Overview

An Asian American Ancient Historian and Biblical Scholar is not simply a memoir of Edwin M. Yamauchi. It is an expansive multi-generational story of a Japanese-American family (Issei, Nisei, Sansei) that began with immigrants from Okinawa, who used a narrow window of time (1900-1915) to emigrate to Hawaii to work on the sugar plantations there. After the suicide of his father when he was three, Edwin was raised by his mother, who knew little English, by working as a maid for twelve years. Deprived of other distractions, Edwin turned to the reading of books. From a nominal Buddhist and then a nominal Episcopalian background, Edwin was converted to Christ at the age of fifteen and determined to become a missionary. Lacking in funds, he worked his way through college. With an aptitude for languages, he earned his PhD under Cyrus Gordon. After a short stint at Rutgers University in New Jersey, he enjoyed a long career (1969-2005) at Miami University in Ohio. His memoir includes descriptions of the schools, societies, scholars, and travels of his life, as well as his witness to Christ and his role in the establishment of a campus church.

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Reviews

"""Edwin Yamauchi is one of the most precise and influential ancient historians of the past half century, tackling key issues of particular importance. Yet this book is more than his own story: like the true historian that he is, he provides insights at every turn into ancient Near Eastern, biblical, and evangelical scholarship from the same period, offering fascinating, personal anecdotes about scholars with whose works but not personalities most of us are familiar."" --Craig S. Keener, professor of biblical studies, Asbury Theological Seminary ""Edwin Yamauchi's life has touched several continents, climbed heights of academic achievement, reached widely through faithful Christian service, and encountered an extraordinary range of other memorable people. From Okinawa and Hawaii to a secure academic post at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, but with connections circling the globe, this 'examined life' is filled to the brim with insight, reflection, edification, and instruction of the very best kind."" --Mark Noll, professor emeritus of history, University of Notre Dame ""As a Japanese American Christian scholar, I relate deeply to Edwin Yamauchi's story. He not only recounts his rich life in phenomenal detail, but also describes the many institutions and organizations where he played a key role. Enriched with numerous excurses, the memoir is a valuable history of a time that was profoundly eventful not only for the author but America itself."" --Robert Kaita, senior physicist emeritus, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University ""His life from eager student of ancient languages and society to esteemed teacher demonstrates how Edwin Yamauchi's warm-hearted, active Christian faith inspires his scholarship and leads him to support many projects, from student groups to the Museum of the Bible. He enlivens his text and instructs his readers by encompassing Hebrew history and Hawaiian geology, academic debates and Barack Obama's family. Yamauchi's autobiography and his extensive publications challenge another generation to follow his example."" --Alan Millard, professor emeritus of Hebrew and ancient Semitic languages, The University of Liverpool ""This memoir by Edwin Yamauchi is a joy to read and tells the inspirational story of the life of one of the nation's foremost Christian historians. His life story sheds insight into how such a remarkable individual developed. His international voyage from Asia to North America and his journey in finding Christ explains his legendary devotion to his scholarship as well as his unwavering faith. The reader is also treated to stories of his meetings with numerous people whom he influenced through his scholarship and his encouragement. The world is definitely a better place because of Dr. Yamauchi. This is a must-read for someone interested in trans-Pacific migration and the history of religion."" --Santa J. Ono, president, University of Michigan"

Author Information

Edwin M. Yamauchi is a professor of history emeritus at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is the author of Gnostic Ethics and Mandaean Origins (1970), The Stones and the Scriptures (1972), Pre-Christian Gnosticism (1973), Persia and the Bible (1997), and Africa and the Bible (2004). He is the coeditor of Peoples of the Old Testament World (1994) and of the Dictionary of Daily Life in Biblical and Post-Biblical Antiquity (2017).

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