Cultivating International Biblical Scholarship

Larry Hurtado has a good post on A Vision for International Biblical Scholarship where he calls for more support for biblical scholars in the developing world:

What we need, and desperately, are financial resources to allow talented scholars such as this one to be sprung free periodically from regular duties to pursue some major research and writing project, which is typically how research leaves are spent.  There are a few trusts and foundations that wonderfully finance PhD studies of “third world” students.  But I know of no such trust or foundation that offers funding for research leaves for scholars in these countries.

So, I make this plea, for a charitable trust or foundation, a well-off individual, or a body of committed individuals to take up this vision:  A scheme to which scholars such as my excellent student can apply to have the opportunity to take an extended research leave, relocating to a place where they have access to an excellent library and opportunities to confer with other scholars in their subject.  It is a shame to invest in helping students get their PhD and then simply leave them immersed ever thereafter in the heavy teaching and administration duties in their home setting in countries that lack adequate research facilities.  Is there anyone else out there who shares my concern?

With such a scheme, “third world” scholars could write textbooks, articles and books that would build up the scholarly resources in their native languages and cultures.  The student graduating here today could become a major figure in NT studies, and I covet the chance for him to achieve this, and for other students like him.

I totally agree. But the good news is that a lot is being done in this area.

For one, Craig Keener and I have tried to deliberately recruit scholars from Asia, Africa, and Latin America as part of the New Covenant Commentary Series (see Jey J. Kanagaraj on Gospel of John). There are organizations like Overseas Council of Australia that work with theological colleges in the developing world helping them to grow faculty, train administrators, and enhance their libraries. The Langham Partnership also provides financial assistance to potential biblical scholars in majority world countries. The Theological Book Network is a great place to send old or no longer needed books for developing seminaries around the world. 

Commentaries series like the Africa Bible Commentary and Asia Bible Commentary are good avenues for scholars to produce biblical works. Then there are various theological journals like Jian Dao and Asian Journal of Theology.  It would really help if western scholars would cite and use these resources more and make the work of majority world scholars more well known. More translation of celebrated biblical and theological works into Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, and French will help considerably too. Also, setting up religious studies publishing houses in Asia and Africa will significantly help increase the visibility of scholars from those regions.

A big issue is simply finance. Countries like the UK have two sets of fees for EU and non-EU students. Asking African students to pay exuberant non-EU fees in British sterling is not going to happen unless there is a big scholarship or a wealthy benefactor. If British universities could charge students from African, Asian, and Latin American countries at a reasonable rate then they’d get more students from those places. Then there is the price of European monographs from the usual suspects which can scarcely be afforded by western universities let alone by universities in developing countries.