A dictionary of Asian Christianity / edited by Scott Sunquist ; associate editors, David Wu Chusing and John Chew Hiang Chea. [print]

Includes bibliographical references.

A reference work on Asian Christianity is definitely needed, and this one, though highly problematic (and primarily concerned with East and South Asia, excluding Russia) may temporarily fill the gap. The dictionary contains over 1200 signed articles, which include biographies of important Asian church leaders, information on political, cultural, and religious movements in Christianity in this part of the world, and overviews of important doctrinal concerns to Asian Christians. Sunquist (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) has borrowed heavily from the Japanese-language Historical Dictionary of Christianity in Japan, leading to oddities, such as an article on "Hymns (Sambika), Japan" but no articles on hymnody in any other Asian country. Further, the editor's Protestant evangelical view at times conflicts with objectivity and clarity, and the book lacks overall logic. An article on "Cults" does not define the term, covers only Japan and Vietnam, and highlights Latter-Day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Unification Church, all of which should have been given separate entries. The article on the Khmer Rouge should have indicated their impact on the Christians of Cambodia but contains no mention of Christianity, and the article on Baha'i contains a few misconceptions and deals only with Baha'is in India, although the religion also has large communities in other countries covered by the dictionary. As a result, this dictionary will be partially useful for academic and large public libraries where Asia and Christian religion are of interest, but Eerdmans's The Encyclopedia of Christianity (LJ 2/15/99, Vol. 1), when completed, should provide better overall coverage.

https://www.amazon.com/Dictionary-Asian-Christianity-Scott-Sunquist/dp/080283776X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=080283776X&qid=1586289783&sr=8-1

COPYRIGHT NOT covered - Click this link to request copyright permission:

COPYRIGHT NOT covered - Click this link to request copyright permission:

Scott W. Sunquist is the President and professor of missiology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton Massachusetts. Prior to his appointment at Gordon-Conwell, he was Dean of the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary (2012-2019) and before that he served for 17 years as Professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Previously Sunquist and his wife, Nancy, were missionaries with the Presbyterian Church, USA in the Republic of Singapore, where he was a lecturer in church history, ecumenics, and Asian Christianity at Trinity Theological College (1987-1995). During this time he also served as pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Singapore. Prior to this he was a campus staff member for Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship in both Virginia and Massachusetts. Sunquist has four children and eleven grandchildren.