Faculty profile: New Testament scholar returns to MNU


Q & A: The EuNC exchange program


MNU has participated in a stu- dent exchange program with Euro- pean Nazarene College (EuNC) for more than 20 years. Located in the small German village of Büsingen, on the beautiful Rhine river in the heart of Europe, EuNC offers courses in German, European history, art and culture, as well as religion and general education.


Through the two universities’ affiliation, students may transfer courses from EuNC to MNU and qualify for continued financial assistance through federal and private sources.


Accent asked Center for Global


Studies and Service Learning Director Lorie Beckum about the semester abroad program.


Q. What extracurricular activities are available at EuNC?


Community involvement, choir,


soccer; individual and group travel on weekends and breaks to Switzerland, Germany, France, Holland, Romania, Italy and more.


Q. What options for travel do students have?


Students travel at their own expense during breaks. They may visit other EuNC students’ homes or go on mission trips to other areas of Europe.


Q. What do students take away from the experience?


One of the goals of study abroad is to train future global leaders to be more effective, respectful of oth- er cultures, political and economic systems. Study abroad positively influences one’s career path, world view and self-confidence.


More information: visit www.eunc.


edu or e-mail the Center for Global Studies and Service Learning at lbeckum@mnu.edu.


Ph.D. (’75), brought an international perspective to the spring semester’s New Testament literature courses at MNU as a visiting professor from European Naza- rene College (EuNC) in Switzerland.


G The veteran missionary, pastor and


professor, is a recognized author – winner of the 2006 Christianity Today book award for Contextualiza- tion in the New Testament: Patterns for Theology and Mission and holds a B.A. in religion and philosophy from MNU, a Master of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Semi- nary, and a Ph.D. in New Testament Exegesis from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.


Flemming’s


more than 20 years of teach- ing at Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) in the Philippines and at EuNC, coupled with his scholarly re- search and study of the Bible, gave MNU students a unique view into the scrip- tures. Flemming strives to help others understand how one’s cultural context af- fects their understanding of the ancient writings.


His latest book is Phi-


lippians in the New Beacon Bible Commentary series, which dovetails with his interest in approaching New Testament studies from the perspective of missions.


lobal missionary and New Testa- ment scholar Dean Flemming,


Flemming describes APNTS and EuNC as very international, multicultural learn- ing environments. As a new missionary, he found himself in the middle of that cultural melee and had to learn from experience. He says he loves experiencing different cultures and that when one asks questions respectfully and approaches other cultures as a learner, most people are willing to help him learn about them.


While Flem-


ming enjoys returning to the U.S. periodi- cally, he says his work in Europe is his calling. He teaches in some of the 15 EuNC learning centers across Europe. His emersion in cultures in which living the Chris- tian faith is more socially difficult has challenged him.


“The European students’ dedica-


tion to Christian ministry is enormous,” Flemming says. “I feel humbled around them.”


Flemming returned to Europe in May


Flemming’s book earned the 2006 Christianity Today book award


His award-winning book about contex-


tualization in the New Testament is the culmination of Flemming’s experiential and scholarly research, which explores how different cultures view and under- stand the Bible.


but his relationship with MNU will continue due to a long-term partnership between MNU and EuNC. The semester abroad program will continue the exchange of students between the two schools as well as MNU professors who teach at the European school for up to a year at a time.


“My years here were formational for the studies and ministry I’ve done since then.” Flemming says. “Many of the most significant relationships of my life are rooted in my time at MidAmerica.”


Summer 2010 | Accent magazine | 9


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24