Overview

The Asia Bible Commentary series empowers Christian believers in Asia to read the Bible from within their respective contexts. Holistic in its approach to the text, each exposition of the biblical books combines exegesis and application. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the Body of Christ in Asia by providing pastoral and contextual exposition of every book of the Bible. The book of Lamentations cannot be truly appreciated without knowing suffering and the agony that follows tragedy. In this commentary Dr. Federico Villanueva relates the experiences of his fellow Filippinos in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda to the experiences of the Jewish people after the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Babylonians. By drawing these parallels the author hopes that together we will read Lamentations in collective solidarity with a suffering people.

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9781783681914

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Upon seeing all the devastation brought by Typhoon Yolanda, our five-year-old daughter asked a theological question which we were not able to answer: Why did God allow the storm to happen? This was exactly the lament of our hearts, Why, O God? This commentary on the book of Lamentations affirmed the validity of our very human grief in the midst of losses, but at the same time, it pointed out biblical resources to draw upon to strengthen us in our journey of faith. I find it a very rich reflection to help us deepen our Christian faith in our own Asian context. Charlie E. Labarda, MD Survivor of Typhoon Yolanda Church Council Chairperson (2013-2015), UCCP Tacloban City, Founding Chair, BUHAT Tacloban, Philippines When terrible natural disasters such as the Asian Tsunami and the fierce winds and storm surge of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan internationally) happen, the inevitable question arises: Where was God? How could a just God allow this? Federico G. Villanueva takes us through an engaged reading of the poetry of the book of Lamentations against the specific context of Typhoon Yolanda's devastation and anguished Why question. Villanueva's sensitive interpretation succeeds in demonstrating that to read Lamentations in a detached, objective, uninvolved manner is to be like the 'friends' and 'lovers' of Lady Zion who showed her no comfort when she most needed it. Helen R. Graham, MM, PhD Institute of Formation and Religious Studies, and Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila, Philippines This simply written study on lament (the central theme of Lamentations), though scholarly, is deeply devotional and warmly applied to the inexplicably tragic destruction of lives and property particularly wrought by the world's worst typhoon, Haiyan (Yolanda), that swept the central section of the Philippines. As brought out in the book, God's dealings can be puzzlingly mysterious - but his compassions never fail. Rodrigo Tano, PhD First Area Dean, AGST-Philippines Senior Professor, Alliance Graduate School, Philippines

"Upon seeing all the devastation brought by Typhoon Yolanda, our five-year-old daughter asked a theological question which we were not able to answer: ""Why did God allow the storm to happen?"" This was exactly the lament of our hearts, ""Why, O God?"" This commentary on the book of Lamentations affirmed the validity of our very human grief in the midst of losses, but at the same time, it pointed out biblical resources to draw upon to strengthen us in our journey of faith. I find it a very rich reflection to help us deepen our Christian faith in our own Asian context. Charlie E. Labarda, MD Survivor of Typhoon Yolanda Church Council Chairperson (2013-2015), UCCP Tacloban City, Founding Chair, BUHAT Tacloban, Philippines When terrible natural disasters such as the Asian Tsunami and the fierce winds and storm surge of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan internationally) happen, the inevitable question arises: ""Where was God?"" ""How could a just God allow this?"" Federico G. Villanueva takes us through an engaged reading of the poetry of the book of Lamentations against the specific context of Typhoon Yolanda's devastation and anguished ""Why"" question. Villanueva's sensitive interpretation succeeds in demonstrating that to read Lamentations ""in a detached, objective, uninvolved manner is to be like the 'friends' and 'lovers' of Lady Zion who showed her no comfort when she most needed it."" Helen R. Graham, MM, PhD Institute of Formation and Religious Studies, and Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila, Philippines This simply written study on lament (the central theme of Lamentations), though scholarly, is deeply devotional and warmly applied to the inexplicably tragic destruction of lives and property particularly wrought by the world's worst typhoon, Haiyan (Yolanda), that swept the central section of the Philippines. As brought out in the book, God's dealings can be puzzlingly mysterious - but ""his compassions never fail."" Rodrigo Tano, PhD First Area Dean, AGST-Philippines Senior Professor, Alliance Graduate School, Philippines"

Author Information

FEDERICO G. VILLANUEVA holds a PhD from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. He is the Publications Secretary of the Asia Theological Association and General Editor of the Asia Bible Commentary series. Dr. Villanueva teaches part-time in several institutions in the Philippines, including the Asia Graduate School of Theology, Loyola School of Theology in Ateneo Manila, and Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay. He is author of The Uncertainty of a Hearing: A Study of the Sudden Change of Mood in the Lament Psalms (Brill, 2008) and It's OK to be Not OK (OMF Literature, 2012).

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