Dr. Mark Hamilton began teaching at ACU’s Graduate School of Theology in 2000, where he teaches courses in Biblical Hebrew and Old Testament. Dr. Hamilton has two children, Nathan and Hannah, with his lovely wife, Dr. Samjung Kang-Hamilton, who is an adjunct professor in religious education also at ACU. Dr. Hamilton currently serves as an elder at University Church of Christ and enjoys being able to serve and interact with all sorts of people through that. Recently, Dr. Hamilton published A Kingdom for a Stage, a political and theological reflection of the Old Testament. Read more below about his book and what encouraged him to begin writing in the first place.
A synopsis of your newest book, A Kingdom for a Stage:
“This book shows how Israelite political thought sometimes supported the power structures but more often held them at arms’ length, forming the basis of the centuries-long critique of politics that is part of Western thought. It examines rhetorical practices of Israelite texts as they developed over time.”
What inspired you to write this book?
“I’ve been interested for many years in how the Old Testament talks about social and political matters, especially what we would call politics. This is the second book I’ve written on the subject. Israel’s reflections on kingship and other political structures and practices paved the way for our sense that humans should follow a rule of law and should protect human dignity while honoring God. These Old Testament texts have important implications for today.”
Mark is author of more than 100 articles, chapters in books, and reviews. His books include The Body Royal: The Social Poetics of Kingshipin Ancient Israel and the Levant (Brill, 2005; reprinted Society of Biblical Literature, 2007), On the Mountain with God (ACU Press, 2009), A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament (Oxford University Press, 2018), A Kingdom for a Stage (Mohr Siebeck, 2018), as a co-editor Renewing Tradition: Studies in Texts and Contexts (Pickwick, 2007), and as a co-author God’s Holy Fire: The Nature and Function of Scripture (ACU Press, 2002). He also served as Editor-in-Chief of Transforming Word: A One-Volume Bible Commentary (ACU Press, 2009; Croatian translation, 2011-). His articles and reviews have appeared in many major journals. He is a board member of Review of Biblical Literature, Restoration Quarterly, Review of Biblical Literature, and Kairos (Croatia).
For more information about the book and its purchasing options, please follow this link.