Erskine Seminary

Seminary Professors in Print

Several Erskine Theological Seminary professors are about to be "seen" in print, with books by faculty members scheduled for publication this summer and fall and continuing into the winter of 2003 and beyond, according to Erskine Vice President and Dean of the Seminary Dr. R.J. Gore.

"Not only are good things coming out, but in a veritable flurry," said Gore. "This summer, Dr. Richard Burnett, newly appointed Assistant Professor of Theology, published Karl Barth's Theological Exegesis, and Dr. George Schwab, Assistant Professor of Old Testament, published The Song of Song's Cautionary Message Concerning Human Love ."

Gore said Dr. Don Fairbairn, Associate Professor of Historical Theology and Missions, will publish Eastern Orthodoxy Through Western Eyes in the fall; Burnett will publish an edited collection of papers from the Confessing Movement this fall; Schwab's commentary on the Song of Songs (distinct from his recently published book) will be released by Zondervan sometime this winter; and Fairbairn's revision of his dissertation will be published by Oxford University Press in 2003.

"Also, my work entitled Covenantal Worship will be out this fall," Gore said.

Schwab, one of two professors with books released this summer, was a practicing engineer until he came to Erskine in 2000. He is a father of three who was captivated by the wisdom literature of the Bible, which includes the Song of Songs, while working on his Ph.D. in Hermeneutics at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

How Schwab managed to earn his Ph.D. while working as an engineer may be material for another book, but Schwab is happy to talk about his current publication.

"I kicked around some ideas with my advisor that included Ecclesiastes, the hermeneutics of counseling, and the Song of Songs," said Schwab. "We felt the most intriguing topic was the one that dealt with the 'Song.'"

For Schwab, this book of scripture offers a rich dose of love poetry, with an important element of wisdom.

"The Song of Songs is a collection of love poems, written to explore and celebrate human love," says Schwab. "Within the positive endorsement of human sexuality lies a secondary but important element of instruction – the conception of 'love' as dangerous, powerful, and potentially harmful to the individual lover.

"Love, while joyously celebrated, is also a dangerous threat to human life, a power that must be respected," Schwab says.

Schwab's book does not directly connect the various images in the Song of Songs to Christ and the church, though this is an approach that might be familiar to many of his readers. His book is a volume in a series called Studies in Biblical Literature.

"The series is supposed to push the horizons of biblical scholarship," says Schwab. "The publisher feels that my book challenges the conventional wisdom about the message of the 'Song,' and makes a contribution to the study of the Song along the lines that the series wants to showcase."

Founded in 1837 by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Erskine Theological Seminary serves students of various denominational backgrounds.


		Seminary Professors in Print Several Erskine Theological Seminary professors are about to be "seen" in print, with books by faculty members scheduled for publication this summer and fall and continuing into the winter of 2003 and beyond, according to Erskine Vice President and Dean of the Seminary Dr. R.J. Gore. "Not only are good things coming out, but in a veritable flurry," said Gore. "This summer, Dr. Richard Burnett, newly appointed Assistant Professor of Theology, published Karl Barth's Theological Exegesis, and Dr. George Schwab, Assistant Professor of Old Testament, published The Song of Song's Cautionary Message Concerning Human Love ." Gore said Dr. Don Fairbairn, Associate Professor of Historical Theology and Missions, will publish Eastern Orthodoxy Through Western Eyes in the fall; Burnett will publish an edited collection of papers from the Confessing Movement this fall; Schwab's commentary on the Song of Songs (distinct from his recently published book) will be released by Zondervan sometime this winter; and Fairbairn's revision of his dissertation will be published by Oxford University Press in 2003. "Also, my work entitled Covenantal Worship will be out this fall," Gore said. Schwab, one of two professors with books released this summer, was a practicing engineer until he came to Erskine in 2000. He is a father of three who was captivated by the wisdom literature of the Bible, which includes the Song of Songs, while working on his Ph.D. in Hermeneutics at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. How Schwab managed to earn his Ph.D. while working as an engineer may be material for another book, but Schwab is happy to talk about his current publication. "I kicked around some ideas with my advisor that included Ecclesiastes, the hermeneutics of counseling, and the Song of Songs," said Schwab. "We felt the most intriguing topic was the one that dealt with the 'Song.'" For Schwab, this book of scripture offers a rich dose of love poetry, with an important element of wisdom. "The Song of Songs is a collection of love poems, written to explore and celebrate human love," says Schwab. "Within the positive endorsement of human sexuality lies a secondary but important element of instruction – the conception of 'love' as dangerous, powerful, and potentially harmful to the individual lover. "Love, while joyously celebrated, is also a dangerous threat to human life, a power that must be respected," Schwab says. Schwab's book does not directly connect the various images in the Song of Songs to Christ and the church, though this is an approach that might be familiar to many of his readers. His book is a volume in a series called Studies in Biblical Literature. "The series is supposed to push the horizons of biblical scholarship," says Schwab. "The publisher feels that my book challenges the conventional wisdom about the message of the 'Song,' and makes a contribution to the study of the Song along the lines that the series wants to showcase." Founded in 1837 by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Erskine Theological Seminary serves students of various denominational backgrounds. .