Bible Through Asian Eyes

by Ron O'Grady and Masao Takenaka

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0377002259
• ISBN13: 9780377002258
• Release Date: December 1991
• Publisher: Friendship Press

Customer Reviews

Be sure to drink from THESE ASIAN SPRINGS. . .

From its title, "The Bible through Asian Eyes," we know we are going to learn; we will experience a diversity of art 'forms' and the commentaries will fill us with gratitude. Yes, there may be varying levels of talent but the impact on readers is a primary aim of this book. That, and having a lasting appreciation for cultures around the world. Ron O'Grady and Dr. Masao Takenaka stress that "Oriental people LISTEN to art" and that is a new idea for most Westerners. Whether we grasp it immediately or not, we soon realize that we are being helped to see the Old and New Testament stories and Truths with a new perspective, and a growing ability to *hear.* Their art depicts the world from Creation to the Crucifixion through a wide variety of styles and mediums. Traditional and Contemporary Asian expression is not shackled by the need to be commercially acceptable. We pause, consider and think deeply about how Asian responses to scripture can change OUR thinking. There are many contributions from Sri Lanka and China; I want to share three of these: I have a particular solidarity with the meditation and painting from the scripture Isaiah 2:4: "The Dream of Peace". . ."The Song of Song" has a painting that truly sings. Li Po of China reflects on the 23rd Psalm: "Those who neglect to drink of the spring of experience are apt to die of thirst in the desert of ignorance." Reviewer mcHAIKU is grateful to the authors and artists who reach out through this book to give us deep drinks from that Spring of Experience.

Biblical stories and art from a new perspective

The pages of this book consist of four parts: a Biblical passage, a "commentary" on the passage, a piece of art, and a commentary on the art. I put "commentary" in quotes as it is more a response to the Biblical passage - a poem, reflections ...The art ranges from work that derives from Western sensibilites, to tradition "high culture" Eastern works, to folk traditions. For example, the passage from Isaiah "they will rise on wings like eagles" is accompanied by a New Zealand poem including the lines "Lord, Holy Spirit, / You are as the mother eagle with her young" The art is a Taiwanese brush painting of an eagle. The commentary on the painting includes a statement from the artist on her gratitude to God for her artistic talent.A particularly effective piece is "The Angry Christ" painted by an artist from the Philippines and accompanied by a poem from Indonesian. The book is based on a sensibility similar to Jo Milgrom's work "Handmade Midrash". I highly recommend it.