature Writers Workshop in Kenya, January 2009

These issues, and others like them, were close to the hearts of the fifteen academics from Kenya, South Africa, Congo, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Ethiopia who met for a writer’s workshop sponsored by Langham Partnership International (LPI) and the Overseas Council at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in January this year.

LPI and the Overseas Council recognized the needs of these and other Christian writers and students and combined forces to offer a writers’ workshop in Africa. Interest was high, but the numbers were kept down to ensure maximum effectiveness. The writers met at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in January this year. Each of the fifteen was under pressure to write, for they had signed a contract committing themselves to produce a book in two years.

Pieter Kwant and Isobel Stevenson of LPI helped the writers to sharpen their focus with questions like, Who are writing for? What do you want to tell them?  How are you going to catch their attention? (and, not least, How are you going to catch a publisher’s attention?). Tim Stafford, the author of more than 20 books and the vice-chair of the board for John Stott Ministries (U.S. office of LPI), discussed the practical details of living as a writer – and stressed the need to spend time at one’s desk, writing! Accordingly several hours each day were set aside for sitting and writing. Then the participants had to expose what they had written to their small groups for critique and encouragement. Some of these groups will continue to meet via the Internet until their books are finished.

The result? By the end of the week most of the participants had honed their ideas, produced an outline of the contents of their books, and drafted and redrafted their introductions. Now we can look forward to seeing their textbooks for seminaries, their manuals for pastors, their guidance for ordinary Christians. By training these authors, LPI is helping to magnify their effectiveness as pastors and teachers, and is giving them access to a far wider readership than they could have reached before.

Part of the editorial team for the Commentaire Biblique Contemporain (left to right): Tewoldemedhin Habtu, Samuel Ngewa, Issiaka Coulibaly, Solomon Andria, Yusufu Turaki

It was a historic moment when the launch of the French edition of the Africa Bible Commentary — the Commentaire Biblique Contemporain — took place on November 19, 2008, at the prestigious Palace of Culture in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Langham Literature helped to support the project and was present to honor the hard work and dedication devoted to making it happen.

The president of Côte d’Ivoire honoured the invitation to attend the launch, sending the minister of Home Affairs as his official representative. The minister of Culture and the minister of Communication were also present, as was a representative of the mayor of Taeichville, Abidjan.

An attendant clutches her copy of the Commentaire Biblique Contemporain.

Yusufu Turaki, representing General Editor Tokunboh Adeyemo who, due to illness, was not able

to be present, and Solomon Andria, the French editor, joined nearly a thousand others who have been eagerly awaiting the launch of this one-volume commentary on the Bible in French. The original work was written by both French-speaking and English-speaking African scholars, with those portions originating in French translated into English. Over 50,000 copies of the ABC have been distributed since its launch in July 2006. The two years since then have been spent translating the English portions into French,

The Minister of Home Affairs, Cote D'Ivoire, receives a copy of the CBC from Solomon Andria, French editor.

much of the burden of the editorial activity falling on the shoulders of Solomon, who is much to be applauded for his excellent work. Further translations are already underway in Swahili and Portuguese as well as for Hausa and possibly Amheric. Serving In Missions and Langham Literature have supported this project for seven years and are delighted with the results.

The five hundred copies of the CBC available at the launch were very quickly sold out, with those who purchased them obviously very pleased to have one in hand.

Visit the LPI photo gallery for a slideshow of the event.

]]> http://www.langhampartnership.org/2008/12/04/cb/feed/ 0 http://www.langhampartnership.org/2008/11/30/argentina/ http://www.langhampartnership.org/2008/11/30/argentina/#comments Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:37:48 +0000 hgoody http://www.langhampartnership.org/?p=563 By David Hoffman, vice president, John Stott Ministries

Stanley Clark holds up a copy of a commentary on Galatians.

Students at seminaries and Bible colleges in Argentina and across Latin America face a common problem: the cost of textbooks and study materials, an expense that could mean the difference between finishing a study program and abandoning their studies. Langham Literature is doing its part with programs that make resources available to Majority World theological institutions, their libraries, teaching staff, students and alumni and to pastors, preachers and scholars.

“Many of our students would simply not be able to complete their studies,” said Stanley Clark from the Baptist Seminary in Buenos Aires.  “For example, in their first semester students take a course on Galatians. The Galatians books would cost a student $50, and with the John Stott Ministries subsidy program, it will only cost them $25. Without this program they would not be able to complete their studies.”

Certeza Bookstores in Argentina helps Langham Literature with the "subsidy program" that helps absorb some of the expense of resources for seminary students.

The Additional Book Program (ABP), known to Argentinean students simply as the “subsidy program,” is one of two literature programs that John Stott Ministries operates in Argentina through agent Beatriz Buono of Certeza bookstores.  The second program is the Library Grants Program (LGP) that in Argentina is known as “regalos biblioteca,” or gifts for libraries.  As a licensed book importer, Certeza is able to ensure that these two programs can be offered to over 50 seminaries and bible colleges throughout Argentina.

The Baptist Seminary is one example of how these Langham Literature programs are helping.  With tough economic times, this school that was started by the Southern Baptist church now offers evening courses for approximately 180 students each semester and extension courses for another 100 students.  Students can earn a two-year basic degree or a three-year advanced degree.  All students at the seminary benefit as the library receives a gift of $200 each year through the LGP, and students studying the Bible can benefit from the ABP program when purchasing books related to these courses. The same story was repeated by the leaders at the Seminary for the Assemblies of God and the large ecumenical seminary, ISEDET University Institute.

“Our graduates become pastors or missionaries,” says Stanley Clark. “As missionaries they will serve mostly in Afganistan and Northern Africa as well as Latin America. Over the course of their two years of study, each student will take 10 courses related to the Bible. Thanks to John Stott Ministries, they will save $250, which for most students will be the difference they need to complete their studies.”

Visit the Langham Photo Gallery to see more pictures of schools in Argentina.

Visit the Langham Literature program page for more information on how you can help support the grant programs.

The editors and coordinators of the Latin American Bible Commentary (LABC) project met November 3-6 in Oxford, England for a bi-annual meeting. After a time of prayer and thanksgiving, René Padilla (general editor), Milton Acosta (editor – OT), Rosalee Velloso Ewell (editor – NT), Ian Darke (project coordinator), and Pieter Kwant (LPI representative) spent three intense days looking over charts, calendars, names and texts related to the project sponsored in part by Langham Literature.

It was a very productive time, during which the editors pulled together many of the various details of the project, such as:
1. the final decision about contributors for articles and individual commentaries of biblical books;
2. deadlines for all the authors;
3. target dates for the first three major steps of the editorial process (revision of articles, first revision of shorter commentaries, first revision of longer commentaries);
4. the best way to provide research and study assistance to the writers of the commentaries.

The editors and coordinators in a planning session for the LABC

We rejoice in the fact that over 70% of those invited to participate in the project have already accepted the challenge.

Many contributors have begun their work of research and writing. Those who have been invited to write the longer commentaries have been encouraged to prepare for their communities sermons and Bible studies on portions of their work. This should serve as an aid to focus their efforts in making the LABC both accessible and relevant even to those who might be hearing the gospel news for the first time.

For more photos of the LABC planning session in Oxford, visit the Langham Partnership photo gallery.

Read an update on the LABC project in espanol.

Exactly one year since WordAlive Publishers (WAP) commenced the translation of the Africa Bible Commentary into Kiswahili, and with about 75 percent of the translation already completed, the project has now entered the crucial editing phase in earnest. The Kiswahili ABC will hit the market in October 2009.

As part of the project, WAP organised a consultative meeting of translators and editors in Dodoma, Tanzania from 3 to 6 September 2008. The key agenda for the meeting was to review the work and to discuss issues that emerged during translation. During this meeting, the participants pledged to rededicate their efforts to ensure that the timelines are observed and that the project is completed according to schedule.

The meeting was also a forum to train in and hone editorial skills in readiness for the editing phase. Indeed, editing had been going on albeit at a slower pace due to shortage of personnel; almost 15 percent of the editing work had been done by August 2008. With the successful editorial seminar, six editors will now be joining the only four that are currently undertaking the exercise. We hope that this will speed up the process and complete the editorial phase by April 2009. While in Dodoma, we had the opportunity to meet some key church leaders at a dinner event. Among those who attended were officials from the Bible Society of Tanzania, Christian Council of Tanzania and Anglican and Catholic dioceses as well as lecturers from the theological colleges around Dodoma. This conference was part of our build-up to the 2009 release and subsequent distribution of the Kiswahili edition of the Africa Bible Commentary.

Meanwhile, we expect the remaining portion of the translation exercise, involving fifteen (15) books, to be completed by the end of November. Once completed, some of the translators will be recruited to join the editing team.

We continue to thank God for enabling the translation exercise to get this far. As we turn our focus to editing, we pray for additional strength so as to issue an excellent product that will significantly transform Africa and the world.

In August, one of the members of the translation team, Geoffrey Majule, was awarded a doctoral scholarship at Asbury Theological Seminary, USA. We congratulate him warmly and wish him well in his studies. At the same time, in September, Dr Catherine Ndungo of Kenyatta University joined the editing team. We warmly welcome her to participate in this ‘monumental’ leaders project.

We are greatly encouraged by the impressive progress that this project has attained so far. We are confident that we shall observe the timelines, which were re-examined during the meeting in Dodoma. The enthusiasm expressed by both the translation and the editorial teams will no doubt see us across the finishing line, expectedly well ahead of schedule.

Pray for:
1. The translators: for strength and clarity of mind as they work to complete the remaining portion.

2. The editors: for wisdom and insight as they continue putting the work together.

3. Members of the team, George Ndulesi and Sheila Ryanga, who were bereaved during the editorial seminar; for strength to bear the loss.

Editors Note: WordAlive Publishers acknowledges the successful consecration and enthronement of Canon Father John Simalenga as the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of South West Tanganyika on 6th July 2008 at Njombe. He continues to play an effective role in the translation of the Kiswahili ABC.

Permission to reproduce this article granted from WordAlive Publishers (www.wordalivepublishers.org).

Travelling in a three-wheel tuktuk across the city of Colombo (my guidebook warned me of ‘the anarchic driving conditions’ on Sri Lanka’s roads), it was a relief to arrive at the Centre for Graduate Studies, a bright and welcoming building in the centre of the city. Part of the Lanka Bible College and Seminary, the Graduate Centre supports leadership and pastoral training, distance learning initiatives and a Masters course. The Centre has just celebrated the opening of its new library.

Its well-ordered shelves, growing stock of some 8,000 volumes, computer facilities and Internet access provide an essential resource for those engaged in theological training. Carried out in fellowship with many agencies around the world, including the Overseas Council which supported the building project and Langham Literature which supported the book stock, the library will be a welcome haven for quiet study and theological reflection, just metres away from the bustling streets of downtown Colombo.

But those streets are the mission field in this predominantly Buddhist country, where only a small percentage of the population owes allegiance to Christ. The growing church is engaging with the demands of mission in a challenging religious and political context, and the oasis of a library provides one of the essential resources for true engagement with the city and country – a necessary retreat in order to advance the cause of mission.

by Dave Hoffman
Inside-Out Evangelical Conference
Long Beach, California
Aug 15, 2008

John Azumah is the first Langham writer sponsored by the Langham Literature program to publish under the Hippo Books press. While in California speaking at the 2008 Inside-Out Conference held by Presbyterian Global Fellowship, John talked with Dave Hoffman, vice president of John Stott Ministries, about his new book, My Neighbour’s Faith: Islam Explained for Christians.
Dave: I want to ask you a little about this book, My Neighbour’s Faith. How did you first get connected with Langham Literature?

John: Well, it all came about via Lausanne. I have been connected with Lausanne for some time, and I was the International Deputy Director for Anglophone Africa. Chris Wright happened to be the one in Lausanne in charge of theology and we got to meet. But before this I had known of Chris Wright through his writings and having met him at some conferences. I admire and respect Chris a lot, and so Chris invited me to be part of the first Langham regional council for West Africa held at Akrofi-Christaller. That was back in 2005. We had a wonderful meeting and at this event I met Pieter Kwant, director of Langham Literature. I told Pieter, I have been working on a manuscript, but have not been able to find a publisher that is interested. Pieter said he would take a look at it, so I sent him a draft. He said, it looks great and we would like to process it. He shared the whole idea of Hippo and launching this African series as a way of Langham encouraging African writers to produce quality work. He knows that one of the challenges in Africa for first-time writers is to get publishers.

So Pieter got this manuscript and gave it to Isobel Stevenson in Canada. Isobel was working to train an African editor, Angela Addy from Akrofi-Christaller in Ghana, as there were not many African editors before this. This editor was sent to work with Isobel and my book happened to be the very first book.

Dave: So this is the first book that Angela Addy edited.

John: Yes.

Dave: Tell me a little bit about Hippo Books. You mentioned that it was a way to encourage African writers and first-time writers especially, but tell me what you think Hippo Books is going to do for the continent of Africa? Not only for the writers, but for the readers as well.

John: I think it is going to have a very important impact on the church in Africa and African scholarship. The church in Africa and African scholarship are facing a very serious problem of really having materials produces by African scholars themselves. We rely on western writers, western literature and western scholarship. That is not bad except that we are not able to feed ourselves with what our academic and spiritual minds and souls are yearning for, which is something local, something indigenous, something African. And so we have always had to go through the western academic route and that hasn’t always been very healthy. It is mostly because it is just too difficult for African writers to get the time to write. They are too busy with bread-and-butter issues, they are working under very challenging situations and so they are thinking about where the next meal is going to come from, where the next money is going to come from to pay their child’s school fees and other issues that don’t allow them the time to write. And when they do get the time to put something down on paper, it is very difficult to get a good publisher to take it up. You end up getting it published in very cheap circles and the end product is not good.

Dave: I understand that another issue was due to not having African editors and having to rely on western editors which took some of the African-ness out of the manuscript as well.

John: Exactly, and again, that is part of the challenge. You need to get something that is written by Africans, edited by Africans and read by Africans. And that is what Hippo has come to provide. I think it is an excellent idea. I was happy to go with Hippo, and I am going to write another book.

Dave: What is the next book going to be about?

John: I am still figuring it out. But it will be about approaching people of other faiths from an African biblical perspective. That is what I am going to write on.

Dave: So this book, My Neighbour’s Faith, is more about understanding Islam, and the next book will be about how to approach people of other faiths.

John: Yes, from a biblical perspective. I am hoping to get a writer’s grant from Langham. It took some time to get this last book organized and it was quite good that Akrofi-Christaller allowed me to take this time. A grant will make it much easier to make time to write something like this.

Dave: Because of Hippo, how many books do you think might be written over the next few years by African writers?

John: We are going to be having a Langham meeting in West Africa in October and I think with this now out, it will be a huge inspiration to the African scholars that will be meeting there. And I really think we are going to get a good number of books. I don’t want to put a figure on it, but Hippo is really here to stay and not just with Langham’s involvement, but because Langham has these kinds of forums that bring these scholars together for meetings, conferences and consultations. Once these writers know that they will be guaranteed to have a good publisher and that the product will be of this quality, they will be even more inspired.

Dave: Let me switch gears a little and ask you about the regional council for West Africa. What do you see as the benefit for Langham having these regional council meetings? Not just to Langham, but to your local area as well.

John: I think the benefit is actually mutual. Langham gets the chance to listen to the people on the ground and to really get applicants locally processed and therefore are guaranteed to get the right type of candidates processed and funded for their studies. Langham also gets to hear what are the real issues that the church is faced with on the ground. If Langham is going to support people in their studies and to write, they are going to need to know what the issues are that challenge the church in our region. For us as African scholars and the African church, I think it’s that many times people just provide funding and when you are done with the studies or projects you don’t hear much from the organization. What Langham is doing for us in Africa is that we get to know who are the Langham scholars in Africa. We get to know the areas of expertise of these people and we get to network with each other so we can grow on each other’s strengths. Langham provides this platform for us to share amongst ourselves which otherwise would not have happened. This is about real partnership, and Langham is really charting a new and exciting path in this kind of engagement with the African church. We are very excited about it.

Dave: I am excited to read your book and to hear you speak here tomorrow. Thank you for your time today and I will be looking forward to seeing your next book.

View more photos of John Azumah and the Inside-Out Evangelical Conference sponsored by Presbyterian Global Fellowship

Order My Neighbor’s Faith from the JSM online bookstore

The National Evangelical Church of Beirut has deep roots in Lebanon, first established in 1848 and later creating the first evangelical Arabic-speaking congregation in the Middle East. It has a long history of serving as a center for publishing and other communication among Arab Christians. In June, the tradition of this church continued as it became the venue for a book-launch of Langham scholar Riad Kassis’ latest publication to an enthusiastic crowd that included many local and national dignitaries.

Organized by Clarion Publishing House, the event celebrated the publication of Riad’s book Why Don’t We Read the Book That Christ Read? Towards a Better Understanding of the Old Testament (Beirut: Clarion Publishing 2008). The book was released in Arabic and supported in part by a grant from the Langham Literature program. Riad is the first Langham writer to publish in the Middle East and the first to publish in Arabic.

The main objective of the book is to approach the difficulties that an Arab reader may face when reading the Old Testament, to provide an appropriate methodology on reading the Old Testament, and to show the relevancy that the Old Testament has for the ethical, social, and political issues of the Arab world today.

Among the attendants of the event were following: the president of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Churches in Syria and Lebanon, the president of the Evangelical Alliance in Lebanon, many pastors, school principals and teachers, as well as the presidents of several theological institutions in Lebanon.

“I was also pleased to see the most influential writer and biblical scholar in the Maronite/Catholic church of Lebanon, and perhaps in the whole Middle East, Father Dr. Boulos Feghali,” Riad said. “Even Father Feghali, who was not scheduled to speak, insisted to say a few words on the importance of my work.”

Riad was honored and thrilled with the excitement from the people who attended. One leader from the Lebanon chapter of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) wrote, “Allow me to thank you for yesterday’s ‘classy’ signing event. I liked all of its parts, especially your word! … May the Lord bless you and keep your pen running for His glory!”

Crews from local media–including SAT-7 (the evangelical satellite television) and Noursat (the Catholic satellite television)–were also present. SAT-7 will be broadcasting the book-launch event on June 24 and 25, 2008, and will feature a special interview with Riad on July 10. It is expected that the event will also appear in several major newspapers in Lebanon and the Middle East.

Please join Riad in prayer that the success of his book release will help promote the need for the publication of more books written by and for Arab Christians.

Read the recommendations for Why Don’t We Read the Book That Christ Read?

View more photos of Riad Kassis’ historic book launch.

Revd. Dr. Saleem Sahouny
President of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical churches in Syria and Lebanon

“This book represents a great academic and reference value to be added to our Arabic Christian library. Revd. Dr. Riad Kassis is an example of a believing Christian scholar who, on the one hand, has a distinguished academic wealth and on the other hand carries the burdens of his fellow Arab Christians. These Arab Christians were overwhelmed with various difficulties to understand the Old Testament. They were also subject to illegitimate interpretations of the Old Testament that mixed up the message of the Old Testament with the complexities of the political situation. All this have contributed to widen the gap between the Arab reader and the text of the Old Testament and to build a strong wall at the edge of the gap.

In this interesting book, Dr. Kassis attempts to build bridges of reconciliation between the reader and the text of the Old Testament that was regarded by the church throughout the centuries as an integral part of its holy heritage revealed by God. Have Dr Kassis succeeded to build the bridges? I would like to invite the readers to accompany our writer in this journey to enjoy bridging the gap and to be able to see what is behind the wall.”
Revd. Eng. Atef Gendy, Ph.D. (Aberdeen University)
President of the Evangelical Presbyterian Seminary, Cairo, Egypt

“This is an interesting, deep, and documented book. It deals with dilemmas and questions that an Arab, particularly the Christian who is committed to his/her faith and to the issues of his/her country, faces as he/she reads the Old Testament. Although I do not agree fully with Dr. Kassis’s perspective on the text, I do find the book to be helpful to the reader to have his/her own conviction in understanding the Old Testament based on sound hermeneutical foundations that builds up his/her spiritual life.”
Engineer Jiries Habash
President of the Higher Council of Evangelical Churches in Jordan and Director of Bible Society in Jordan

The objective of the SABC, according to the editors and advisors, is to “equip Christian leaders at the grassroots level – pastors, students and lay leaders – who under the guidance of the Holy Spirit can be instrumental in the establishment and nurture of a vibrant church in this region.”

Project Editor Jessica Richard
“The only commentaries that an untrained pastor, lay person or a theological student, without access to a good library would go to…are dated and not contextual,” said Jessica Richards, the SABC project editor. “They tend to concentrate more on the technicalities of the text and contentious academic questions on authorship and dating rather than on contextual application to realities and issues in the South Asian context.”

Jessica worked on several long-term projects such as the Dictionary of South Asian Christianity (DSAC) before joining the SABC team. Her experience with the editorial process, combined with her work on social issues in India, has primed her with the ability to take on the large project:

“My theological involvement and articulation are grounded in my multiple identities as an Indian/Asian Christian woman living in a gloriously pluralist fabric; a fabric which is also permeated by discrimination on the basis of caste, class, creed and gender,” she shares. “[I am] also constantly informed and influenced by the fact that I theologize from and in a context of globalization that has widened gaps – economically, socially and in religious terms.”

Jessica is working with several contributors and six general/theological editors, all from the South Asia region. “The opportunity that such a project affords to work with some of the best biblical scholars and theologians in this region is something that cannot be quantified. I know I will gain immensely in working with all of the contributors to the SABC,” Jessica says.

Langham Scholars as Theological Editors
Of the six theological editors, five are Langham scholars: Jacob Cherian, Finny Philip, J. Jesudason Jeyaraj, Havilah Dharamraj, and Paul Swarup. These scholars know firsthand the importance of getting an affordable Bible commentary distributed in this area of the world.

The general editors and developers of the South Asia Bible Commentary

“The one-volume SABC is a critical tool much needed for the numerous grass roots level pastors and evangelists who have had little or no formal theological education,” says Paul Swarup. “It can be likened to giving a huge number of assembly-line workers in a car manufacturing plant, the appropriate tools to put the parts together to bring out a beautiful and powerful car!”

“I am excited to think about the significance and impact this commentary will have for the church in South Asia,” says Jacob Cherian. “With the Indian subcontinent as the birthplace of key religious faiths of our world (especially Hinduism and Buddhism), and with India having the second largest population of Muslims in the world, topics such as “Jesus among other gods” and the legal and social (not to mention theological and communal) implications of ‘religious conversion’ are bound to serve the Church in a major capacity.”

The SABC is projected to sell 10,000 copies in the first year, with the Hindi edition expected to have similar sales goals. It is the latest in a series of Bible commentaries co-sponsored by John Stott Ministries-Langham Partnership International, beginning with the award-winning Africa Bible Commentary which has sold more than 75,000 copies to date and is in the process of several translations.

Look for more details about this exciting project in JSM’s upcoming newsletter, In the Gap.

Help partner with LPI to sponsor the SABC and other much needed projects…Visit the Get Involved page for more information.

Several Latin American leaders have expressed that a single-volume commentary is a project they have been hoping for. The discussion is at its infancy stages, and questions of expense, project management, distribution, and process details are continuing.

Project editors René Padilla, Milton Acosta, Rosalee Velloso, and coordinator Ian Darke

Among those who attended the discussion were LPI Literature Director Pieter Kwant, Langham Scholar Milton Acosta, Langham Partnership Regional Council member Rene Padilla, and LPI Committee Chair Mark Hunt. Also attending was Rosalee Velloso (South American Theological Seminary, Brazil), a key editor for the project and Ian Darke of Letra Viva, who will coordinate the project.

LPI will consider sponsoring as much as half the funds needed and helping with administrative needs. The project will take shape this summer as more details and editorial assignments will be set in motion in June.

The workshop focused on helping participants understand their own languages in relation to English and their own vernaculars, especially as far as translation into Bislama goes. We also discussed the state of standardisation of Bislama spelling and expression. Rosemary led this portion of the workshop, since she is our linguist. It was the lion’s share of the workshop, since everyone needs both the skill and confidence to write in Bislama. It was eye-opening and exciting for the participants to get to know their own national language better from a linguistic perspective, and to have light shed on their own questions and problems with the language. About 1/4 or 1/3 of the workshop was devoted to how to write Bible commentary, and what sort of Bible commentary we are hoping to write, that is, one that is tied to the text and serves preaching biblical, Christ-centred messages.

So, thanks so much for praying, but don’t stop now! The success of the workshop raises people’s expectations, which means more intense work from the VBC team. Pray the Lord gives us wisdom for guiding the venture, and grace to all who have begun working on their commentaries. Different individuals or groups are getting started on: Psalms 1-15; Proverbs 1-10; Haggai; Jonah; Ruth; Esther; Joshua; 1 Peter; 1,2,3 John; 2 Peter; Galatians; 1 Thessalonians; as well as the works nearly completed: Philemon, Philippians, Colossians, Mark.

Thanks again for thinking of us and praying for us.

Sincerely,
Andrew & Rosemary Williamson

There have been Arab believers since before the followers of Jesus were even called Christians (a nickname that was invented in Syria). They were there on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10-11). And the Christian church has continued in the Middle East throughout the past two thousand years. Some of the rich tradition of Arabic Christian theological writings from a thousand years ago are being rediscovered today. But a distinctively evangelical Arabic Christian voice has not been heard addressing its own theological concerns in today’s world within significant book-size publications. Until this year.

(photo: “Arabic Contemporary Theology” at left, alongside an Arabic translation of Chris Wright’s “Salvation”)

January 2008 saw the launch of the “Arabic Contemporary Theology” (ACT). Beautifully produced as an A4-size textbook of 500 pages in two column Arabic, it is the fruit of a three-year project by a group of ten Arab Christian theologians in Egypt and Lebanon, some of whom are Langham scholars. From clear biblical foundations, it tackles some of the sharp issues that Christians face especially in the Middle East, including:

• How Arab Christians understand the Old Testament
• The Old Testament concepts of covenant and land
• The meaning of Jesus’ identity as a Jew
• Understanding prophetic texts in relation to religion and politics today
• Christianity and women
• Evangelical and ecumenical relations
• Salvation and other faiths
• Arab culture and identity and their theological challenges

(photo: “Arabic Contemporary Theology” contributors)

The book was launched at a three-day seminar at a coastal resort on the Red Sea (perhaps in the footsteps of Moses?), which brought together about 70 theologians, pastors and Christian leaders from various Protestant denominations in Egypt. Langham Partnership was invited to attend, since we have invested significantly in the project from its beginning, and so Chris Wright (International Director), and Pieter Kwant (International Programme Director for Langham Literature) were both pleased to participate, and Chris Wright was an invited speaker in some of the sessions.

The book is published by Dar El Thaqafa, which is the publishing arm of CEOSS, the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Service (founded in 1950 by Sami Habib). The Director of Dar El Thaqafa is Andrea Zaki Stephanous – a Langham scholar who has driven the whole project from the beginning.

A Dream Fulfilled

“The dream started when I was doing my Ph.D. as a Langham scholar in Manchester, England,” says Andrea. “My Ph.D. was about religion and politics, a theology of minorities. I realized it was so important for us as Arabs to have our own theology and understanding of the Bible. Originally we intended to produce an evangelical Arabic systematic theology. The only one we had before is about 150 years old, it is mostly translated, and not original. But the shocking fact is that there is no single evangelical Arab scholar in the region equipped to produce such a systematic theology alone. So the idea transformed into an Arabic contemporary theology.

(photo: Andrea Zaki Stephanous seated with his wife Hala, and Amani, manager of the Dar El Thaqafa publishing operation)

“We wanted to face a whole range of challenges that come from things like: our own Arab Christian identity; the existence of the state of Israel; political Islam, which wants to marginalize Christians; ecumenism and church divisions – Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant; the identity and role of women; salvation; inspiration of the Bible – Islamic or our own? So there are many challenges facing us, and there are lots of smaller articles and leaflets on these things, but no systematic treatment.

“It was a real challenge – even just to get us Arabs to work together! Part of our culture is that we easily disagree! We had tough deadlines, and of course some theological differences. But we agreed a clear theological framework and worked hard.

“Another objective was to pull together the Langham scholars in the region and help them not to feel alone, but to cooperate in a major project. That has been a blessing for all of us.”

First of Its Kind

“I hope this book will do for its readers what it has done for the participants in this seminar this week,” said Dr. Mary Mikhail, one of the contributors to the volume. Mary has been President of the Near East School of Theology, Beirut, Lebanon for the past 14 years and on its faculty since 1984, after years in IFES work in the Middle East.

“It is the first of its kind in this part of the world. It raises questions that we sometimes don’t want to face, and drives us back to the Bible to search for answers. And even when we don’t find easy answers, or don’t agree what they are, it keeps us asking and wrestling with important issues.”

Mary’s chapter is on “Women – in the Bible and Christianity and the Middle East Today.” “It is a privilege to be included,” she said, “for I do have something to say and a textbook like this will make so much more impact on the church than articles and leaflets. It will reach more people and help more people. One of the editors told me, ‘When I read what you wrote about Mary, I felt like I was frozen holding the paper.’ Another said, ‘Nobody has tried to interpret the Bible for us the way you did. You spoke to my heart. I felt included.’

“I know I am standing in a minefield, and that some of the other contributions will be controversial in this part of the world, too. But I hope the book will lead to a greater openness in the churches to read the Bible afresh. I chose to get involved in the project because it really is the first of its kind, and it is high time we produced some solid evangelical theology in the Arabic context – not just translations.”

Building a Different Environment

(photo: Nabil Abadir (left) with Andrea Stephanous at the launch of the “Arabic Contemporary Theology”)

Nabil Abadir is the Director of CEOSS, which is the umbrella Christian development agency under which Dar El Thaqafa functions. CEOSS is dedicated to blessing all the people of Egypt with the practical love of God that flows from the gospel. It serves among the most impoverished communities in health and literacy work, micro-enterprise, and sustainable development. CEOSS is also involved in cultural and inter-faith issues and stands in a high position of credibility and trust with the government as a result of 50 years of transparent integrity.

Nabil is delighted with the arrival of the ACT, and with the role of CEOSS in sponsoring it.

“It fits with all that CEOSS tries to do in building a different environment,” he said. “We live in the midst of a very tense situation here, and this book will help to develop new leaders who have a different attitude. Instead of an ignorant and aggressive stance, we want to relate to others in our country as human beings made in God’s image and sharing with us in God’s creation, and loved by God. We will want to develop forums for dialogue around the issues addressed in the book.

“This book comes at a very opportune time, in a region with such potential for causing world-wide trouble. We want to help Christians have the courage to develop positive programmes that build up society, to work with the rest of our society, and yet keep their Christian faith and identity very clear.”

A Very Practical Help
(photo:Basheer Anwar Nody)
But what about the ordinary pastor? Basheer Anwar Nody is pastor of a Coptic Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Gezer, Cairo, in the shadow of the pyramids. He felt that the contents of the book were addressing very crucial issues, but not in a merely academic way. The book would also be very helpful in all the practical matters that fill his life as a pastor, both in helping his own congregation, and in relating to the majority religious community around him and their spiritual leaders, and especially in the sphere of ministry he gives himself to most of all – peace-building and conflict resolution. He was very glad to be participating in the seminar.

The Dream Goes On

For Andrea, it is clear that this is just the start of the fulfilment of his dream.

“Our whole hope for a reference book like this is to create a debate, to open Arab Christians to the challenges around them, and to strengthen the church’s spiritual life,” Andrea said.

“But this book is not limited to the church alone. It is for Arab society – for Muslims and even Jews. I will be sending copies to intellectuals and some politicians even, to say, ‘Look how evangelical Arabs in your midst are thinking.’ We are saying, ‘Look, you have Arab Christians living among you. We are a minority, yes. But this minority is part of the region and they have their own theological understanding and identity. We are part of the region. We have our own cultural and social contribution to make. Please be aware that there is an evangelical voice, a faith, to be heard in this region.’

“We also hope that we can produce an English translation to make it available in the west,” Andrea continued. “I find some American and British Christians are astonished. They don’t know that there are so many Christians in Egypt and the Middle East. And they are your brothers and sisters, a solid community.”

The publication of the ACT is a vital first step, but only the first. Andrea and his colleagues are planning a 5 – 10 year programme. They plan further volumes in this series – an Arabic applied theology (addressing issues such as HIV-AIDS, the environment, nationalism, the arts, etc), another volume on theological issues not covered in the present volume (inspiration and authority of the Bible, the sacraments, inter-faith dialogue, etc), and eventually a full-blown Arabic systematic theology.

In addition, with Langham Literature’s further assistance, a five-volume “Arabic Contemporary Commentary” on the whole Bible is planned over the next 5-6 years. This will be a huge project. But Andrea is undaunted! And his confidence and competence combined with Langham’s continued investment and God’s gracious help, will bring it to fruition.

“Without the support of Langham Partnership and the help of God,” Andrea concluded, “this book would never have happened.”

Read more about Langham scholar Andrea Zaki Stephanous

View the LPI photo gallery of the January 2008 Egypt gatherings

“God seems nearer to a people when he speaks their language.”
–Augustine of Hippo

On November 18, 2007, in Dar Es Salaam, WordAlive Publishers officially announced the launch of the Africa Bible Commentary Kiswahili, in the Tanzanian market. This celebration marks the first of many translations for the first-ever single volume Bible commentary written by Africans, for Africans. It also marks the beginning of many milestones recently achieved on the ABC project:

1. ABC was written by African theologians for African pastors as a commentary on the whole Bible adding dozens of relevant articles on issues specific to the church in Africa. This volume will enter in Kiswahili a market of more than 50 million Swahili natives that has comparatively nothing for pastors in their language.

2. Langham Literature is funding the Kiswahili translation and production with USD $130,000 over three fiscal years (WordAlive publishers in Nairobi are managing the project and will cover printing and distribution). The final published work is due out in late 2009.

3. Langham with Serving In Mission (SIM) are sharing sponsorship of the ABC translation into Portuguese (total Langham commitment of USD $64,000 over two fiscal years) for Portuguese-speaking Africa plus Brazil, Portugal, etc. The project is underway and being managed by MundoCristao in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to be distributed in Africa by Langham and partners beginning 2010.

4. ABC English provides Western pastors and students of the Bible with unique and helpful reading on Scripture and issues in the church from an African perspective. The book has won honors in the Western publishing trade and its production was managed by Langham Literature International Director Pieter Kwant.

5. As of December 2007, the following translations for the Kiswahili edition have been completed:

• Joshua
• Judges
• Matthew
• Mark
• Luke
• James
• Titus
• Philemon
• All 70 Articles

Reviewers will begin looking at edited work in April 2008.
Read more about the launch of the Kiswahili edition of the Africa Bible Commentary

Over the past 3 years the Kenyan preaching movement has been growing steadily, not least through the sustained training of the annual seminar programme hosted by St Paul’s College in Limuru, through the help of Dr. Esther Mombo. This August 119 participants came from all over Kenya, with 33 attending for the first time, 53 returning for a second level of training, and another 33 returning for the third level of training.

Alongside the seminar programme, the preaching movement encourages local initiatives, through small preachers’ clubs and day workshops.

For this, the fourth seminar at St Paul’s, Biblical exposition was modelled as the book of Ruth was taught each morning. Participants at each level were helped to see the importance of studying the Scripture in its context, understanding its meaning for the first hearers, and then building the bridge from the Biblical world to their contemporary world.

There were very encouraging comments from some of the preachers : ‘I am learning so much and I want to go back now and practise what I have learned.’ One pastor said, ‘I used to preach whatever I wanted, but now I know how to find out what the Bible is saying and how to preach that.’

As a large African country with a strong Christian community, Kenya benefits from several training initiatives for pastors and preachers, not simply the programme organised by Langham Preaching, and there is growing integration between these various projects.

Plans are underway to develop a training of trainers consultation in 2008, which will equip a small team to develop more Langham Preaching Level 1 regional training programmes supported by the local churches, and thus to extend the impact of the preaching movement around the country.

The ABC Kiswahili project launched in August of this year, starting the process for translating the entire ABC into Kiswahili. Langham Partnership International is supporting WordAlive Publishers in Nairobi who is managing the work and plans to publish in mid-2009. Langham Literature also supported the intense, hands-on training of Paul Karaimu, a key editor with the project.

“The publication of the ABC was long overdue and that it has become a vital resource for pastors, in churches, homes and theological institutions,” said David Waweru of WordAlive, who is heading up the translation project. “We have seen a trend in which many institutions purchase the commentary for their graduating classes. Many copies have also been purchased by missionaries based in Africa hoping to understand the African point of view and perspectives in the interpretation of the biblical text and contemporary issues.”

Paul Karaimu is a contributing editor/manager for the ABC Kiswahili project.

David said that the encouragement and financial support by LPI has helped to define a definite timetable on the project and get the work started. Kiswahili is the most widely spoken language in Africa with an estimated 90 million speakers; it is also among the least resourced of the major languages. The ABC Kiswahili is a long-awaited drink of cold water for Kiswahili-speaking church, as it will utterly surpass all else available.

A translation team comprised of seven people at the Masters and Ph.D. levels from both Tanzania and Kenya have started the project, including Dr. Aloo Mojola, one of the most experienced Bible translation consultants in Africa. The translation will take 20 months with plans to print in between 10,000 and 15,0000 copies in June/July 2009. There are plans to launch the translation in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in September 2009.

“The wide acclaim of the Africa Bible Commentary across the continent (and the world), the enthusiastic reception and acceptance by pastors, Bible students and Christians has given us greater boldness to have the ABC translated in Kiswahili,” said David.

David Waweru of Word Alive Publishers will head up the ABC Kiswahili project.

Several language translations are planned, including French, Portuguese, Amharic and Kiswahili, in order that most Africans can be served. LPI is partnering with Serving In Mission (SIM) to bring a Portuguese edition (which is requested also in Brazil) and an additional $50,000 investment is needed. The next opportunity for the ABC is the possible production of a Study Bible — distilling the whole ABC into notes, and setting them with the entire Scriptural text.

Read  some recent reviews of the ABC:
Amazon.com
Redcliffe College
TheologicalResearch.org (.pdf format)

(London, UK) This summer saw the publishing of 5 significant theological books which will help Arabic church leaders. The Arabic Global Christian Library consists of 5 titles including: Evangelical Truth, Hope for the World, The Human Condition, A Time for Mission and The Bible and Other Faiths.This has been an ambitious project funded by The Langham Partnership and undertaken by Dar El Thaqafa Communications House. It will not only affect the material read by laymen but will also make a significant contribution to the theological discussion amongst Arab Christian leaders and pastors in the Middle East as they engage with their local cultures.

Today, roughly 10% of the population in Egypt is Christian, the majority belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church. There is approximately half a million Christian Protestants experiencing persecution and needing leaders who are well equipped to handle the adverse situation faced by Christians today. In most of these issues faced in the Arab world, the strong evangelical vision is absent on both the theological and societal levels. Therefore, issuing and distributing books tackling these issues to theology students, scholars and a number of influential church leaders in the Arab world will help them adopt a new Christian vision which will help to develop their theological understanding. These books may also initiate debates around the issues they tackle in churches and church activities.

The Global Christian Library will be offered to the public at very low prices as well as being distributed to 500 known theology students and theologians in order to equip them with theological materials that would in turn raise their theological awareness and thereby contribute to their theological understanding.

So why this initiative? Small African publishers have suffered from under-capitalisation and an emphasis on producing materials rather than the marketing and distribution. These publishers also face the challenge of copy-editing and production quality. All this has made it difficult for the African voice to be heard by Africa, as well as by the rest of the world.

Langham Partnership wants to establish a publishing imprint that will be fully owned by 3 or 4 African publishers and run from the outset on a commercial basis with pre-press subsidies, technical expertise and training.

Most Christians would agree that the Bible provides a basis for mission. But Rev. Dr. Chris Wright, in his new book, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative, boldly maintains that that the reverse is actually true-there is, in fact, a missional basis for the Bible! The entire Bible is generated by and is all about God’s mission.

Wright contends that in order to understand the Bible, we need a missional hermeneutic of the Bible, an interpretive perspective that is in tune with this great missional theme. We need to see the “big picture” of God’s mission and how the familiar bits and pieces fit into the grand narrative of Scripture.

Beginning with the Old Testament and the groundwork it lays for understanding who God is, what he has called his people to be and do, and how the nations fit into God’s mission, Wright gives us a new hermeneutical perspective on Scripture. This new perspective provides a solid and expansive basis for holistic mission. Wright emphasizes throughout a holistic mission as the proper shape of Christian mission. God’s mission is to reclaim the world-and that includes the created order-and God’s people have a designated role to play in that mission.

Expected release: November 2006

“This marvelous book is all I hoped and expected, and more. Chris Wright has spent thirty years combining an academic involvement with the Old Testament and a commitment to God’s mission in the world. We are so fortunate to have the mature fruit of a lifetime’s reflection on the missional nature of the Bible by this outstanding teacher, scholar and missionary theologian. It threatens to revolutionize what people usually mean by the missional aspect of the Scriptures. And it also threatens to revolutionize understandings of the Scriptures by its demonstration that they are, through and through, a missional document.”
-John Goldingay, author of Old Testament Theology and professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

For a complete bibliography of the Rev. Dr. Chris Wright, click here ->>

The publisher recently emailed the cover of this book to us with the following note: “Here attached is the cover for Mr. Stott’s message to the Romans. What a book! We’re thankful to the Lord for enabling us to publish this great title! All 658 pages!”

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New Catalogs

JSM-Langham will distribute two new catalogs this year: the English and French catalogs are expanded and combined into a single publication, and the Spanish catalog is wholly new. Each catalog contains hundreds of titles of the best of evangelical study resources. JSM’s modest library grants to participating colleges enable them to obtain a few new titles each year, and our offer of 40% off retail prices plus free postage assists colleges to purchase as many additional titles as they can afford. The catalog itself is a resource appreciated by librarians as much for its quality and professional layout, as for its content and the access it provides to the best evangelical publishers.

Three hundred and seventy-six colleges benefited from the Library Grant Program this past year, and we anticipate participation increasing to more than 500 colleges across the Majority World. A letter received from the Principal of Judson Theological College in Myanmar is a typical expression of appreciation: “We highly appreciate the Langham community for your love, kindness, burden and generosity towards our college and students, for which we shall never be in position to pay back your help.”

The Spanish catalog represents a unique milestone as the first-ever catalog of study resources to make a broad list of discounted evangelical titles available to all Latin American countries. This tremendous opportunity for seminaries will be phased in to countries over the next few years. Our partner in the Spanish catalog project is Letra Viva, a network of evangelical Christian publishers in Latin America with whom we have been working for almost ten years. Beatriz Buono (Argentina) and Ian Darke (Costa Rica) have led this project to success. The new catalog provides more than 300 titles for colleges to purchase, and many of these training institutions are located in cities where there is little or no theological book distribution.

Publishing and Writing Grants

In languages where it is not possible to organize a catalog, JSM offers publishing grants to support publishing in the local languages (e.g. Swahili, Indonesian, Arabic, Chin, Ukrainian, etc.); we also offer writing grants so that national church leaders can write culturally relevant books for local pastors and students. As we watch the church grow in many parts of the Majority World, it is a blessing to come alongside the local writers and publishers who are working to make the gospel relevant in their own languages and cultures. Visit the literature section of our website to learn more.

The JSM English/French catalog is available online at www.LanghamCatalogue.org

In this next fiscal year, we have budgeted almost $200,000 for writers and publishing projects in the Majority World. Pieter Kwant, International Director of Langham Literature, says, “One of the most exciting books we are looking forward to is the Contemporary Arabic Theology (in the spirit of a systematic theology) which is being written now by 10 evangelical Arab scholars in Arabic, half of which are JSM-Langham Scholars! The first draft of this manuscript is expected in October of this year. This new book will provide the first of its kind written by Arab leaders for pastors in the Middle East.”

Some important projects include:

Your help in funding these projects is needed. By making a one-time gift or a recurring monthly gift to John Stott Ministries, pastors in the Majority World will have tools in their native tongues to help them preach and teach effectively.

It is a tough environment for pastors who have to answer questions such as, “Where was God when both of my parents died of AIDS?” or “How does God’s grace heal me when I have been abused all my life?”

At the same time, Africa is one of the most exciting places in the world to serve God’s people. More than one-third of Africa has come to Christ, and faith is growing exponentially. More than ever, pastors find themselves with the need to be well equipped for handling a continent of seekers.

Long overdue is advent of the Africa Bible Commentary (ABC), the most important tool for African pastors who need biblical, relevant support. The ABC is the first one-volume Bible commentary to be produced in Africa, for Africa, by African scholars. John Stott Ministries (JSM) partnered with the Association of Evangelicals of Africa (AEA), Serving in Mission (SIM) from South Africa, and many JSM-Langham Scholars and other African writers, to produce this much needed tool.

In production since 2001 and now available in the U.S. from Zondervan Publishing, the 2000-page commentary includes a section-by-section interpretation of the Bible as well as 70 topical articles by African men and women. The authors represent Africa’s finest theological scholars and evangelical church leaders of all denominations and nationalities from across the sub-Saharan Africa area. Contributing editors include JSM-Langham Scholars Douglas Carew, Emily J. Choge, Youssouf Dembele, Tewoldemedhin Habtu, James B Kantiok, Paul Mumo Kisau, E Kingsley Larbi, Onesimus Ngundu, James Nkansah-Obrempong, and Cyril C. Okorocha.

“The pastors in Africa have an excellent tool in their hands and this will greatly impact their congregations positively,” said Dr. Paul Mumo Kisau, former Langham scholar and Assistant Professor for Biblical Studies at Nairobi International School of Theology. Mumo contributed a commentary on the book of Acts to the ABC, based on research that he started as a Langham scholar. Langham Partners also supported Mumo with a writing grant so he could work on the commentary, and LPI’s funds continue to impact Mumo’s research. “I am most grateful to Langham and do continue to pray for this ministry,” Mumo said.

General Editor Dr. Tokunboh Adeyemo of Kenya, former General Secretary of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa for 27 years, led the commentary development to cover all books of the Bible and keep it relevant to everyday African life. “Producing the Africa Bible Commentary now is doing the right thing at the right time for the Christian Church in Africa,” said Adeyemo.

The groundbreaking resource covers universal Christian topics as well as issues that Africans most often face, including AIDS, polygamy, persecution, syncretism, widows and orphans, the role of African women, and tribalism.

“It is simple without being simplistic,” said Youssouf Dembele, contributing editor and former Langham scholar, who also noted that Africa has a scarcity of resources like the ABC. “It is just right for most of the pastors of the continent. I took it as a blessed opportunity to contribute to the edification of the church through this commentary.”

Pieter Kwant, director of the JSM-Langham Partnership International Literature program, managed the ABC project. The JSM-Langham Literature program seeks to address the lack of evangelical books available to majority world pastors, working in more than 90 countries to distribute needed biblical commentaries and reference works in the four major languages of English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. The ABC plays a crucial role in the JSM-Langham Literature program efforts to equip efficiently the pastors and church leaders of the African continent.

“Five years and one month after that first meeting the finished manuscript went to the printer and today we hold advance copies in or hand and praise God for what he has done,” said Jim Mason, Literature Consultant for Serving in Mission (SIM) International, which supported and produced the project. “My own prediction is that we will go back to printer [for the next translation] within a year.”

The ABC is now available in English, with versions in French, Amharic, Swahili, Portuguese and other languages to come in the next three years. It brings together sound doctrine and biblical accuracy from a culturally relevant perspective. As a first-time, all-African commentary, the ABC fosters hope for a unified continent and for a spiritually rejuvenated population, by means of a contextual, readable, affordable guide.

Read the Introduction by General Editor Dr. Tokunboh Adeyemo

Order the Africa Bible Commentary

Read the review by Guardian Unlimited

* Reported by SIM International, on www.sim.org

Onéas wishes to go back to Rio Grande do Sul after graduation and work with his father in the church-planting of new churches. Certainly the study books will be very helpful tools for him. Onéias never had money to invest in his personal library. When he heard of the JSM-Langham Student Basic Library(SBL) program during his junior year, he prayed and asked God for the amount to buy some of the books offered; Commentaries and Dictionaries. One of the brethren of the church, where he worked in the weekend ministry, made a commitment to give him an offering, but not until the day set for the deadline to send in the requests to JSM-Langham Literature. This brethren ended up not giving him the check.

We had already completed all the requests and had prepared to send it to the United States when Onéias rushed to the office of the Seminary with the check in hands and asked if there was still time???? And then he told us that God had given him the amount to be able to cope with the purchase of those books. We received the check, revised the Project and remitted it to JSM-Langham Literature. Later, when the books arrived at the Seminary, Onéias was radiant with “his treasure”.

Onéias will graduate this year end, December 2005. He will carry along, besides his learning, the various books that he could buy as an intern student due to his precious help from JSM-Langham Literature.

Editors Note: The Student Basic Library is one of many opportunities for students, pastors and libraries to receive grants to purchase books. This program gives a 70% discount on books for these students.

	JSM-Langham Scholar Jey Kanagaraj, who teaches at UBS in India, has written a commentary on John with a particular focus on issues raised by the Hindu context.		Craig Blomberg’s book on the Parables of Jesus has been published in Russian, with a publishing grant from JSM-Langham Literature
Other books that were made possible by JSM-Langham Literature Grants

To write a scholarly piece of work capable of earning a PhD is an achievement in itself. But to write for the ordinary Christian is another thing altogether. Of course, we want our JSM-Langham Scholars to be able to think, teach and write at the best academic level. But we also want them to make an impact at every level in the churches where they are in leadership. And one of the best ways to do that is through writing good books to help everyday believers in rapidly growing churches to understand and apply the Bible and their faith in their own language and culture.

You may have seen the article in our most recent print newsletter about Jey Kanagaraj’s new book, “The Gospel of John”. This commentary written with a particular focus on issues raised by the Hindu context is just one example of the books that are currently being worked on. Other books that are being written through the JSM-Langham writers program are listed in the table below:

These books will have a great impact on the ordinary Christian in many ways. John Stott often says “Pastors cannot preach if they can’t study and they can’t study if they don’t have books”. JSM-Langham Writers program will not only provide books for the ordinary Christian to read, but will provide books that will enable local pastors to be able to study and preach effectively to their congregations.

An average writer’s grant is approximately $9,000 and will enable a Scholar to complete the writing of one book. Can you help to make these writers grants possible? Click on the give books link to learn more about how you can become a partner with John Stott Ministries to continue to expand this vital program.

During my doctoral study in Durham, UK, I worked on the ‘mystical’ elements in John’s Gospel studying them particularly against the background of Jewish mysticism. By God’s grace, the dissertation came up to the level of publication done by Sheffield Academic Press, Sheffield, UK. This venture gave me a desire to write a commentary on John’s Gospel, because the Fourth Gospel has many ideas that are familiar to Indian mind. As I was looking for the right time to start the work, the Langham Writers Project invited Langham scholars to write books to be read particularly by intelligent lay people in the Two-Third world. I chose to write a commentary on John making it relevant to the socio-political and religious context in India with the hope that it will be read by a wider group of people in India. There had been no commentary on John earlier written solely by an Indian Christian scholar for the people of India, and this situation instigated me all the more to fill up this vacuum. Therefore I have written a commentary on John’s Gospel comparing John’s ideas, wherever possible, with the religious thoughts prevalent in India.

The commentary has been published by OM Books, Secunderabad, India, and it was released on the 21st June 2005 at the Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India. The Principal of the Seminary, Rev, Dr, Samson Parekh, released the book and got the first copy from the Mr. K.C. Joseph, the Publisher of OM Books. Dr. P.S. Jacob, who has written the foreword to the book, delivered words of felicitation.

Most of the Johannine concepts are compared with Hindu religious and philosophical thoughts in the book. The concept of incarnation is compared with the Hindu concept of avatars (the periodical appearances of gods in human form), and the ideas of “knowing” and “abiding in”, and mutual indwelling are compared to the notion of “mystical union” commonly known in India. The enlightenment motif is compared with the same motif found in Buddhism. Jesus’ saying about “truth” is compared to Gandhi’s view of “truth”. I believe that such comparative study will enable the readers in India to appreciate God’s love and truth revealed in Jesus and the manner of his relationship with human beings. The pastoral dimension of the Fourth Gospel, as found particularly in the “Good Shepherd” passage (John 10), is made relevant to churches in India. The Indian cultural practices are traced in the Gospel, particularly in chapters 11, 12 and 13, and I am sure that an Indian will feel homely when he/she reads the Gospel message.

Theologically loaded words are avoided in this commentary. Greek words are used as minimum as possible and only in places where the words are necessary to bring out the meaning correctly. This is to enable the readers to easily understand God’s love and life expressed in the Gospel. Solutions to the following issues are suggested: Does the word “water” in John 3:5 and 19:34 mean Christian baptism? Whom does Jesus refer to by “others” in 4:38? Why did Jesus heal on the Sabbath? Whom does Jesus attack in 8:31-58 – believers or unbelievers? Who is the unnamed disciple in 18:15-16 and the disciple whom Jesus loved mentioned in 13:23; etc? Why didn’t the soldiers break the legs of the crucified Jesus? Does the giving of the Holy Spirit in 20:22-23 denote the Pentecostal experience? Therefore I am sure that pastors, teachers, lay people, Christian workers, and theological students will greatly be profited by using my commentary.

I would like to express my deep gratitude and appreciation to the John Stott Ministries and Langham Partnership for giving me the needed financial aid to take Sabbatical leave and work on this commentary. I would assure all the donors and prayer partners that God has blessed your effort and that the book, the fruit of your contributions and prayers, is benefiting many within and outside India. May our Lord bless all your efforts continuously.

Jey J. Kanagaraj
Professor of New Testament
Union Biblical Seminary
Bibvewadi, PUNE 411037
Maharashtra, INDIA.

Dr. Kanagaraj was able to write this book through a grant from the Langham Writers Program. These grants provide support for evangelical scholars in the Majority World to write books to benefit the church’s in their regions. The Langham Writers Program has pledged 13 other grants to authors from 10 different countries that are writing in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.

We need your help to provide these much needed grants. If you would like to be part of making one of these books a reality, please visit our website at http://www.johnstott.org/get-involved and designate your gift to the literature program. Read Dr. Kanagaraj’s complete article on the release of this book.

The Spanish-language JSM-Langham Literature Programme is revitalized

Spanish is the language spoken by the largest number of evangelical Christians in the world, after English. The JSM-Langham Literature programme in Latin America, in Spanish and Portuguese, has been an integral part of the ministry for many years, but not on the same scale as our English and French programmes. Over the course of several visits to most of the countries in the continent, Pieter Kwant, International Programme Director of Langham Literature, and Brad Palmer, his Programme Manager with John Stott Ministries, have revised and revived the programme in some countries and introduced it in others. This is being done in full cooperation with Latin American evangelical publishers and distribution agents. A new list of books in Spanish has been chosen as the Students’ Basic Library and a new catalogue will be produced entirely in Spanish.

All of this fresh effort is greatly assisted by the formation of the Langham Partnership Regional Councils. In October 2004, representatives from most Central American countries met in El Salvador, and in April 2005, the Regional Council for South America will bring together participants from almost every other Hispanic country in Latin America. Their advice and practical cooperation will be a huge help in deciding how to continue expanding the JSM-Langham Literature programme in Spanish.

The JSM-Langham Writers programme is enabling new books to be written and published in Spanish

Dr. Dario Lopez, a JSM-Langham Scholar from Peru, and member of the South American Regional Council, has written a new book published in Spanish: ‘The Seduction of Power: Evangelicals and Politics in Peru in the Nineties’. This book was made possible with a grant from the JSM-Langham Writers program.

The JSM-Langham Preaching Programme provides Spanish translations

Chris Wright, the LPI International Ministries Director, has recently had two books translated into Spanish: Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, and Living as the People of God. Copies of these were given to all participants in the recent Preaching Seminars in Bolivia and El Salvador.

Aware that the dedicated staff workers of the Union of Evangelical Students of India (UESI) are engaged constantly in Bible teaching among Christian and non-Christian students all over India, Langham Literature made a grant which enabled each participant at their national conference to receive a set of key books – resources for studying and teaching the Bible. “A wonderful, valuable treasure,” wrote one, in expressing the thanks of all.

A gift not just for pastors

There are armies of dedicated lay people who are involved in biblical preaching and teaching who are very short of resources. A university engineering lecturer who, as part of his ministry among students for UESI, holds three Bible studies a week in his own home had a desperate need for some commentaries to help him prepare. This led to the special gift by Langham Literature to UESI workers.

The good news and the bad news…and how you can make a difference

The good news is that Langham Literature was able to make a grant of £1,200 to fund this particular need. Not a large amount in the overall perspective, but it made a big difference to the UESI staff team.

The bad news is that the particular fund from which the grant was made is scraping the bottom of the barrel. The “Special Projects Fund” enables Langham Literature to make grants outside the normal programmes that supply books to pastors and seminaries. All kinds of requests for small grants for very worthwhile projects are received. If you would like to see your donation going to special needs of this kind, please contact us for a list of special projects under consideration. Even a small amount can make a big difference when targeted in this way!

Langham Literature’s support for Lanka Bible College, in Kandy, is helping to achieve this credibility, as the following letter from its Principal, Ben Manickam, indicates. It is addressed to JSM Program Manager Brad Palmer, who is based in Philadelphia and handles the many special grant applications to our JSM-Langham Literature Program

Dear Brad,

Margot our Librarian has briefed me on your decision to help us with a grant for our library. Please accept our thanks on behalf of Lanka Bible College. This upgrade of books will help us equip our Library more for the University Validated Courses we offer. We do have an essential list of titles needed for the areas of Sociology, Philosophy of Religions, Asian Religious Thought, Education Administration etc. We will use this grant to purchase these titles from bookshops in Sri Lanka. I add below comments from a leading academic in one of our universities in Sri Lanka.

Lanka Bible College & Seminary at Peradeniya is a premier theological training institute in Sri Lanka. It caters to students from various parts of Sri Lanka as well as from abroad. The Library at the Lanka Bible College & Seminary is well equipped in many fields. As a guest lecturer in various programmes at the LBC, a researcher and a member of the public in Kandy, I am pleased to learn that the Library has been upgraded and expanded in keeping with changing academic programmes in the College and emerging intellectual interests of various users of the Library. Let me also wish that the new library facility turns into an important focal point for greater interaction between staff and students at the University of Peradeniya and Lanka Bible College & Seminary in academic and intellectual pursuits. Congratulations to the Principal, Staff and Students of Lanka Bible College on successful completion of the Library expansion project.”

This shows the growing credibility and influence of the Lanka Bible College Library in Sri Lanka. We are grateful for your continued support to Lanka Bible College that makes this possible.

Sincerely,

Ben Manickam
PRINCIPAL, LANKA BIBLE COLLEGE

]]> http://www.langhampartnership.org/2005/03/14/raising-credibility-in-sri-lanka/feed/ 0 http://www.langhampartnership.org/2005/03/14/biblical-and-systematic-theology-in-arabic/ http://www.langhampartnership.org/2005/03/14/biblical-and-systematic-theology-in-arabic/#comments Mon, 14 Mar 2005 21:13:46 +0000 admin http://lpi.dreamhosters.com/2005/03/14/biblical-and-systematic-theology-in-arabic/ There are Arab Christians in the Middle East, but there are not Christian books

It is easy to forget, in the wake of contemporary wars and tensions throughout the Middle East, that there are many Arab Christians in the region. In Egypt, there are about 8 million Coptic orthodox Christians – the largest Christian minority in the region – and almost half a million Protestants. There are significant Christian groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, among Palestinians, in Israel, and across North Africa. These groups trace their history and heritage literally back to New Testament times. Some of the early Church Fathers, such as Clement, Origen and Athanasius, lived in Alexandria – a flourishing center for biblical study for several centuries, and there is a heritage of Arab biblical scholarship going back well over a thousand years. There is, however, a great shortage of contemporary Chrisian books in Arabic – of the kind that will really strengthen biblical teaching and nurture the church.

Langham Literature is working in partnership with Christians in the region to rectify this

Working in cooperation with Eagles Group, a publishing company in Cairo, Langham Literature has helped to subsidize the translation and publication of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology in Arabic. Provided at a discount by Langham Literature, this book was eagerly bought by pastors who attended the Langham Preaching seminar in Alexandria. Eagles Group also published an Arabic adaptation of Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible. This has found a warm welcome among Coptic Orthodox pastors, as well as among the various Protestant and evangelical denominations in Egypt and other Arabic-speaking countries.

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