A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE CONCEPT OF ELECTION IN THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY AND THE BOOK OF JONAH AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR BIBLE STUDY IN THE CHINESE CHURCHES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA TODAY

This dissertation is the writer's attempt to propose a legitimate methodology of bible reading for the Chinese churches in South-East Asia.; Chapter one is an attempt to understand the concept of election in Deuteronomy with special emphasis on the particularistic view of Israel as the "chosen people" of Yahweh.; Chapter two is a study on the concept of election in Jonah, with special focus on its universalistic perspective of Israel's mission to the world, particularly in view of the understanding of the world as God's creation.; Chapter three is a comparative study based on chapters one and two. It is this writer's attempt to focus and highlight the diverse and multiple traditions in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy and Jonah served as a paradigm for us to investigate the diverse traditions within the canon.; Chapter four is a survey of the current methodology of bible reading in the Chinese churches in South-East Asia. This writer focuses particularly on the method of harmonization by the Chinese writers and preachers, who represent the Chinese approach to the Scriptures.; Chapter five brings the research to its true focus--a proposal for a new methodology of bible reading in the Chinese churches in South-East Asia. This writer's approach is to reject the method of harmonization. His approach also goes beyond the mere acknowledgement and celebration of the bible's pluralism. This proposal is to take pluralism in the bible seriously and to compare and contrast the difference on the vantage point of Yahweh's relationship to the universal reality. His method is that which does not reflect Yahweh's universal reality has to be judged and to be placed at the servece of that which reflects Yahweh's universal reality. This method is to go beyond what the bible says and what it does not say. Our task is to interpret the bible critically from a center and background found within it, i.e., from a perspective that reflects God's relationship to reality in the most universal and fundamental way. This method, this writer believes, will enable us to bring the "canon within the canon" to our Chinese christians.