BOOKS PUBLISHED
Doing Theology in the Philippines(©2005)
Published by OMF Literature
Status: Out of print
Fourteen thought-provoking chapters.
Fourteen contributors, each with a sense of urgency about doing theology that is Filipino.
“Doing Theology in the Philippines is an invaluable resource that will help us toward a firmer grasp of Filipino theology as it is now, and equip us in the work of its continuous development. These essays clearly convey the exigency of contextualizing both our theology and our ministry if we are to effectively minister to people and impact them with the gospel.
A wealth of insights from which any serious student (or teacher) of God’s Word can benefit…”
Bishop Efraim M. Tendero
National Director, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC)
“While traditional systematic theology is essential, organizing biblical material into a coherent whole, it hardly deals with practical issues and challenges faced by local believers. Merely passing on ‘packaged theology’ does little good to the recipients. In contrast, doing theology, as an effort to reflect on the life-situation of the church in the light of the Christian faith, helps believers define and relevantly apply God’s truth to their situation. The contributors of the 14 essays in Doing Theology in the Philippines are ardent lovers of the Bible, mature Christian thinkers and keen students of the local culture.”
Dr. Rodrigo D. Tano
Dean, Asia Graduate School of Theology-Philippines
Naming the Unknown God(©2006)
Published by OMF Literature
Status: Out of print
Twelve chapters.
Thirteen contributors.
One goal: name God in a kaleidoscope of cultures, religions, and persuasions.
Naming the Unknown God moves us beyond addressing the issue of Doing Theology in the Philippine Context to considering how we can sensitively and effectively dialogue and live among people of different faiths within and beyond Philippine borders. I am confident that you will be enriched and challenged by these carefully selected resources from the Conference, reflecting dialogical-theological explorations on a variety of interreligious themes.
Bishop Cesar V. Punzalan III
OIC President, Asian Theological Seminary
Vice Chairman, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC)
ExeCom Member, PCEC Interfaith Commission
The doing of theology requires attentiveness to the Gospel and human experience. This is what undergirds and unites the essays in this collection. The authors explore in different ways how faith in Jesus Christ and context interact with each other, given the imperatives of the former and the demands of the latter. But all agree that it must be done in and through genuine dialogue. The volume stands as a witness to the dynamism of Christianity in Asia.
Jose M. de Mesa
Professor of Applied Systematic Theology and
University Fellow at De La Salle University-Manila
Principalities and Powers: Reflections in the Asian Context(©2007)
Published by OMF Literature
Status: Out of print
Twelve chapters, twelve contributors, seeking to understand the shadowy world of demons and spirits in light of the Christian faith.
Here’s a rare anthology from Asian Christians on a critical topic, a much-needed, wide-ranging discussion on the principalities and powers from Philippine and other Asian-based authors. Truly a great benefit to the churches.
Bishop Efraim M. Tendero
National Director, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC)
We thank God for this timely book for all Christians. While we wrestle against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world, we come with the needed weapons. May this book aid us further with biblical truth and discernment against the powers!
Bishop Daniel A. Balais
National Chairman, Intercessors for the Philippines (IFP)
It is hard to overstate the importance of this book. Asian Christians confront religious issues vital to Christians everywhere. This will surely contribute to our growing up into Christ in all things.
William Dyrness
Professor of Theology and Culture
Fuller Theological Seminary
Pasadena, California
The Church and Poverty in Asia (©2008)
General Editor: Dr. Lee Wanak
Published by OMF Literature
Status: Out of print
Thirteen chapters, eighteen contributors, looking to find ways to fill the hungry with good things and make the Gospel truly Good News to the poor.
The Church and Poverty in Asia is an excellent resource on the theology and practice of ministry among the poor. The whole book is a gem—thoughtful, practical contributions from seasoned theologians, cultural exegetes, Bible teachers and urban poor workers.
Bishop Efraim M. Tendero
National Director, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC)
The Church and Poverty in Asia is a unique resource for those searching for creative and innovative approaches to filling the hungry with good things. These scholars and practitioners provide biblical, theological, economic, cultural, psychological, educational, practical and historical reflections on demonstrating God’s compassionate care, tempered justice and wise counsel in transforming the face of the vulnerable.
Dr. Corrie De Boer
Chairperson, Missions Ministries Philippines (MMP)
Poverty still chains millions of people to hunger, illness, ignorance and personal underdevelopment. How should this disturbing reality figure in Christian theology and work? Informed by solid biblical scholarship and sensitive social awareness, this book articulates many voices of poverty and proposes exciting challenges.
Pastor Ed Lapiz
Day by Day Christian Ministries
The Earth is the Lord’s: Reflections on Stewardship in the Asian Context (©2011)
General Editors: Dr. Timoteo D. Gener and Dr. Adonis Abelard O. Gorospe
Published by OMF Literature
Available at: Asian Theological Seminary
Thirteen chapters, twenty contributors, seeking to define God’s mandate for humanity regarding His creation amidst global environmental and financial crisis.
Publishing this collection of essays thus meets the need of the hour. All throughout, stewardship served as the biblical-theological justification for responsibility towards creation as well as governance, handling capital, and the uplift of the marginalized.
Dr. Timoteo D. Gener
Associate Dean of Faculty
Asian Theological Seminary
This book offers a more holistic and satisfying path towards environmental conservation and management. It challenges the Christian to fulfill the creation mandate to till the garden and keep it. But this book goes beyond environmental stewardship as it also covers financial stewardship and effective leadership. I challenge you to read this book with an open mind. But be warned: Your lifestyle may be transformed!
Dr. Rodel D. Lasco
Senior Scientist, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
Pastor, Trinity Bible Church, San Pablo City
Walking with God: Christian Spirituality in the Asian Context (©2014)
General Editors: Dr. Charles Ringma& Karen Hollenbeck-Wuest
Published by OMF Literature
Status: Out of print; available in e-book format at Amazon.com (www.amazon.com)
Christian spirituality is a topic of great interest in our contemporary world as many people are seeking to find sustainable life values and practices. This is particularly so in the Asian context, with its profound religious traditions and its integration of spirituality into every dimension of life. What is striking in this volume is that the practices of prayer and meditation are not simply discussed within the frame of a personal spirituality, but also in its outworking in the social arena. Here is a spirituality that is shown to have relevance for culture, natural disasters, persecution, and poverty. In these pages, you will find discussions on prayer and ecology, spirituality and the social sciences, the journey of “the dark night of the soul,” and the relevance of the Medieval Christian mystics for present-day Asian Evangelicals.
Not only is this volume enhanced by the contribution of two outstanding scholars, Dr. John Goldingay from Fuller in the USA and Dr. Simon Chan from Trinity in Singapore, but it also offers the voices of many practitioners who, in ministering to human needs and crises, demonstrate the healing dimensions of Christian spirituality.
This volume for the Asian world will be a rich resource for scholars, clergy, students, and the laity. In this book, you will drink from deep wells which will nourish your soul, and it will also encourage you into the spiritual practices of social transformation and the work of justice.
God at the Borders: Globalization, Migration and Diaspora(©2015)
General Editors: Charles R. Ringma, Karen Hollenbeck-Wuest, & Athena E. Gorospe
Published by OMF Literature
Available at: Asian Theological Seminary; also available in e-book format at Amazon.com (www.amazon.com)
The ATS 2014 Theological Forum topic ‘God at the Borders: Globalization, Migration and Diaspora’ bristles with relevance. Millions of people are on the move due to war, natural disasters, and ever-changing global economic realities. At the same time, our connected world means that the teaching and ministry of a church in New York or Nairobi can be available to church leaders in Manila or Shanghai on the same day. Courses in London can be accessed by students in Kuala Lumpur, and lecturers from the world’s top universities are at one’s computer fingertips.
But the connections go much deeper in the forms of trade, cultural exchange, and political maneuvering. This has created both uncertainty and opportunity in our world. And with millions of people on the move, the face of Christianity is changing. In Barcelona, for example, more Filipinos, and those from other parts of Asia, attend church than the citizens of this amazing city.
This volume tackles the challenges of this new global world from biblical, theological, and missional perspectives. It highlights the missional opportunities of a world on the move as people relocate and seek to find ‘home,’ and hopefully, home with God and the community of faith. Also, it recognizes that much of the biblical story if one of God being with His people in transition and on the move. God is indeed the Migrant God. And it acknowledges that our theologizing can’t be static but dynamic as we seek to re-appropriate the long wisdom of the church for ever-changing times and contexts.
But there are also ‘dark’ clouds on the horizons of globalization. This world is not marked by equality and equal opportunity. Exploitation and exclusion continue, thus the challenge for ‘push-back’ remains. This calls us to become an ever more flexible and discerning faith community willing to grasp new opportunities, but also to resist the powers of this age.
Why, O God?: Disaster, Resiliency, and the People of God (©2017)
General Editors: Athena E. Gorospe, Charles Ringma, and Karen Hollenbeck-Wuest
Published by OMF Literature
Available at: Asian Theological Seminary
Many Asian countries are on the “Ring of Fire” with its history of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and other extreme weather events. In this book, scholars and practitioners have provided us with a rich resource for theological reflection on natural disasters as well as strategies of intervention, support, and help.
The book wrestles with the human heart cry in the face of suffering—“Where were you, O God?”—and the pressing question—“Does God manage the events of nature, or not?” It also gives practical suggestions on what can be done to help people heal, rebuild, and map out long-term strategies for future disasters. In this anthology, theology and human compassion weave a wonderful web of human resilience, showing how the church can be an agent of support and transformation in times of disaster.
How Long, O Lord?: The Challenge and Promise of Reconciliation and Peace (©2018)
General Editors: Athena E. Gorospe and Charles Ringma
Published by Langham Global Library (UK)
Available at: Asian Theological Seminary; also available at Langham Global Library (www.langhamliterature.org) and Amazon.com (www.amazon.com)
The task of reconciliation with God, ourselves, and others is an integral element of the mission of God that has been entrusted to his people and leads us to be peacemakers in our societies. Dealing with the grand vision of peace and reconciliation, this book unlocks the biblical story of reconciliation and challenges churches to widen their scope of mission and become a healing and restorative community. With a particular focus on case studies from the Philippines, this book gives insight on the work reconciliation in different parts of the world. Dealing with themes such as repentance, forgiveness, partnership, and multiculturalism, How Long, O Lord? Offers a thorough, academic investigation of the ministry of reconciliation that will be useful for pastors, counsellors, and scholars in various contexts.
Once you begin reading this book you will not easily put it down, and you will come away with renewed inspiration to be part of the God’s program of reconciliation.
William Dyrness, Ph.D.
Can peace and justice embrace in our violent and unjust world? This rich compilation probes the depths both of the biblical narratives as well as the stories of contemporary peacemakers in a hope-inspiring and practically rooted response to that urgent question
Ruth Padilla-DeBorst, Ph.D.
This compendium presents an invaluable tool that will enable the body of Christ to overcome our deficiencies in the realm of peacemaking and fulfill the mission of our Lord, the Prince of Peace
Bishop Efraim Tendero
I commend How Long, O Lord? to all who define their life in the world by the dictates of the gospel story, but especially to the that are troubled, restless, and dissatisfied with the way things are in the church and in our world today.
Bishop David Zac Niringiye, Ph.D.