A group of Malaysian scholars currently in Malaysia and other parts of the world come together to contribute to a book project entitled, "From Malaysia to the Ends of the Earth: Southeast Asian and Diasporic Contributions to Biblical and Theological Studies." This volume is edited by my colleague, Elaine Wei-Fun Goh, and others including Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan, Jonathan Yun-Ka Tan, and Amos Wai-Ming Yong. This project is now in the final proof reading stage and should be published by Claremont Press in the autumn of 2021.

I make a small contribution to this project where I examine Paul's understanding of ethnic relations between Jews and Gentiles gleaned from his letters, and offer some contemporary reflections for nation building in Malaysia.

My essay is entitled, "“For All of You Are One in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28): Paul’s Social Vision Beyond Inclusivity and Diversity", in pages 83-116. This bulk of the essay was written when I was on sabbatical in the second half of 2019. In light of the current political climate and the COVID-19 pandemic, I have made further reflections on what I have written. Perhaps a short follow-up piece might be needed.

I look forward to seeing this significant project in print soon. 

May this devotional be a helpful tool for you as you prepare for the Holy Week.

"Following Jesus to the Cross" is now available from Our Daily Bread. This illustrated guide with 12 devotionals for Easter will guide our reflections on the passion, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus this Easter season. Based on the Gospel of Mark, each reading contains reflection questions and prayers to commit ourselves to God. 

Evoke our senses with photographs of the sites where the events of the final week are believed to have taken place, and let this devotional make the Scripture come alive for us in fresh ways.

A sample chapter of this booklet is extracted below.

If you or your church would like to have copies of this devotional booklet, please contact Our Daily Bread Malaysia.

Please click on the file below to read the review.

I am very pleased to inform that all copies of my recent publication (Metaphors and Social Identity Formation in Paul's Letters to the Corinthians) that are in my stock have all been sold. 

I would like to thank everyone in Malaysia for your continuous support for my work and ministry. 

For those who are still interested to purchase the book, please click here for options of how to order the book. I will not be holding anymore stock in future.

My other publication, Jesus the Storyteller: Hearing the Parables Afresh Today, is still available at RM45 per copy. Please get in touch with me if you are keen on purchasing this book.

For the month of October, Logos Software is having a very good sale on selected reference works published by Yale.

In addition, the free book of the month on offer is the commentary on Romans in the Anchor Yale series by Joseph Fitzymer, with options to purchase a couple more commentaries on Habakkuk (by Francis I. Andersen) and Galatians (by J. Louis Martyn) at additional cost of US$2.99 - this is a real deal! 

Resources on sale include:
1) The entire Anchor Yale Bible Commentary set - you may choose to purchase the entire OT and NT series, or opt for either OT or NT set.
2) Selected works on Jonathan Edwards
3) Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library
4) Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
5) and others.

Now is a good time to build your digital library, if fund permits of course. 

The cover design for my upcoming publication has been finalised by the publisher, Pickwick Publications. The book, Metaphors and Social Identity Formation in Paul’s Letters to the Corinthians, is due to be published in the middle of the year.  I will provide further details of the book in the weeks to come.

I am very pleased that I am able to use a photograph that I took when I visited ancient Corinth in 2015 for the cover.

Special thanks to Brian Tucker, Kathy Ehrensperger, and Bill Campbell for the blurbs. 

Theological Research Scheme (TRS) aims to assist Malaysian scholars by providing modest research grants towards their research and publication. In September this year, I signed a publishing contract with Wipf & Stock Publishers where I will be contributing an essay, “The Fellowship of Christ’s Suffering: Suffering and Identity Formation in Philippians,” to be included in a volume titled Suffering in Paul edited by Siu Fung Wu, an Australian New Testament scholar. 

​Our theological institutions have somewhat limited resources where many specialised academic books are not available. These books are expensive (no thanks to the unfavourable exchange rate) and our financial resources are limited. Subscribing to digital access is beyond the means of our institutions. This means that our research may, at times, be frustrated because of limited access to books that are needed, unless we travel overseas to visit some of the better theological libraries.

​This is where TRS comes into the picture by providing the much needed research grants for scholars like us.  The trustees of TRS approved my application for a grant to purchase a total of ten monographs on Philippians as seen in the photo above that are currently not available in our library. Upon the completion of my essay, all these books will be donated to the library of Seminari Theoloji Malaysia where I teach with the hope that these resources will be made available for other students, researchers, and the wider community. This is where TRS not only serves to help local scholars in their research and publication but also contributes to building up the modest resources we currently have.
 
Our long year-end vacation has just started. Until the next academic year begins in January, I will busy working on my essay for the next couple of months, and I hope to have a rough draft ready by the end of the year.

​Many thanks to TRS for their contribution, and to all the donors who have contributed to this scheme that makes my research possible.
 
For more information on TRS, please visit their website by clicking here.