The Calling of an Asian Biblical Scholar Rev10

Paper by Federico Villanueva, 18 July 2017 For the ATA Consultation in Malang, Indonesia

The Calling of an Asian Evangelical Scholar: A Biblical Scholar’s Perspective

Introduction: Good evening. My task is to introduce the theme of the consultation – “The Calling of an Asian biblical scholar/theologian.” Although I will be approaching our theme from the biblical studies perspective since this is my discipline, I believe what I will share will have implications to other disciplines. This is because of our belief as evangelicals in the Bible as the foundation for our faith and practice. And therefore all theologically-related disciplines should consider the Bible. Also because, as I will argue in this paper, biblical studies is not enough; it needs the other disciplines if it is to accomplish its ultimate goal. (see below).

As I begin my presentation, I would like to invite you to read with me a passage from Mark 2 on the healing of the paralytic.

And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there … (Mark 2:2-6 ESV)1

The Four Unnamed Men and Biblical Scholars It is not my intention to give a full exegetical analysis of this passage. I hope those among you who are pure blooded historical critic will bear with me. I selected this passage because I think it gives us a picture of what I imagine Asian biblical scholars ought to be.2 If we ask the question, “who are the biblical scholars in Jesus’ time?” the answer would be the scribes. The scribes are the “scholars and teachers of Scripture,”3 “the descendants and successors of the Levites from the days of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles.”4 At a time when very few people could read and write, the scribes were the educated men of their time.5 They were PhD holders. There is evidence even in the ANE that those who completed various branches of knowledge can move

1 I thank Albert Alejo, SJ, for leading me to this text (in a personal conversation). 2 Incidentally, the immediate context pertains to the calling of Levi (2:13ff.) and the calling of the Apostles (3:13ff.). For the type of reading that I do here, cf., David C. Steinmetz, “The Superiority of Pre-Critical Exegesis,” Theology Today 37, no. 1 (1980) : 27–38 and Paul Ricoeur, Interpretation Theory: Discourse and the Surplus of Meaning (Fort Worth, Texas: Texas Christian University Press, 1979). The “ultimate aim of hermeneutics,” argues Ricouer, is to “‘make one’s own’ what was previously ‘foreign’” (91). By relating the text to our context and our theme, we make this story our own. My hope is that this reading will give us insight on what it means to be an Asian biblical scholar. As Ricoeur explains, “interpretation is the process by which disclosure of new modes of being … gives to the subject a new capacity of knowing himself” (94). 3 G. H. Twelftree, “Scribes,” in Dictionary of New Testament Background, ed. Craig A Evans and Stanley E Porter (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2015), 1088. 4 Karel van der Toorn, Scribal Culture and the Making of the Hebrew Bible (Harvard University Press, 2009), 94. 5 Ibid., 53.

1 Paper by Federico Villanueva, 18 July 2017 For the ATA Consultation in Malang, Indonesia

further into specializations.6 Very few reach this stage. To be a scribe is to be part of an elite group. Van der Toorn describes this group as a “closed society of learned men.”7 This makes them a people of privilege. They are given special treatment in gatherings. Special food is prepared for them, different from the rest.8 They usually get the best seats in the room. That is why in the narrative in Mark 2, while many people are standing outside the house because there is no more space inside (they can’t even get in the door because of too many people inside), the scribes are seated in front of Jesus.

But having the best seat is not a guarantee one will be in the best position to see what God is doing or hear what God is saying. The scribes are right there in front of Jesus and yet they could not see the significance of what Jesus was doing. They are more concerned with the Law and getting it right than with the transformation that is taking place right before their very eyes.

It is ironic that in our passage it is not the biblical scholars in Jesus’ time who serve as models for biblical scholars today. Rather, it is the four unnamed men,9 those outside, those “in the margins.” It is with them that Jesus was pleased. The passage tells us that it was “when Jesus saw their faith” that the process of forgiveness and healing started to take place.

Tonight, as we reflect on our calling as evangelical scholars, I would like to invite you to look at the faith of these four men. I believe that we can learn something from them, in the same way that Jesus saw something wonderful in what they did.

Importance of Social Location One of the lessons we can learn from the narrative is the importance of one’s social location. Where we are, or what Ellacuria calls, “lugar teologo”10 (the place where we do our theologizing), matters a lot. One of the advantages of the four men was that they were close to where the needs are. The very place they were standing – outside of the house – puts them in a position where they can hear the cries of the suffering. Unlike the scribes who were seated comfortably inside the house, the four men were right there where the needs are. The text does not give us details of how the four men came to know about the paralytic. Were they neighbors to the man? Or did they just happen to be standing beside the paralytic outside while the man was crying out, “please bring me to Jesus”? Both are possible. The key thing was that they were close to where the needs are. And more importantly, they saw the need and did something to address it.

6 Ibid., 57. 7 Ibid., 66. 8 This is true especially in many parts of Asia where leaders, pastors, professors are treated highly. They are served with a special meal whenever there are gatherings. 9 Though it is the four men who carried the paralytic to Jesus, the text says that it was the people (hoi polloi) who came, who brought the paralytic. The four men represent those who showed concern to the paralytic by bringing him to Jesus. 10 Ellacuria believes that the best place to do theology is among the poor and the oppressed (Kevin F Burke, The Ground beneath the Cross: The Theology of Ignacio Ellacuría [Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2000], 104–5).

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One of the problems with scholarship in general is its tendency to distance itself from the world. I once attended a writing seminar. The speaker, who is also a biblical scholar from the West, was discussing how we can turn our academic book into a popular writing. I asked how a scholar can apply what he is learning to the realities of everyday life. His answer was revealing. Drawing an illustration of a mountain, he explained that scholars are up there in the mountain while ordinary people are down there. Pointing at the distance between the highest point of the mountain down to where the people are, he tried to bring home the point of how difficult it is for a scholar to go down to the level of ordinary people.

Although I get the point that scholars need to spend time “in a mountain” to focus on their research, I find something disturbing about the image of scholarship presented here. Images we use, like the mountain illustration, are powerful mechanisms, shaping both how we think and do things. The image of a mountain with scholars on top betrays what sociologist Bourdieu calls the “scholastic point of view.” He explains: this “‘free’ and ‘pure’ disposition … implies (active or passive) ignorance not only of what happens in the world of practice … but also of what it is to exist, quite simply, in the world.”11 It reflects the view of scholarship in and for itself. But this is not the teaching of our Lord. God has enabled us to complete our training (e.g. PhD) so that we can serve others. He has allowed us to go to Mount Transfiguration as it were, not to remain there, but so that we may go down prepared to serve others. I think the image that better captures the Christian view of scholarship is an inverted illustration of a mountain with the scholars down and the people above. Biblical scholars, theologians, all Christian scholars are servants of the Lord, called to minister to the “least of my brothers and sisters.” This is our calling as Asian evangelical scholars.

The Calling of Asian Evangelical Scholars Like the four men who brought the paralytic to Jesus we are being called to bring people and the needs around us to Jesus. God has placed us where we are so that people will be drawn to the Lord through our lives and gifts of scholarship. That is the goal of Christian scholarship. It is much bigger than publishing articles or books in prestigious publishers or being invited to lecture at Cambridge. It is to turn our writings and all our scholarship into a prayer, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” At the end of the day, the question for all of us is, are people drawn to Christ through our biblical studies, theologizing, scholarly work, etc.?

This calling is not something new. We know this very well. But learning it is a process and it could be painful. I remember when I returned to my country after completing my PhD.12 I didn’t know that my seminary was encountering serious problems. My dean during that time, Dr. Theresa Lua, opted not to tell me what was happening so that I would not be disturbed from my study. It was only when I returned that I came to know about these problems. In one year, ten faculty members resigned. There was a 40% drop in the enrollment for 2-3 consecutive years and the situation was not improving. When somebody from the Registrar’s office saw me, she said, “You are now a world class scholar, but our seminary is ‘no class,’ sayang (oh what a loss).” She was just trying to make a joke, which is what Filipinos do when we are confronted with problems. But no matter how hard we try to smile and make jokes, the situation in the seminary

11 Pierre Bourdieu, Pascalian Meditations (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2006), 15. 12 I did my PhD at Trinity College, University of Bristol, under Professor Gordon Wenham.

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was getting serious. One time, we were informed that we would not have our salary the following month. Where would I get the money to pay for our food, house rent, my children’s education, etc.?

So, I was forced to take on other jobs. I found myself leading a Bible study among government employees in the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) every Tuesday during lunch break. I preached every Sunday in churches, sometimes up to four times, so I could support my family. I taught a discipleship training class on Sunday afternoons in a church. It was good, but it was not what biblical scholars would call “scholarly.” One of my students didn’t even know how to read and write. I began asking myself, why am I here? Is this the reason why I did my PhD? I wished I was teaching in a prestigious university, presenting papers at SBL. My self-esteem went down. But it was during my struggles that I heard the words of Jesus in my heart: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”13

The Calling Amidst Challenges and needs in Asia This is our calling as Asian evangelical scholars. This calling comes in the midst of many challenges and needs. (One of the things we will be focusing on in this consultation are the challenges facing Asian evangelicals today.) Let me briefly mention three challenges we face in Asia.

The first is the fact that Christianity remains a minority in Asia comprising only 2-3%. It is also viewed as “Western.” There is therefore the need to show that Christianity and the Bible is not Western but Asian. Though many in Asia do not know the Bible, it has many similarities with Asian cultures (e.g. communal emphasis, spirituality, poverty, etc.).14 I think biblical scholars have a lot to contribute in this regard since they are the experts in the Bible. They could help in showing the relevance of the Bible in the Asian contexts.

Another challenge for Asian evangelical scholars comes from the change in what is now called “world Christianity.” A hundred years ago, more than 80 percent of Christians lived in the West. At present, though Christianity is a minority in Asia, the number of Christians now outnumber those in North America by over 100 million.15 This has implications for who does theology. In the past those in the West were the ones who did theology for their context. But now with the change in Christian demography those in Asia are supposed to be the ones doing theology for

13 Eventually, the Lord opened the way for me to serve as ATA publications secretary and general editor of the Asia Bible Commentary series. But I will never forget that precious lesson. 14 Philip P. Chia, “Biblical Studies in the Rising Asia: An Asian Perspective on the Future of the Biblical Past,” Sino-Christian Studies, no. 12 (December 1, 2011): 53, writes: “Whatever happened in Asia historically or in modern time, the bible has very little role or place in its development, given the fact that most of Asian do not have a Christianity origin in their social culture and that the bible remains a foreign imperial object … However, the biblical past has a lot of similarity with the Asian experience historically, from ethnic tribalism to federalism, international and domestic migration, ‘river’ cultures, empire relations, to name just a few.” 15 Todd M. Johnson and Brian J. Grim, The World’s Religions in Figures: An Introduction to International Religious Demography (Malden, Mass.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013), 12–13.

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their own contexts.16 One of the marks of a mature church is self-theologizing.17 And since theology is founded on the Bible, I imagine that biblical scholars would play an important role in helping develop contextual theology in the region.

We are also confronted with the needs around us, foremost of which is the problem of poverty and related problems like Climate change. Our global community now acknowledges that “science without a robust morality” will fail.18 Theology has much to offer because of the “fact that the contemporary crisis has a profoundly ethical origin.”19 Biblical scholars too should be able to contribute towards the development of a biblical ethical vision.

Unfortunately, Asian biblical scholars are confronted with problems that hinder us from fulfilling our calling.

Problems Among Asian Biblical Scholars/Theologians Western modern biblical studies The view of a biblical scholar as it has come down to us from the time of the Enlightenment neither sees contextualizing the Bible for today nor theologizing as part of the biblical scholar’s task. The idea of the Bible for transformation is out of the question. Such tasks are reserved for pastors and theologians. In a famous historical event that would have repercussions through much of the 20th century, Gabler proposed that biblical studies be divorced from dogmatic theology.20 Czövek notes: “Ever since Johann Philipp Gabler’s influential address … in 1787, biblical studies have been different, and at the same time, in a different predicament than before.”21 From that point on, the task of the biblical scholar was confined to “what the text meant.” “What the text means” lay outside the scope of the biblical scholar’s mission.

The Enlightenment period was also a time when anti-Church sentiments were strong. Biblical scholars insisted on being freed from church authority and formal dogmas of the church.22 That is why the famous Julius Wellhausen had to resign from a theological faculty. Writing to the Prussian Minister of Culture on April 5, 1882, Wellhausen explains:

16 I tried to develop this in my paper elsewhere see Federico G. Villanueva, “The Challenge of Asian Biblical Interpretation Today,” Journal of Asian Evangelical Theology, n.d., 2014. 17 According to Hwa Yung, the Asian evangelicals have not made much progress in terms of “self- theologizing” (Yung Hwa, “Kingdom Identity and Christian Mission,” Mission Round Table 4, no. 2 (2008): 2–11). 18 Istvan Pasztori-Kupan, “A Growing Need for a Common Moral Vision: A Cry for Humble Co-Operation between Theology and Other Disciplines,” in In Academia for the Church: Eastern and Central European Theological Perspectives, ed. Ábrahám Kovács and Zoltán S Schwáb (United States: Langham Creative Projects : Made available through hoopla, 2016), 70. 19 Ibid., 73. 20 Moberly, “Biblical Hermeneutics and Ecclesial Responsibility,” 140. 21 Tamás Czövek, “History and Theology: Johann Philipp Gabler’s Legacy in Biblical Studies,” in In Academia for the Church: Eastern and Central European Theological Perspectives, ed. Ábrahám Kovács and Zoltán S Schwáb (United States: Langham Creative Projects : Made available through hoopla, 2016), 6. 22 As McCarthy notes, “since the rise of the historical-critical method, biblical exegesis has … enjoyed a certain independence from an ecclesial setting.” (McCarthy, Michael Cornelius. “An Ecclesiology of Groaning: Augustine, the Psalms, and the Making of Church.” Theological Studies 66, no. 1 (March 2005), 24).].

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I became a theologian because the scientific treatment of the Bible interested me; only gradually did I come to understand that a professor of theology also has the practical task of preparing the students for service in the Protestant Church, and that I am not adequate to this practical task, but that instead despite all caution on my own part I make my hearers unfit for their office.23

This explains why biblical studies in seminaries tend to be divorced from Church life. Reflecting on his own experience as a student at Cambridge, British evangelical biblical scholar Walter Moberly writes: “To the best of my memory, lectures in the divinity faculty gave little or no help with the question of what one should do with the fruits of one’s biblical scholarship in the context of contemporary Christian faith.”24 The experience of a Catholic biblical scholar is no different. Sandra Schneiders, I.H.M., relates her experience while studying in Rome. She asked her OT professor, what implication, if any, does the view that the Bible is inspired have for the interpretation of the text. The response was “Rien de tout” (none at all).25

This is not confined in the West but is also true here in Asia. I remember one student from our seminary in Manila once asked our New Testament Professor how we will apply what we just learned to the pastoral ministry. The answer was, “Ask the Practical Theology professor.”26 Just recently (2016) I attended the SBL International meeting in Korea. One Korean lady presented a paper on the topic “biblical studies in South Korea.” She mentioned the tragedy that occurred in 2014 when the Sewoll Ship sunk and killed more than 300 students. Sensing the need for biblical scholars to reflect on the incident, she called for papers. Sadly, according to her, not one biblical scholar came up with an article or a reflection paper. During the Q&A I asked why that is, and she explained that this is because biblical scholars view their task simply as descriptive, which she believes reflects the Western view.27 I’m glad that in this Consultation we have a Korean biblical scholar who will share his own reflections on the Sewoll tragedy (Koowon Kim this Thursday). But there is still much to be done.

23 Rudolf Smend, “Julius Wellhausen and His Prolegomena to the History of Israel,” Semeia, 1982, 6. Cited in John J Collins, The Bible after Babel: Historical Criticism in a Postmodern Age (Grand Rapids, Mich. [u.a.: Eerdmans, 2010), 6. 24 Moberly, “Biblical Hermeneutics and Ecclesial Responsibility,” 134. 25 Sandra Marie Schneiders, The Revelatory Text: Interpreting the New Testament as Sacred Scripture (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991), 2. She has made contributions to address this problem. See Sandra Marie Schneiders, “From Exegesis to Hermeneutics: The Problem of the Contemporary Meaning of Scripture,” Horizons 8, no. 1 (1981): 23–39. Sandra M. Schneiders I.H.M., “Freedom: Response and Responsibility: The Vocation of the Biblical Scholar in the Church,” in Whither Creativity, Freedom, Suffering?: Humanity, Cosmos, and God, ed. A. Eigo and S. E. Fittipaldi (Villanova, PA.: Villanova: University Press, 1981), 25–52. 26 The purely academic study became more evident when I submitted my PhD thesis for publication. My thesis includes an application to the church, for it was my own experiences as a pastor in Manila that led me to do a research on the lament psalms. Unfortunately, though BRILL has accepted the book they told me to delete the application part. Thankfully, an opportunity opened for me to develop the deleted application to the Church. See Rico G Villanueva, It’s OK to Be NOT OK: The Message of the Lament Psalms (Manila: OMF Literature, 2012). My thesis was published as Federico G. Villanueva, The “Uncertainty of a Hearing”: A Study of the Sudden Change of Mood in the Psalms of Lament, Supplements to Vetus Testamentum (Leiden: Brill, 2008). 27 In the same seminar, a scholar from China presented a paper on the “State of Biblical Studies in China.” In her paper, Huang Wei defined biblical studies as “an autonomous and secular discipline.”

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One of the realities of Asian scholars in general is that most, if not all of us, have received our training from the West.28 Thus, it is inevitable that we will be influenced by the West. That is why although our theme is on the calling of Asian biblical scholars, there is a need to discuss Western biblical studies and its effects on us.

But it is not enough simply to be aware of the influences we inherited. We need to critically evaluate the training we received, especially in the light of the challenges confronting us in Asia. As I noted above, we are confronted with big challenges. Korean biblical scholar Kyung Sook Lee believes that perhaps one reason for the failure of Western Christianity is that it “could not provide any meaningful answers to people’s spiritual searches.” She thinks a “similar future awaits Asian Biblical Studies if we cannot breathe in new life and hope through our interpretation of the Bible.”29 There is a need therefore for more work on the part of Asian evangelical scholars. But where are the Asian evangelical scholars? It is mostly those who do not regard the Bible as the Word of God who are producing writings.30 Evangelical scholars are very busy doing administrative work, travelling, teaching, but not doing any research. There are those who manage to do some research. But they usually write on issues which have nothing to do with the issues confronting us in Asia. They are like the young people of today. They are with you in the room, and are even eating with you on the same table, but they are texting someone else or chatting their friends in other parts of the globe!31

28 The same thing is true with other disciplines. From the Psychology discipline see Jaime C Bulatao, Phenomena and Their Interpretation: Landmark Essays, 1957-1989 (Manila: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1992). He writes: “most of us, founders of the Psychological Association of the Philippines, obtained our academic degrees in the United States” (307). 29 Kyung Sook Lee, “Wandering in the Wilderness: Asian Biblical Studies” (paper, SABS Conference, Korea, July 2, 2016). If you look at many of the Bible commentaries produced in the West, you will observe that theology is insufficient. See Czövek, “History and Theology: Johann Philipp Gabler’s Legacy in Biblical Studies.” He cites the East-German Theologischer Handkommentar zum Neuen Testament series and the Word Biblical Commentary series as examples. On the latter he writes: “It leaves room for theological reflection but contributors do not or cannot pay sufficient attention to this” (9). Cf. Tim Meadowcroft, “Review Article: Theological Commentary: A Diversifying Enterprise,” Journal of Theological Interpretation 7 (2013): 133–51. 30 See R. S Sugirtharajah, Voices from the Margin: Interpreting the Bible in the Third World (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis/SPCK, 1995); Archie C. C. Lee, “Cross-Textual Hermeneutics and Identity in Multi-Scriptural Asia,” in Christian Theology in Asia, ed. Sebastian C. H Kim (Cambridge, UK; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008), 179–204. 31 It is not wrong to engage with global scholarship. In fact, we need that. The problem is we do not talk with one another. We don’t even read each other’s’ writings, not to mention quote them. It’s always Western books that fill our libraries and reading time. We do not engage among ourselves or with our Asian contexts. Almost forty years ago, Dr. Athyal has already called for scholars in the majority world to talk to each other: “Christians in these three continents [Asia, Africa, Latin America] share several experiences and aspirations in common, and it will be increasingly fruitful and rewarding to all if they strengthen their mutual ties and find more opportunities to learn one from another” (Saphir F. Athyal, “Toward an Asian Christian Theology,” in What Asian Christians Are Thinking: A Theological Source Book, ed. Douglas J Elwood (Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 1976), 83). We are thankful that consultations such as this is already taking place. We pray that more of this will take place and that it will bear fruit.

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Overspecialization and division of labor We do not talk with each other. We seldom, if ever, cite or quote each other’s work, only the works of Western scholars. Those in different disciplines do not relate to one another either. An Asian Christian leader shared to me how a seminary faculty member came to him seeking advice. The faculty member told him how excellent the faculty members are in his seminary. Everyone is very good in his/her own discipline. So good, he said, that it is already dysfunctional, for they no longer talk to each other.

This is the second problem besetting us – overspecialization and division of labor. This is true of disciplines outside theology. Bourdieu talks about the division between historians, economists, sociologists, which I think is similar to the division between the biblical scholar, theologian, etc. But we know “how artificial” these divisions are. What they do is simply “to legitimize the limits of competency: this is to say that they function in the manner of a social censorship, liable to forbid us to grasp a truth which resides precisely in the relations between realms of practice thus arbitrarily separated.”32 When we are confined within our own discipline our knowledge of reality becomes limited. This hinders us from fulfilling our calling. Worse, the people of God suffer as a result. As Sandra Schneiders puts it: this neat division of labour among exegetes, theologians, and pastors … did not work well in practice. The pastor, who was handling the business end of the biblical ‘hose,’ was often ill-equipped to understand the highly speculative work of the theologian and even less equipped to follow the exegetical work of the biblical scholar. There was an increasing disconnect between biblical scholarship, which the pastor was unable to handle, and the People of God thirsting for the abundant water of life flowing from the Word of God.33

Towards a “Hermeneutical Community” If we are to fulfil our calling, we need what we call a “hermeneutical community.” No one scholar can do the task alone. We need to learn how to work together. If it took four people to carry the paralytic to Jesus, how much more us? Biblical studies is important but it is not enough. So is theology. These two have to learn to work together. As Jeanrond writes: “It simply does not make sense that theologians today are not actively engaged in studying the primary texts of their traditions, while their biblical colleagues are on the whole not involved in discussing the intellectual, cultural, political, social and ecclesial context in which the textual objects of their study could play a transformative role.”34

But even the partnership between biblical studies and theology is not enough if it is to accomplish its goal. It has to include other disciplines as well.35 For if indeed as evangelicals, we

32 Pierre Bourdieu and Loïc J. D Wacquant, An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992), 28. 33 Sandra M. Schneiders, “Biblical Interpretation: The Soul of Theology,” Australian Biblical Review 58 (January 1, 2010): 76. 34 Werner G. Jeanrond, “After Hermeneutics : The Relationship between Theology and Biblical Studies,” in Open Text (London: SCM Pr, 1993), 99. 35 Jean Lee, “Relevant Theology: Contextual, Communal, and Interdisciplinary,” in What Young Asian Theologians Are Thinking, ed. Theng Huat Leow, 2014, 103–14.

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“affirm our confidence in the primacy and sufficiency of the transforming Word of God in every context in Asia” and believe that “[i]n the midst of suffering, the Word of God heals and unites the social diversity, religious plurality and political realities of Asia, restoring dignity to women and men created in the image,”36 then the theological disciplines will not be enough. We will need the help of other disciplines like the social sciences.37 For we are concerned with the total transformation of humanity and our environment. One of the limitations of biblical studies is that it tends to be limited in the world of the text – behind and within the text. To fulfil our calling, we need to learn not just how to exegete the biblical text but also our respective contexts. The contribution of the social sciences is that they help us with the latter.38

The following model, called “Pastoral Circle,” adapted by Filipino Anthropologist Albert Alejo, SJ, provides a good idea for how the hermeneutical community can work together.39 It has four components, following the acronym DARE: Data, Analysis, Reflection, and Engagement. The component on “Reflection” is where biblical studies, theology come in. But the other three are no less important. Often, we theologize without data from the ground. Thus, the lack of relevance. And worse, there is no engagement (Action).

ANALYSIS

DATA REFLECTION

ENGAGEMENT REF TA

Lynd’s proposal from the field of the social sciences can be applied to biblical studies and the other Christian disciplines, including Practical Theology. He suggests that the different

36 This affirmation comes from the “Letter to the Churches” drafted and signed by the participants of the ATA Theological Consultation held in Malaysia in 2012. See Bruce Nicholls, Julie Belding, and Joseph Too Shao, Light for Our Path: The Authority, Inspiration, Meaning and Mission of Scripture (Manila, Philippines: Asia Theological Association, 2013), 11. 37 Writing in response to articles by Asian theologians, William Dyrness sees that “theology done in Asia today will be produced in conversation with the social sciences” (William Dyrness, “Listening to Asian Voices, Discerning and Asian Voice,” in What Young Asian Theologians Are Thinking, ed. Theng Huat Leow [Singapore: Trinity Theological College, 2014], 143). Asian theologian Jean Lee points out that the social sciences and theology “actually share a very fundamental common interest in the nature and activities of humankind, and the interactions among human persons who make up society” (Lee, “Relevant Theology: Contextual, Communal, and Interdisciplinary,” 109). For a good resource on how theology and the social sciences can work together, see John Swinton and Harriet Mowat, Practical Theology and Qualitative Research (London: SCM, 2006). 38 When I wrote my commentary on the book of Lamentations for the Asia Bible Commentary series, one of the things that helped me was the Anthropological work of Karl Gaspar on the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. See Federico Villanueva, Lamentations: A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary (S.l.: Langham Global Library, 2016); Karl M. Gaspar, Desperately Seeking God’s Saving Action: Yolanda Survivors’ Hope Beyond Heartbreaking Lamentations (Quezon City, Philippines: Institute of Spirituality in Asia, 2014). 39 Unpublished article.

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disciplines “be supplemented and in part replaced by a series of specific problem-areas on which workers with all types of relevant specialized training and technique would be cooperatively engaged.”40 In our case, we can identify the challenges confronting us and then let those from the different disciplines contribute towards addressing the issue. This is what we will try to do in this Consultation.

The Call to be “Creative” The task before us is huge. We need one another and we need all the resources available. Going back to the four men, when they were confronted with a need, they not only worked together, they also used all the tools and resources they could muster – a bed, stairs, rope, etc. And when they realized they could not bring the man through the usual channels, they became ‘creative.’41 They made a hole in the roof, where they could lower down the paralytic.

I think Asian evangelical scholars also need to be ‘creative.’ There are times when we may need to be prepared to destroy parts of a roof to accomplish the task before us. But note: the four men did not destroy the whole structure, only a portion of the roof!

Thankfully, the task is not ours alone. After the men lowered the man to Jesus, their task is done. It’s Jesus’ turn to heal the man and deal with the scribes. Our calling as Christian scholars is to draw people to Christ. It is not our job to do the healing or transformation. That is God’s task. We are not alone. God is with us!

40 Robert Staughton Lynd, Knowledge for What? The Place of Social Science in American Culture (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1939), 166. 41 That is one blessing of having limited or no resources – it makes you creative.

10 Paper by Federico Villanueva, 18 July 2017 For the ATA Consultation in Malang, Indonesia

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