Joseph O'Neill's novel, Netherland, has won many prestigious awards and recognitions, including the PEN/Faulker Award and The New York Times Book Review's "Best Book of the Year." This book, written and published in the first decade of the 21st century, accurately captures the zeitgeist of the American people and American people's perception about American politics, War against Terror, and American capitalism. Dr. Heerak Christian Kim, who has identified the literary device of "The Key Signifier," analyzes Joseph's O'Neill's book, Netherland, with the view to understanding the current irregularities in US domestic politics as well as the general zeitgeist of the American people. There is no question that the first decade of the 21st century has been the most "odd" decade of American history in terms of politics. The anti-Washington sentiment that is sweeping the nation from the agricultural heartland of America and the labor-centric cities of America, such as Boston, is creating unprecedented questioning of what makes America what it is and the values that motivate the American people. Professor Kim's important historical-literary criticism book on Joseph O'Neill's novel, Netherland, provides valuable insights into understanding the current trends in American society. This book is a valuable resource for not only literary critics and English teachers, but also for the educated public interested in understanding current trends in American society and politics. Dr. Heerak Christian Kim is the author of the scholarly monograph, Key Signifier as Literary Device: Its Definition and Function in Literature and Media.

contains academic papers by rising scholars trained in the United Kingdom.

Psalms of Solomon is an ancient Jewish writing from the Second Century BC. As a primary source written by a Jewish writer living during the turmoil of the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple by King Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria, who forced Jews to eat non-kosher food, abstain from circumcision, and break the Sabbath Day, Psalms of Solomon accurately depicts the angst and trepidation that seized the whole Jewish populace in Jerusalem. Although the poet-composer of Psalms of Solomon witnessed the eventual victory of Jews over the Syrians in Jerusalem along with other Jewish survivors, he did not see the victory of the Hasmonean Revolt and the Maccabees as a total victory. The Maccabees kicked out the Zadokite priests from the leadership of the Jerusalem Temple when they rededicated the Temple. This Temple leadership of the descendants of Zadok, who was the first High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple, was established by King Solomon and maintained by the descendants of King Solomon. It was understood that the Zadokites continue to be the leaders of the Jerusalem Temple in the Second Temple Period, after returning from the Exile and rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple destroyed by the Babylonians. King David and his descendants would rule over Israel forever, and the Zadokites would be the High Priests of the Jerusalem Temple forever. When the Hasmoneans rededicated the Jerusalem Temple without Zadokite priests in Jerusalem Temple leadership, it was going against tradition held for hundreds of years. But the Jerusalem Jewish populace went along with the Maccabean program of placing their own in the office of the High Priest and top leadership in the Jerusalem Temple against long-held Jewishtradition. The military victory over Syrians made them untouchable heroes. And in the lapse of continuity with past tradition in terms of Jerusalem leadership, the Hasmoneans were not only able to seize the office of the High Priest, but they managed to set in motion the usurpation of kingship by the Hasmoneans. Psalms of Solomon was written by a Zadokite in protest of all that was happening in Jerusalem. The poet-composer wanted the Zadokites back in position in the Jerusalem Temple, as has been the tradition for hundreds of years. But the Zadokite poet-composer could not write a blatant condemnation of the Hasmoneans because the Hasmoneans were already entrenched in their power positions. Thus, the Zadokite poet-composer wrote Psalms of Solomon using metaphors and symbolic language that couched his propaganda for the Zadokites.

"Korean-American Youth Identity and 9/11: An Examination of Korean-American Ethnic Identity in Post-9/11 America" by Professor Heerak Christian Kim of Asia Evangelical College and Seminary is a very important book in the area of ethnic studies in post-9/11 America. Although many books have been written on 9/11, there has not been adequate examination of its impact for particular ethnic groups. Even scholars of ethnic studies seem to ignore 9/11 as an event that is incidental to self-understanding and group identity of America's ethnic groups. This book is a step in the right direction in computing 9/11 into the study of ethnic identity and experience in America. This book specifically focuses on Korean-American identity, particularly in regards to Korean-American youth. However, this scholarly examination is further significant in its sensitivity to the ethnic experience of other Asian-Americans and in its examination of Korean-American identity as negotiated in the context of the larger dominant culture of America. And this book contributes further to the understanding of ethnic identity in the United States by devoting an important chapter to the dynamics of inter-ethnic relations between Korean-Americans and African-Americans. Besides being a monumental contribution to the understanding of ethnic identity in comparative terms, this book represents an important contribution to Korean-American studies. This book is the most up-to-date book on Korean-American youth identity and provides the scholarly community with valuable information regarding which direction to take future research regarding Korean-American identity and the Asian-American experience in the United States. As Asian-Americans are rising in terms of number and influence, the need for understanding their identity becomes important on academic, social, political, economic, and intellectual levels. This book is a very important book to meet the rising need that has been largely neglected in academia and in the publishing industry thus far. This book is an essential addition to all serious university libraries, public libraries, and private personal libraries of educated individuals.

"Toni Morrison's Beloved as African-American Scripture & Other Articles on History and Canon" is a very important academic book exploring the question of historicity and canonicity -- the relationship (in causality and relational terms) between the experience of human community and the creation (or the interpretation) of a religious text (and the canonization of a religious "text"). This book contains a collection of academic articles ranging from African-American history, Jewish history, early Christian history, the New Testament, Patristic history, medieval history, and the history of the Reformation. This academic work is a bold quest to capture the essence of history and canon as phenomenalized in the human experience. Scholars and students of history, religion, literary criticism, sociology, anthropology, humanities, and theology will surely benefit from reading this book. Although this book is highly academic, it is written in a very readable style so that educated individuals who may not be specialists will benefit from the articles in the book.

List of Contributors: The Rev. Prof. Heerak Christian Kim is Adjunct Professor of Asia Evangelical College and Seminary in Bangalore, India. Professor Kim was the Lady Davis Fellow in the State of Israel from 1996 to 1997, and is the author of many important books, among which is The Jerusalem Tradition in the Late Second Temple Period (2007). He has researched at UCLA, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Harvard University, Cambridge University, Heidelberg University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Rev. Prof. Young Mog Song is Lecturer of New Testament at Kosin University in Pusan, South Korea. Prof. Song holds Th.M. from Potchefstroom University and a Doctorate in Philosophy and Literature from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. Professor Yong-Sun Yang teaches Systematic Theology at Wesley Institute in Sydney, Australia. Prof. Yang's journey began with an academic training in mathematics, which developed into a professional interest in economics. Gradually, interest in economics led Prof. Yang to an interest in philosophy and, finally, in theology. Prof. Yang lives in Sydney with his wife, Mi-Hea, three daughters, So-Ra, So-Ri and Ha-Neul, and one son, Jeong-Hun. Sunwoo Hwang received his BA from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. He then went to the United States, and received M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and S.T.M. in Old Testament from Yale University Divinity School. He then made an academic pilgrimage to Edinburgh, Scotland, and he is currently in the process of completing his Ph.D. in Hebrew and the Old Testament at the University of Edinburgh.

Nuzi, Women's Rights and Hurrian Ethnicity And Other Academic Essays is the first book in the Hermit Kingdom Studies in Identity and Society series. The academic research publication series seeks to examine the question of identity and its relation to society. The research publication project promotes creative new approaches to thinking about identity as well as a combination of traditional academic methodologies. Nuzi, Women's Rights and Hurrian Ethnicity And Other Academic Essays by Heerak Christian Kim is an excellent book that illustrates the scope and purpose of the new academic series. This book represents 15 years of active, professional academic research in correspondence with some of the greatest minds in the world in the field of Ancient Near Eastern Studies, History of Christianity, Old Testament Studies, New Testament Studies, Qumran Studies, and Medieval Studies. This book's concern with identity is reflected in studies such as the examination of the position of women in ancient Iraq, marriage in Qumran, and women's religious piety in the middle ages. Heerak Christian Kim has expertly achieved an interdisciplinary study of a great magnitude that is sure to be emulated by many others. Kim's erudition and writing is reminiscent of perhaps the greatest mind to have walked at Brandeis University - Professor Cyrus Gordon.

JEWISH LAW AND IDENTITY is the second book in the Hermit Kingdom Studies in Christianity and Judaism, an academic monograph series in Hebrew, Jewish, and Early Christian Studies. This book contains 9 academic essays relating to the theme of Jewish law and identity. Chapter one compares English contract law (Law of Privity of Contracts) with Jewish contract law as found in the book of Genesis (the Abrahamic covenant). Chapters two and three discuss Jewish Rabbinic Law and its relevance for understanding Jewish identity in the period of the composition of the documents. Chapters four, five and seven discuss Jewish individual and group identity as found in the Old Testament, particularly in relation to the religious practice (Temple worship) and political institutions (the monarchy) of ancient Israel. Chapter six is a theoretical discussion for understanding identity in relation to rituals. The author proposes "the atomic theory," utilizing the scientific concept of the atom with nucleus and electrons, applied in a social-scientific and humanistic way to texts and social realities. Chapter eight discusses the book of Acts and its interaction with Jewish identity and the impact of the movement founded by Jesus of Nazareth. Chapter nine discusses Jewish identity as seen through the pseudepigraphic text of the Psalms of Solomon and its relevant for the late Second Temple period. All the academic essays in the book discuss Jewish law and identity in a creative, and ground-breaking way in light of the most recent research trends. The essays represented here include important academic papers delivered at international conferences, like the Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting and the Australia and New Zealand Theological Society continental conference. This book is useful for using in college/university teaching and for advanced research in Jewish studies.

This book is the first book in the new academic book series, Hermit Kingdom Studies in Christianity and Judaism, which seeks to encourage advancement of knowledge in the area of Hebrew language studies, Jewish historical studies, and Early Christianity / New Testament studies. The academic series particularly encourages the use of interdisciplinary approaches and creative thinking. HEBREW, JEWISH, AND EARLY CHRISTIAN STUDIES: ACADEMIC ESSAYS by Heerak Christian Kim contains 6 academic papers. The academic papers represent fruits of academic research conducted in a period of 10 years in three countries in three continents: Israel, United States, and United Kingdom. The research was conducted under the auspices of some of the world most prestigious fellowships, such as the Lady Davis Fellowship and the Raoul Wallenberg Scholarship. Heerak Christian Kim researched with some of the world's greatest minds - at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Cambridge University, and America's Ivy League universities. Some of the papers in the collection were delivered before an academic audience in important academic conferences (Society of Biblical Literature, British New Testament Conference, and American Schools of Oriental Research) and represent cutting-edge research in the respective field. The essays show erudition. But more importantly, some of the creative ideas contained in the book represent potentially a strong force of change in methodology and academic consensus in the area of Hebrew, Jewish, and Early Christian studies. This book is aimed at specialists in the field and can be used as a text book for college courses in the area of Hebrew, Jewish, and Early Christian studies. This book would be beneficial and helpful for clergy and informed laity who want a more serious study of the Bible, Christianity, and Judaism.

Zadokite Propaganda in the Late Second Temple Period is a monumental epoch-breaking work of scholarship in ancient history and Jewish studies. This book examines centuries of scholarship on ancient Jewish group identity and official Jewish religion in the most tumultuous period of Jewish history, namely the beginnings of the Maccabean era. Popularly known as the time period that gave the Jewish world the most famous Jewish celebration period, Hanukkah, the Maccabean Revolt was far more than a rebellion against Syrian domination. The period represented an important turning point in Jewish history, as village priests without any significant heritage or repute successfully overthrew and expelled Zadokite priests from the Jerusalem Temple and the city of Jerusalem itself. The Zadokites had been the legitimate and dominant priests of the Jerusalem Temple since the days of King Solomon, who built the First Jerusalem Temple. The physical and political displacement of Zadokite priests from their places of power, authority, and wealth produced historically significant literate communities, such as the Qumran community, and an abundance of literature, such as commentaries, creative poetry, and apocalyptic works. These writings all lamented the Zadokite displacement and prophesied a New Age, when all would be restored to the way it should be. Thus, Zadokites engaged in propaganda warfare of epic proportions with all their erudition and political savvy, creating a model for effective propaganda warfare. The Zadokite propaganda was so effective that it set the tone for the language and theme of the New Testament.

Intricately Connected contains academic papers presented by Kim at various international conferences in the fields of biblical studies, literary criticism, and intertexuality. The articles examine the question of how various literatures connect to consciousness and culture at personal and collective levels. The focus is on the functionality of literature across time and space and addresses such questions as: How do later books of the Bible, such as Jeremiah, utilize consciousness and ideas from earlier times, such as those found in the book Deuteronomy? How does Toni Morrison link African-American experience of today with experience of slavery hundreds of years ago? How does the film Da Vinci Code (2006) assess and manipulate the received tradition of the Lord's Supper?

The Late Second Temple Period (c. 200 BC to 70 AD) was a period of intense social changes for the Jewish people. During this period, the Jewish people experienced a Syrian king defiling the Jerusalem Temple, the Maccabean Revolt, the celebration of Hanukkah, the establishment of a competing Jewish temple in Egypt, and the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. During this time, Jews spread out all over the Diaspora. The turmoil and the lack of visible cohesion have led many scholars to argue that there was no Jewish unity and no distinguishable Jewish identity in this time period. This book argues against this trend in academia, and posits that a strong Jerusalem tradition unified the Jewish people.

"Paul's Letter to the Galatians & Christian Theology" conference was held at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland from July 10-13, 2012. This book contains articles by theologians, scholars, and pastors who presented their research at the very important theological conference on the book of Galatians. This book will be helpful for scholars, pastors, and serious students of the Bible. And this book can be used as a textbook at a seminary or a university and can be utilized in Church Bible studies classes, as well. The University of St. Andrews was founded in 1413, fully one hundred years before the Protestant Reformation. It is Scotland's first university and the third oldest in the English speaking world. Since the very beginning, the University of St. Andrews has played an instrumental role in providing leadership for the academic study of theology and for the Christian church. John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian church, is among the luminaries who studied at the University of St. Andrews.

Joseph O'Neill's novel, Netherland, has won many prestigious awards and recognitions, including the PEN/Faulker Award and The New York Times Book Review's "Best Book of the Year." This book, written and published in the first decade of the 21st century, accurately captures the zeitgeist of the American people and American people's perception about American politics, War against Terror, and American capitalism. Dr. Heerak Christian Kim, who has identified the literary device of "The Key Signifier," analyzes Joseph's O'Neill's book, Netherland, with the view to understanding the current irregularities in US domestic politics as well as the general zeitgeist of the American people. There is no question that the first decade of the 21st century has been the most "odd" decade of American history in terms of politics. The anti-Washington sentiment that is sweeping the nation from the agricultural heartland of America and the labor-centric cities of America, such as Boston, is creating unprecedented questioning of what makes America what it is and the values that motivate the American people. Professor Kim's important historical-literary criticism book on Joseph O'Neill's novel, Netherland, provides valuable insights into understanding the current trends in American society. This book is a valuable resource for not only literary critics and English teachers, but also for the educated public interested in understanding current trends in American society and politics. Dr. Heerak Christian Kim is the author of the scholarly monograph, Key Signifier as Literary Device: Its Definition and Function in Literature and Media.

This reference contains academic papers by rising scholars trained in the United Kingdom.

List of Contributors: The Rev. Prof. Heerak Christian Kim is Adjunct Professor of Asia Evangelical College and Seminary in Bangalore, India. Professor Kim was the Lady Davis Fellow in the State of Israel from 1996 to 1997, and is the author of many important books, among which is The Jerusalem Tradition in the Late Second Temple Period (2007). He has researched at UCLA, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Harvard University, Cambridge University, Heidelberg University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Rev. Prof. Young Mog Song is Lecturer of New Testament at Kosin University in Pusan, South Korea. Prof. Song holds Th.M. from Potchefstroom University and a Doctorate in Philosophy and Literature from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. Professor Yong-Sun Yang teaches Systematic Theology at Wesley Institute in Sydney, Australia. Prof. Yang's journey began with an academic training in mathematics, which developed into a professional interest in economics. Gradually, interest in economics led Prof. Yang to an interest in philosophy and, finally, in theology. Prof. Yang lives in Sydney with his wife, Mi-Hea, three daughters, So-Ra, So-Ri and Ha-Neul, and one son, Jeong-Hun. Sunwoo Hwang received his BA from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. He then went to the United States, and received M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and S.T.M. in Old Testament from Yale University Divinity School. He then made an academic pilgrimage to Edinburgh, Scotland, and he is currently in the process of completing his Ph.D. in Hebrew and the Old Testament at the University of Edinburgh.

"Korean-American Youth Identity and 9/11: An Examination of Korean-American Ethnic Identity in Post-9/11 America" by Professor Heerak Christian Kim of Asia Evangelical College and Seminary is a very important book in the area of ethnic studies in post-9/11 America. Although many books have been written on 9/11, there has not been adequate examination of its impact for particular ethnic groups. Even scholars of ethnic studies seem to ignore 9/11 as an event that is incidental to self-understanding and group identity of America's ethnic groups. This book is a step in the right direction in computing 9/11 into the study of ethnic identity and experience in America. This book specifically focuses on Korean-American identity, particularly in regards to Korean-American youth. However, this scholarly examination is further significant in its sensitivity to the ethnic experience of other Asian-Americans and in its examination of Korean-American identity as negotiated in the context of the larger dominant culture of America. And this book contributes further to the understanding of ethnic identity in the United States by devoting an important chapter to the dynamics of inter-ethnic relations between Korean-Americans and African-Americans. Besides being a monumental contribution to the understanding of ethnic identity in comparative terms, this book represents an important contribution to Korean-American studies. This book is the most up-to-date book on Korean-American youth identity and provides the scholarly community with valuable information regarding which direction to take future research regarding Korean-American identity and the Asian-American experience in the United States. As Asian-Americans are rising in terms of number and influence, the need for understanding their identity becomes important on academic, social, political, economic, and intellectual levels. This book is a very important book to meet the rising need that has been largely neglected in academia and in the publishing industry thus far. This book is an essential addition to all serious university libraries, public libraries, and private personal libraries of educated individuals.

JEWISH LAW AND IDENTITY is the second book in the Hermit Kingdom Studies in Christianity and Judaism, an academic monograph series in Hebrew, Jewish, and Early Christian Studies. This book contains 9 academic essays relating to the theme of Jewish law and identity. Chapter one compares English contract law (Law of Privity of Contracts) with Jewish contract law as found in the book of Genesis (the Abrahamic covenant). Chapters two and three discuss Jewish Rabbinic Law and its relevance for understanding Jewish identity in the period of the composition of the documents. Chapters four, five and seven discuss Jewish individual and group identity as found in the Old Testament, particularly in relation to the religious practice (Temple worship) and political institutions (the monarchy) of ancient Israel. Chapter six is a theoretical discussion for understanding identity in relation to rituals. The author proposes "the atomic theory," utilizing the scientific concept of the atom with nucleus and electrons, applied in a social-scientific and humanistic way to texts and social realities. Chapter eight discusses the book of Acts and its interaction with Jewish identity and the impact of the movement founded by Jesus of Nazareth. Chapter nine discusses Jewish identity as seen through the pseudepigraphic text of the Psalms of Solomon and its relevant for the late Second Temple period. All the academic essays in the book discuss Jewish law and identity in a creative, and ground-breaking way in light of the most recent research trends. The essays represented here include important academic papers delivered at international conferences, like the Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting and the Australia and New Zealand Theological Society continental conference. This book is useful for using in college/university teaching and for advanced research in Jewish studies.

Nuzi, Women's Rights and Hurrian Ethnicity And Other Academic Essays is the first book in the Hermit Kingdom Studies in Identity and Society series. The academic research publication series seeks to examine the question of identity and its relation to society. The research publication project promotes creative new approaches to thinking about identity as well as a combination of traditional academic methodologies. Nuzi, Women's Rights and Hurrian Ethnicity And Other Academic Essays by Heerak Christian Kim is an excellent book that illustrates the scope and purpose of the new academic series. This book represents 15 years of active, professional academic research in correspondence with some of the greatest minds in the world in the field of Ancient Near Eastern Studies, History of Christianity, Old Testament Studies, New Testament Studies, Qumran Studies, and Medieval Studies. This book's concern with identity is reflected in studies such as the examination of the position of women in ancient Iraq, marriage in Qumran, and women's religious piety in the middle ages. Heerak Christian Kim has expertly achieved an interdisciplinary study of a great magnitude that is sure to be emulated by many others. Kim's erudition and writing is reminiscent of perhaps the greatest mind to have walked at Brandeis University - Professor Cyrus Gordon.

"Toni Morrison's Beloved as African-American Scripture & Other Articles on History and Canon" is a very important academic book exploring the question of historicity and canonicity -- the relationship (in causality and relational terms) between the experience of human community and the creation (or the interpretation) of a religious text (and the canonization of a religious "text"). This book contains a collection of academic articles ranging from African-American history, Jewish history, early Christian history, the New Testament, Patristic history, medieval history, and the history of the Reformation. This academic work is a bold quest to capture the essence of history and canon as phenomenalized in the human experience. Scholars and students of history, religion, literary criticism, sociology, anthropology, humanities, and theology will surely benefit from reading this book. Although this book is highly academic, it is written in a very readable style so that educated individuals who may not be specialists will benefit from the articles in the book.

This book is the first book in the new academic book series, Hermit Kingdom Studies in Christianity and Judaism, which seeks to encourage advancement of knowledge in the area of Hebrew language studies, Jewish historical studies, and Early Christianity / New Testament studies. The academic series particularly encourages the use of interdisciplinary approaches and creative thinking. HEBREW, JEWISH, AND EARLY CHRISTIAN STUDIES: ACADEMIC ESSAYS by Heerak Christian Kim contains 6 academic papers. The academic papers represent fruits of academic research conducted in a period of 10 years in three countries in three continents: Israel, United States, and United Kingdom. The research was conducted under the auspices of some of the world most prestigious fellowships, such as the Lady Davis Fellowship and the Raoul Wallenberg Scholarship. Heerak Christian Kim researched with some of the world's greatest minds - at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Cambridge University, and America's Ivy League universities. Some of the papers in the collection were delivered before an academic audience in important academic conferences (Society of Biblical Literature, British New Testament Conference, and American Schools of Oriental Research) and represent cutting-edge research in the respective field. The essays show erudition. But more importantly, some of the creative ideas contained in the book represent potentially a strong force of change in methodology and academic consensus in the area of Hebrew, Jewish, and Early Christian studies. This book is aimed at specialists in the field and can be used as a text book for college courses in the area of Hebrew, Jewish, and Early Christian studies. This book would be beneficial and helpful for clergy and informed laity who want a more serious study of the Bible, Christianity, and Judaism.