Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Crux Sola: Formed by Scripture to Live like Christ

Home
Evangelical
Athena E. Gorospe (Asian Theological Seminary): 30 OT/HB Scholars to Read and Follow

Athena E. Gorospe (Asian Theological Seminary): 30 OT/HB Scholars to Read and Follow

Last updated on: October 14, 2020 at 7:33 am by Nijay Gupta

Athena E. Gorospe (Asian Theological Seminary): 30 OT/HB Scholars to Read and Follow 2020-10-14T07:33:56-08:00 Nijay Gupta

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Athena E. Gorospe, Associate Professor, Biblical Studies (Chair), Director of PhD in Contextual Theology Program, Asian Theological Seminary, Manila, Philippines

Why do you love teaching and researching about the OT/HB?

For me, the whole Scripture is life—it gives life to me, to God’s people, to the world. This is the main reason why I continually drink from the well that never dries up and have a lifelong commitment to teach Scripture to others. One of the great joys of teaching is seeing students’ eyes light up as they gain insight from working closely with the biblical text.

Athough I love the whole Scripture, the Old Testament (or First Testament) has a special place because I can never understand the Second without the First. Moreover, the message of life in the First Testament is conveyed amidst concrete human realities and frailties. It does not gloss over economic bondage, oppression and poverty, violence and abuse of women, environmental degradation, sickness and death. The variety of materials and settings in the First Testament and the diverse expressions of spirituality mean that there is always something that I can draw from as I face a contemporary challenge or issue.

What is one “big idea” in your scholarship?

I see my work as a practice of discernment. First, it is discerning what God has to say through the Word, but this happens in a methodological way as one tries to understand what is going on in the text from the viewpoint of its own world and the world of the story, yet seeing points of connection due to common human experiences or to more particular cultural resonances.

Second, it is discerning my social world. This goes beyond general knowledge but involves immersion in the world of the vulnerable and understanding the factors that lead to their suffering with the use of the social sciences.

But the third is the most challenging. It is discerning the appropriate match between the biblical text and our social world. Much harm has resulted because certain parts of Scripture are applied to the wrong context. I think this kind discernment—in terms of being able to see which Scripture is appropriate or inappropriate in relation to a certain context—is developed only through wisdom borne out of experience and through the consistent practice of the spiritual disciplines.

Who is one of your academic heroes and why do you admire them?

I keep going back to the works of Paul Ricoeur. His narrative theory has shaped the way I read and teach biblical stories, especially on how the act of reading can lead to the refiguration (or transformation) of real flesh-and-blood readers, and not just the hypothetical implied reader. His book on memory and history makes me reflect on why certain countries, even with a Christian background, are susceptible to authoritarian regimes. But in terms of people I actually know, my PhD mentor, John Goldingay, is a leading light because of the way he integrates academic integrity and rigor with a deep spirituality and an unapologetic confessional Christian faith.

Check out Goldingay’s Introduction to the Old Testament

What books were formative for you when you were a student? Why were they so important and shaping?

I have already mentioned Ricoeur’s works as having lasting impact. But a book that has helped me recognized a shift that is taking place in scholarship is Brueggemann’s Theology of the Old Testament. It gives me hope that even though I live and do my work in a country lacking in academic resources and networks, with not much space for writing and research, there is still something I can contribute as a voice from the margins.

There has been a shift in the portrayal of God to more negative images in the past 2-3 decades (e.g., divine violence). While I acknowledge that these images are there in the biblical text, Terence Fretheim’s The Suffering of God provides a needed balance—an image that can accompany us in a world full of suffering and death. Another book is Claus Westermann’s Elements of Old Testament Theology, which emphasizes blessing as distinct from God’s saving action. The theme of blessing helps me to discern God’s presence in the daily life, when no dramatic divine interventions are happening, and in the plurality of cultures in Asia, where Christianity is a minority. As a companion to my spiritual journey, I have often turned to Charles Ringma’s Dare to Journey.

Read Gorospe’s Work

Judges for the Asia Bible Commentary

How Long, O Lord?: The Challenge and Promise of Reconciliation and Peace

Narrative and Identity: An Ethical Reading of Exodus 4, which is an interdisciplinary work that spans Ricoueur’s narrative theory, the Old Testament and Ethics, and Migration Studies.

If you ran into me at SBL, and you didn’t want to talk about OT/HB studies, what would you want to talk about?

Something that has come to my attention recently is the South Korean boy band BTS, whose debut single released during the pandemic broke the Guinness Record for the most number of music video views on YouTube in 24 hrs (over100 million). I checked them out and I realized why Millennials and Generation-Z are drawn to them.

This makes me reflect on how the fruits of our scholarship can touch and shape the next generation. Aside from the fact that they are Asians who have made their mark on the world stage while singing in their native language, their songs authentically touch human experience, but also give glimpses of healing. Moreover, they try to be diverse—incorporating an African beat and dance in one of their songs, a Latino phrase in another— while still being rooted in their own identity.

What is a research/writing project you are working on right now that you are excited about?

I am finishing another commentary on Judges for the Story of God commentary (Zondervan). I have just finished an article, “When Disaster Strikes: Lament, Liminality, and Living in the In-Between,” for a Covid response book entitled To Whom Shall We Go: Faith Responses in a Time of Crisis (Cascade). Apart from that, I am also contributing an essay on Creation Care for an Asian Christian Ethics book, and also one on “Exodus and Liberation” for Exploring the Old Testament in Asia, both by Langham Literature, which intentionally publishes works by scholars from the Majority World. I am happy that we now have enough writers from Asians who live in Asia to produce a volume that would speak to Asians. However, what I am particularly wrestling with right now is how to respond biblically and theologically to the “weaponization of the law,” that is, how law is used by states around the world to oppress its own people.

30 OT HB Scholars to Read and Follow

Previous Post

October 14, 2020

Ambrose University Downey Lecture 1 (Oct 14): "Strange Religion": Livestream Link

Next Post

October 15, 2020 Matthew Schlimm (Univ. of Dubuque Seminary): 30 OT/HB Scholars to Read and Follow

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category (Mis)Understanding Philippians 10 Things I Can't Live Without 2023 New Books 30 OT HB Scholars to Read and Follow 5 Books Series 50-2-Follow Academia Christian Theologians to Read and Follow Cruciform Scripture: Contributor Reflections Crux Sola TV Editors Behind Great Books in NT Studies Education Gendering the Holy Spirit Gupta FB Live Lectures In Faith and Doubt In Their Own Words Living the King Jesus Gospel My Top 6 OT Commentaries New Testament Resource Guide New Word Biblical Themes Nijay's A Very Library Christmas Shopping Guide Notes from an Editor Notes on New Books NTRG OT in the NT Paul Seminary Now The Bible in God's World The Word Felt Among Us SPENCER Translating Philippians Uncategorized Why I Use Accordance Women in Ministry

Select a Month March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz