For years, "global south" pentecostalism has been seen as a contributor to the movement's numbers. Now it is a serious contributor to its biblical scholarship...

Oh-Young Kwon, 1 Corinthians 1–4 (Cover)

Oh-Young Kwon, 1 Corinthians 1–4: Reconstructing Its Social and Rhetorical Situation and Re-Reading It Cross-Culturally for Korean-Confucian Christians Today, Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2010, ISBN 13: 978-1-60899-432-8, pp. 316.

This book investigates 1 Corinthians 1-4 from a rhetorical and social perspective and explores that a divisive culture of rhetorical and paternal elitism lies behind the schisms and problems identified in the letter. This culture appears to have been shaped to some extent by the legacy of Cicero. Paul’s references to “boasting” and “imitation” indicate both his subversive use, and his critique, of this Greco-Roman wisdom. In the final chapter, this analysis of wisdom traditions and their social consequences among first-century Corinthians leads to a critical reflection on similar dynamics among Korean Christians in twenty-first-century Korean-Confucian culture. In particular, Korean Protestants are encouraged to take a more positive stance towards Confucian wisdom traditions (as exemplified by T’oegye’s legacy), and some insights are suggested into the ethics of imperial worship, ancestral veneration, and ethnic exclusivity.

David Parker, Reading John now and then, The Parker Study Guides #6, Macquarie Centre: APSS/ Sydney College of Divinity Press, 2010.

This is a practical, common sense book designed to help you gain confidence in reading John’s Gospel and Letters. It is for all people who want to ‘dig a little deeper’ and better understand what John wrote so many years ago.