Octavio Javier Esqueda

Churches, Cultures, and Leadership

Church Leadership & Ministry

“The mission of God (missio Dei) is multicultural in nature. God's plan for his church involves the union of different people from different backgrounds and cultures living together as one body in Christ. However, most churches in the United States continue to be ethnically or culturally homogeneous. The ones that attempt to be multiethnic usually tend to exhibit the dominance of one culture or group. Christian leaders are key to bridging the gap between God's ideal and our current congregational practice, but they can only do it with a proper theological, cultural, and leadership framework. This book, in practical and insightful ways, provides this necessary framework. I highly recommend it!”

Nobody's Mother

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Paul's phrase 'saved through childbearing' becomes controversial to modern readers who approach the text from afar and yet attempt to apply it to their present contexts. An incorrect biblical interpretation leads to incorrect applications that, in some instances, like the one in this passage, bring devastating consequences for women who have had an unsupported and extrabiblical burden imposed on them. Sandra Glahn provides a unique cultural, historical, and theological understanding of this passage. In fact, Nobody's Mother is a masterful work that will remain the foundational text for understanding Artemis of the Ephesians and her implications in the biblical narrative. This work exemplifies how cultural, historical, and biblical scholarship serve the body of Christ worldwide.”