Seung Ai Yang

Professor Yang’s research deals with the value of using diverse methods and lenses in biblical interpretation. Her work pays special attention to the convoluted role of biblical interpretation related to the several binary “isms” in our society, which divide people into the superior in-group and the “inferior” other.

Professor Yang’s teaching areas include the Synoptic Gospels, Asian American Biblical Hermeneutics, Biblical Languages, Second Temple Judaism, and the Hebrew Bible. She believes that a proper use of multiple interpretive methods and lenses will lead the reader in multifaceted ways to hear the essential biblical call for justice and peace.  From this vantage point, Yang is currently working on a research project that examines the notion of the “other” in the Bible.

“Raised in a society which was nurtured by Confucian wisdom traditions, I believe that the ultimate purpose of learning is to bring peace to the world.  As a Christian, however, I interpret bringing peace to the world from the perspective of establishing the reign of God. Therefore, for seminarians I explicitly relate biblical studies to Christian life and ministry, while for all other graduate students I relate biblical studies to responsible citizenship and commitment to the betterment of society.”