Professor of Old Testament, President

Education:
Diploma Briercrest Bible Institute, 1969
B.R.E. Providence College, 1971
M.Div. Providence Theological Seminary, 1978
Ph.D. Westminster Theological Seminary, 1987

Contact Information

Teaching Fields

Biblical Hebrew
Old Testament History and Theology

Professional Experience

2001 – Present: Providence College and Seminary (President)
1984-2001: Providence Theological Seminary (Professor)
1978-1982: Winkler Bible Institute (Instructor)
1971-1982: Bethel Bergthaler Mennonite Church (Pastor)
1969-1970: Kelfield Gospel Chapel (Pastor)

Professional Development

1. Case Studies Institute, 1989
    
2. Sabbatical at Tyndale House, Cambridge England, 1992
   
   This sabbatical was a study on the textual questions of Isaiah and Kings in the Hezekiah account. This particular story has four complete textual versions: two in the masoretic text and two in the Greek texts. This study led to a better understanding of the history of the story in composition, the process of prophetic composition, and the nature of the Greek translation in Isaiah.
   
3. Sabbatical at University of St. Paul, Ottawa, 1998
   
   This sabbatical was devoted to a translation and commentary on the book of Job. It also included further research on the history of the text of the Old Testament.

Research Grants

• Tyndale House Research Fellowship, 1992
• Association of Theological Seminaries Younger Scholar’s Grant, 1992

These grants were used to fund sabbatical studies which were undertaken at Tyndale House, Cambridge.

Professional Associations

• Ordained in the General Conference Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church Canada)
• Board Member Haggai Institute Inc. (Canada)
• Member of Society of Biblical Literature
• Member of Evangelical Theological Society

Publications

1. Translator for Job, The New Living Translation, Tyndale, 1996; second edition 2004
   
   This translation was to replace the Living Bible Paraphrase by Ken Taylor. After initial submissions the translators were consulted again by the editors before a final translation was adopted. Complete translations were provided for both the first and second editions.
    
2. Lexical and Dictionary Articles
   
   Lexical contributions to approximately ten topics in the five volume theological dictionary published by Zondervan under the editorship of Willem VanGemeren under the title New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. The dictionary deals with every word of the Old Testament both in terms of lexical meaning and theological significance. Each topic involved an exhaustive study of a number of words in the Hebrew Bible, as well as all occurrences of related words in cognate languages (Akkadian, Aramaic and Canaanite Inscriptions, etc.). These are signed articles.
   
   Three articles contributed to the Dictionary of Biblical Images edited by Daniel Reid and published by Intervarsity.
3. Journal Articles
   
   “The Elihu Speeches in the Greek Translation of Job,” Pages 149-174 in “Translation is Required”: The Septuagint in Retrospect and Prospect, ed. Robert J. V. Hiebert, SBLSCS, Atlanta, Society of Biblical Literature (forthcoming).
   
   “The Sources of the Story of Hezekiah in the Book of Isaiah,” Vetus Testamentum XLIII (1993) 462-82.
   
   Articles in Didaskalia, the Providence journal, indexed in Religious Index 1 (ATLA). Articles contributed: “The Bible and Archaeology,” 5/2 1994) 56-65; “Wisdom as the Way to Knowing God,” 4/1 (1992) 15-25; “Male and Female as the Image of God,” 3/2 (1992) 1-8; “The Sacrifice of Obedience,” 2/2 (1991) 2-11; “The Apostolic Preaching of the Resurrection, 2/1 (1990) 12-22; “The Exaltation of the Eternal King,” 1/2 (1989) 14-22.
    
4. Books
   
   The Book of Job, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Wheaton Illinios:Tyndale Press, 2006.
   
   1 & 2 Kings, New International Version Application Commentary, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.
    
5. Pedagogical Articles
   
   “Children of the Dust,” Focus, Winter 2010, 7-10.
   
   “Christians in Conflict and at Peace,” The Messenger 40/6, March 27, 2002 3-4.
   
   Contribution of a biblical case study to the Case Studies Institute, a journal to provide access to case studies collected by Bob and Alice Evans. A study on the biblical event of the siege of Jerusalem in 701 with teaching notes was published as “Resist or Surrender,” Journal for Case Teaching 1 (1989) 16-21.
   
   Contribution to the General Conference denominational paper on the theology of marriage: “When Two Fail to Become One,” The Mennonite, 1981.
    
6. Book Reviews
   
   Reviews number in the dozens, contributed to journals including Review of Biblical Literature, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Westminster Theological Journal, and Didaskalia.

Work in Progress

Believers Church Bible Commentary on 1 & 2 Chronicles scheduled with the Herald Press (Mennonite Publication) for completion in 2013.

Courses Taught

Doctor of Ministry
Communications Module: this module introduced students to a wide variety of communications productions including books, magazines, newspapers, video and audio recording, and other electronic media.

Masters Level
Hermeneutics: a course on lexical and syntactical semantics, form and genre analysis, and hermeneutical theories on the relationship of author, text and reader.

Old Testament Theology: a comprehensive examination of the theology of the Old Testament, following the method of Gerhard Hasel in beginning with the theology of each compositional unit in the Old Testament.

Text and Interpretation: an examination of available textual evidence in Greek and Hebrew Old Testament Scriptures, a review of the process of composition and canonization in the Old Testament.

Old Testament Literature and Culture: an examination of the literature and culture of the ancient near east, the way it appears in the Bible, and the way it guides us in Biblical interpretation.

Qumran: a study of the archaeology of Qumran, the Biblical and other writings found in the area of the Dead Sea, and their contribution to Biblical Studies in text and canon.

Isaiah: study of the eschatology of Isaiah, including literary critical matters and the process of composition.

Minor Prophets: a study of selected themes from the writings of the Minor Prophets. The course includes canonical arrangement, beginning with Hosea (repent), Joel (day of the LORD and call to repent), Amos (day of the LORD and promise to David), Jonah (the call to forgiveness), and so forth.

Post Exilic Theology: a study of Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah Ezra Nehemiah provides historical theological background, Chronicles is a study on Israel as it was destined to be.

Pentateuch: study of the theology of the Pentateuch. This course follows the lead of David J. Clines in the Theme of the Pentateuch.

Deuteronomistic History: a study of the theology of Joshua through Kings and related literature as it relates to the renewal of the covenant for life in the land as proscribed in Deuteronomy.

Psalms: examination of literary and theological studies of selected themes in the psalms, beginning with the structure of Psalms around the theme of kingship as marked in the first three major sections (Ps 2, 41, 72, 89).

Job: a literary and theological study of the book of Job with particular attention to the development of poetic structures such as the lament of birth (Job 3) with the birth of the universe in the divine response (Job 38:1-21).

Conference Addresses

Haggai Institute National Conference, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Evangelical Mennonite Church Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Evangelical Mennonite Mission Church Conference, Hepburn, Saskatchewan.

Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches, Waldheim, Saskatchewan.

Evangelical Free Church District Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Offices

• President, Providence College and Theological Seminary
• Chairman of Haggai Institute Canada, Inc.

Hobbies

Translating Akkadian and Ugaritic texts
Reading P. G. Wodehouse books
Making firewood 

Personal Data

Born: August 4, 1948, Theodore Saskatchewan
Wife: Esther
Children: Melanie, Blythe, Theodore, Tessa

Course Syllabi

BI5101 Hermeneutics

OT5202 Old Testament Text and Interpretation