The Bible and Asia: From the Pre-Christian Era to the Postcolonial Age

The "Good Book" remains one of the West's preeminent cultural authorities, its influence on the history and societies of Europe and the Americas indisputable. The Bible's relationship with its continent of origin is more complex and idiosyncratic, however, and perhaps lesser known. Synthesizing his more than 30 years of study in the field, R. S. Sugirtharajah, Emeritus Professor of Biblical Hermeneutics at the University of Birmingham, ranges beyond the Bible as an instrument of missionary colonialism to explore ongoing debates about the influence of older Eastern religions on Christian scripture, and the reasons for its rather marginal cultural role in the region today.