Satisfaction in the World Before Money

Lectionary Date: March 20, 2022 [3rd Sunday in Lent, Year C]

This week, we’re grateful to welcome Dr. Roger Nam as our guest on First Reading. Dr. Nam is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Director of the Graduate Department of Religion at Emory University. (That’s homebase and training ground for Rachel, Tim, and Rosy!) A former economic analyst, pastor, and a second-generation Korean American who has lived and worked abroad in Korea, Roger’s recent research focuses on the social structures and economics behind wealth and poverty in the biblical world. Today’s passage from Isaiah is full of economic imagery so we’re especially glad to have Roger’s expertise and insight for this conversation. He’s the author of Portrayals of Exchange in the Book of Kings (Brill, 2012), and he’s got a number of book projects in the pipeline including commentaries (multiple!) on Ezra-Nehemiah and editing the Oxford Handbook for Wealth and Poverty. Besides his own busy research, teaching and administrative tasks, Roger is also passionate about his role as a teacher and mentor to students and learners of all kinds. He’s a contributor to Working Preacher (we love them!) and a frequent collaborator with the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning.