Marvin R. Wilson Honored with Collection of Essays in New Book on Abraham

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2010

MEDIA CONTACT
Jo Kadlecek
Office of College Communications
978.867.4752
[email protected]

Wenham, MA—Gordon College Professor Marvin R. Wilson never saw it coming. But on Saturday, May 15th during Gordon’s 118th commencement ceremony, his colleagues publicly surprised him with a new book that honors his life long commitment to dialogue between Jews and Christians, just in time for his seventy-fifth birthday.

The book, Perspectives on Our Father Abraham: Essays in Honor of Marvin R. Wilson, is a collection of articles that pays tribute to Wilson on the occasion of his birthday and has been released through William B. Eerdmans Publishing. A wide range of Jewish and Christian scholars, all good friends of Wilson’s and experts in their field, came together to offer thoughtful studies related to the biblical character of Abraham.

“Marv’s seminal text, Our Father Abraham (William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1989), has shown a generation of Christians, perhaps more clearly than ever before, the Jewish roots of their faith,” said Steven A. Hunt, associate professor of biblical studies at Gordon and editor of the book. “With this new book, readers will benefit from engaging and indeed groundbreaking studies of the Patriarch in the Hebrew Scriptures, Christian Scriptures and other ancient and contemporary traditions.”

Hunt said that the book took three years to plan and organize and was not always easy to keep as a secret from his colleague Wilson. Many of the contributors were present on Saturday to celebrate the award and a book signing followed immediately after the graduation exercise.

“This book is a rare honor only extended to the best scholars in one’s field,” said R. Judson Carlberg, president of Gordon. “I am thrilled that Dr. Wilson’s scholarly colleagues chose to do a book of this magnitude in his honor. As thousands of Gordon College students will attest, he deserved it.”

The 400-page book is divided into three sections: “Abraham in the Hebrew Scriptures”; “Abraham in the Christian Scriptures” and “Abraham and Interdisciplinary Studies: The Dialogue Continues.”

Contributors include: William B. Barcley; Rebecca G. Brinton; R. Judson Carlberg; Roy E. Ciampa; Gordon D. Fee; Roger J. Green; Ted Hildebrandt; Steven A. Hunt; David Klatzker; JoAnn G. Magnusson; David Mathewson; John N. Oswalt; Elaine Phillips; A. James Rudin; Mark L. Sargent; H.G.M. Williamson; Lauren F. Winner; Edwin M. Yamauchi; and David J. Zucker.      

The hardcover book Perspectives on Our Father Abraham: Essays in Honor of Marvin R. Wilson is available for purchase at $26 through the Gordon College bookstore, or the publisher online.

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