Two SEBTS Professors Honored

I just received the following article via e-mail from the SEBTS Public Relations Office:

Two Southeastern Seminary professors’ literary works honored by Evangelical Christian Publishers Association



WAKE FOREST, N.C. (July 15, 2003) – The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association has recognized the published books of two Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary professors in the annual Gold Medallion Book Awards.

Unveiling Islam, a presentation of the beliefs of Islam co-written by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary assistant professor of church history and Anabaptist studies Dr. Emir Caner, was named a winner of the Gold Medallion Award in the category of Missions/Evangelism. Dr. Andreas Kostenberger, professor of New Testament and Greek/Director of Ph.D. and Th.M. Studies at Southeastern, was one of 17 people who contributed to the four-volume Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, the Gold Medallion Award winner in Reference Works and Commentaries.

The Gold Medallion Book Awards, which were established in 1978, recognize the highest quality in Christian books. The awards are based on excellence in content, literary quality, design and significance of contribution. More than 562 books from 64 publishers were submitted. Judges selected five finalists in each of 21 categories, then a second round of judging done by a panel of Christian book retailers determined the winners.

“Receiving the Gold Medallion is as surprising as it is gratifying,” said Caner, who co-wrote the book with his brother, Ergun, an associate professor of theology and church history at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. “It is quite humbling to be given this award, knowing that my brother and I are novices in a community packed with great writers and eloquent theologians.”

Unveiling Islam, published by Kregel, is a presentation of the beliefs of Islam within the story of the Caner’s conversion from their upbringing in a strict Muslim home. In the book, they help clarify the primary differences between Islam and Christianity and present practical strategies for opening productive dialogues with Muslims.

Zondervan publishers produced the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary in response to the request from average Christians for more information about the historical and socio-cultural backgrounds of the New Testament. Evangelical scholars offer background information from relevant papyri, inscriptions, archaeological discoveries, and the study of Judaism, Roman culture, Hellenism, and other features of the New Testament world. The volumes are supplemented by photographs, maps, and diagrams.

Kostenberger contributed to half of Volume 2 with his work on the Gospel of John. He worked on it during his sabbatical from Southeastern during the 1999-2000 academic year. Kostenberger spent 10 months of intensive research and writing in Cambridge, England on the project.

“I gratefully acknowledge the support of my writing ministry by the administration and the trustees and am honored by this award,” Kostenberger said. “The Bible Backgrounds Commentary is a very worthy project. It is a commentary organized chronologically from Matthew through Revelation that is designed to help serious students of the Bible gain a better understanding of the background of specific historical-cultural references in Scripture. It was a privilege to contribute to this project that will be a standard reference work for decades to come.”

 

I don't know. I'll ask him the next time I see him around campus.

 

Hello Gunther,

I spoke with Dr. Kostenberger at church today (I guess I should yesterday now) and he said for me to tell you that he is post-trib and pre-mil.