Portland Seminary

Ekaputra Tupamahu, PhD

Assistant Professor of New Testament

Director, Seminary Masters Programs

Ekaputra Tupamahu

503-554-6034

etupamahu@georgefox.edu

Office: Portland Center South: Office 266

Ekaputra Tupamahu  is an assistant professor of New Testament at Portland Seminary and George Fox University.  He received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 2019.  He earned a master's degree and an MDiv from Asia Pacific Theological Seminary, and master's degrees from the Claremont School of Theology and Vanderbilt University.  

Tupamahu has a broad range of academic interests, including the politics of language, race/ethnic theory, postcolonial studies, immigration studies, critical study of religion, and global Christianity (particularly Pentecostal/Charismatic movement). All these interests inform and influence the way he approaches the texts of the New Testament and the history of early Christian movement(s).

His current book project, entitled   Contesting Languages: Heteroglossia and the Politics of Language in the Early Church, is under contract with Oxford University Press. 

His other writings have appeared in, among others, the  Journal for the Study of the New Testament,   Pneuma: the Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, the  Indonesian Journal of Theology, the  Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies, the  Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South,  Global Renewal Christianity, and  the  T&T Clark Handbook to Asian American Biblical Hermeneutics. He was a recipient of the Forum for Theological Exploration dissertation fellowship (2017), the Louisville Institute honorary dissertation fellowship (2017), and the Asian Theological Summer Institute fellow (2016). He serves as a member of the steering committee of the   Paul and Politics and the  Asian and Asian American Hermeneutics program units at the Society of Biblical Literature's annual meeting. 

Tupamahu formerly worked as a pastor of an Indonesian congregation in Redlands, California, and, from 2014 to 2018, he was a worship pastor at Connection Pointe Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He enjoys hiking, running, and many other outdoor activities with his family. Exploring local foods is what he loves to do when traveling.

Academic Background

PhD, Vanderbilt University; MA, Claremont School of Theology; MA/MDIV, Asia Pacific Theological Seminary; BTh, Sekolah Tinggi Theology Satyabhakti

Expertise and Research Interests

Pauline studies, Postcolonial theory, Politics of Language, Race/Ethnic theory, Global Pentecostal/Charismatic movement.

Research Bibliography

Books

  • Ekaputra Tupamahu, Nindyo Sasongko and Hans A. Harmakaputra (editors),   Our Stories, the Unfinished Stories:  Kumpulan Kisah Kelana Menempuh Studi Teologi di dalam dan di luar Negeri.   Jakarta: Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2014.  ISBN: 9786021158036.  A revised edition published by BPK Gunung Mulia, 2016.

Scholarly Publications, Peer Reviewed

  • “Language Politics and the Constitution of Racialized Subjects in the Corinthian Church.”   Journal for the Study of the New Testament  41:2 (December 2018): 223–245.
  • "Tongues as a Site of Subversion: An Analysis from the Perspective of Postcolonial Politics of Language,"   Pneuma 38:3 (2016): 293-311.
  • "Pela Gandong and  υἱοθεσία: A Vernacular Reading of Paul,"   Journal Teologi Reformed Indonesia  6:1 (2016): 1-11.
  • "Yesus, Perantau dari Surga: Sebuah Usaha Awal Meninjau Kristologi Injil Yohanes dari Sudut Pandang Imigrasi ,"  (Jesus, an Immigrant from heaven: A Preliminary Attempt to Reconstruct Johannine Christology from the Perspective of Immigration),   Indonesian Journal of Theology  3:2 (2015) 206-224.
  • “A Perichoretic Model for Christian Love: A Theological Response to 'A Common Word Between Us and You'"   Indonesian Journal of Theology  1:1 (2013): 67-89.
  • “Biblical versus Sacramental Approach: A Comparative Study of Robert P. Menzies and Simon Chan's Views on Baptism in the Holy Spirit”   Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies   10:2 (2007): 246-265.

Invited Book Chapters

  • "Lost and Silenced in Translation: Reading 1 Cor. 14:26-30 from an Asian American Perspective" in Seung Ai Yang and Uriah Kim (eds.)   The T&T Clark Handbook to Asian American Biblical Hermeneutics. London: T&T Clark, 2018.  pp. 383-393.
  • “A Decolonial Love of God” in Lisa Michaels, Craig Drurey, Chris Baker, Gloria Coffin, Donna Fiser Ward, Graden Kirksey (eds.),   Uncontrolling Love: Essays Exploring the Love of God, with Introductions by Thomas Jay Oord.   San Diego: SacraSage, 2017.
  • "American Missionaries and Pentecostal Theological Education in Indonesia" in Vinson Synan and Amos Yong (eds.),   Global Renewal Christianity: Asia and Oceania,vol. 1 .    Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2015.  pp. 233-254.
  • "Pentecostal Feeling in Conversation with William James and Rudolf Otto: A Preliminary Exploration" in Teresa Chai (ed.)   A Theology of the Spirit in Doctrine and Demonstration.  Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2015.  pp. 153-176.
  •  “Hibrid(isasi) Gereja di Era Postcolonial: Membaca Konflik Gereja Korintus bersama Homi Bhabha” (Hybrid[ization] of the Church in the Postcolonial Age: Reading the Corinthian Conflict with Homi Bhabha), in Steve Gaspersz and Elifas Tomix Maspaitella (eds),   Delapan Dekade GPM - Menanam, Menyiram dan Bertumbuh. Salatiga: Satya Wacana Christian University Press, 2015.  pp. 662-678.
  • "Impian Anak Kampung: Dari Tuhaha ke Amerika" (The Dream of a Village Boy: From Tuhaha to the United States), in Ekaputra Tupamahu, Nindyo Sasongko and Hans A. Harmakaputra (eds.)   Our Stories, the Unfinished Stories:  Kumpulan Kisah Kelana Menempuh Studi Teologi di dalam dan di luar Negeri.    Jakarta: Asosiasi Teolog Indonesia, 2014.  pp. 61-66.
  • "Solidaritas Manusia sebagai Tubuh Kristus: Lukas 15.11-32" (Human Solidarity as the Body of Christ: Luke 15.11-32), in   Tuhan Mengangkat Kita dari Samudera Raya: Sepuluh Bahan Pemahaman Alkitab Menjelang Sidang Raya ke-16 Persekutuan Gereja-Gereja di Indonesia.  Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia, 2013.  pp. 55-60.

Book Reviews

  • Hughson T. Ong.  The Multilingual Jesus and the Sociolinguistic World of the New Testament.   Biblical Interpretation: A Journal of Contemporary Approaches.  25:2 (2017), 265-7.
  • Thomas Jay Oord.  The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence.    Indonesian Journal of Theology   3:2 (2015): 259-263.
  • Jan Assmann, The Price of Monotheism.   Indonesian Journal of Theology   1:2 (2013): 75-81.
  • Allan Anderson and Edmond Tang (eds.), Asian and Pentecostal: The Charismatic Face of Christianity in Asia.   Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies. 9:1 (2006): 163-166.

Encyclopedia Entries

  • "Neo-colonialism" in Mark A. Lamport (ed.),   Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South.  Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.
  • “War and Violence” in Mark A. Lamport (ed.),   Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.  

Online Articles

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