Public Lecture on the book "The Bible and Asia"

THE DEPARTMENT OF BIBLICAL STUDIES  OF UNITED THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE,BANGLAORE

And

BOARD OF THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION OF SENATE OF SERAMPORE COLLEGE

                                                                                                                                    21.02.2014

Dear Friends,

We are organising a public lecture on the recent book,  ‘THE BIBLE AND ASIA’  from the Pre-Christian Era to the Post colonial Age’,  written by R.S.SUGIRTHARAJAH  Emeritus Professor of Biblical Hermeneutics at the University of Birmingham on 3^rd March (Monday), 2014  at the Tagore Hall in the United Theological College, Benson Town, Banglalore,  at 4.30 pm.  Mr.K.R.A.Narasaiah a regular reviewer of books for the Hindu newspaper from Chennai will present a review paper of this book which will be responded by Rev. Dr.David Joy,  Professor of New Testament  UTC and moderated by Rev. Dr. John Samuel Raj,  Professor of Old Testament and Principal of UTC.  Following is an abstract of the book for your information.

“Though the Bible is a product of West Asia, its influence on Europe and the Americas has reviewed for more attention than its complex career in the East.  R.S. Sugirtharajah corrects this imbalance with the expansive new study of Asia’s subversive and idiosyncratic relationship with the Bible.  This is the story of missionaries, imperialists, exegetes, reformers and nationalists who moulded biblical text according to their own needs in order to influence religion, politics and daily life from India to China. When the Bible reached east and south Asia in the third century CE, its Christian scriptures already bore traces of Asian commodities and Indian moral stories.  In China, the Bible merged with the teachings of Buddha and Lao Tzu to produce the Jesus Sutras.  As he recounts the history of how Christianity was influenced by other Asia religions, Sugirtharajah deftly highlights the controversial issue of Buddhist and Vedic influence on biblical religion.

Once used to justify European rule in Asia the bible has also served to promote the spiritual salivation of women, outcasts and the untouchables.  The Bible has left a literary mark on Asia in two ways; through its influence on Asian writers and through the reinvigoration of modern Asian vernaculars when proselytizing missionaries introduced western print culture to the east”.

We will be happy if your faculty and students participate in this discussion.

Dexter Maben                                                                                                  P.Mohan Larbeer

Chairperson (Acting)

Department of Biblical Studies           

UTC                                                                                                                Secretary, BTESSC