- sjpark@mbts.edu
- Personal Website
Contact Information
Sung Jin Park is the Dean of Asian Studies and Professor of Old Testament & Hebrew at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to Midwestern, Dr. Park was adjunct faculty to teach Biblical Hebrew narratives, poetry, and syntax to Ph.D. and Rabbinical students and also a research assistant of Syriac literature for the Comprehensive Aramaic Project at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
Dr. Park holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Material Science & Engineering from Hanyang University and POSTECH in South Korea. Before being called into full-time ministry, he worked for Hyundai Motor Company as a research engineer for six years with 32 international patents and utilities. After moving to the US, he earned a Th.M. in Old and New Testaments from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a M.Phil. in Judaic, Hebraic, and Cognate Studies and a Ph.D. in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies from Hebrew Union College.
Dr. Park’s research has focused on Biblical Hebrew poetry and narratives, the diachronic linguistic development of the Semitic languages, Deuteronomic laws and their daily practices, religions of Israel and Ugarit, and the Masoretic accentuation system. His publication includes Typology in Biblical Hebrew Meter: A Generative Metrical Approach (2017), The Fundamentals of Hebrew Accents: Divisions and Exegetical Roles beyond Syntax (2020), and several articles in internationally recognized academic journals. He has also served Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament as editorial board.
Dr. Park is a recipient of numerous honors and awards, including In Trust Research Grant for Innovative Theological Education (2022-23), The Professor of the Year (2022), The Isadore and Goldie Millstone Fellowship (HUC, 2005-9), Rev. John Oak Foundation Scholarship (Sarang Community Church, Korea, 2005-7), Merrill F. Unger Award in the Old Testament (DTS, 2004), International Student Full Scholarship (DTS, 1999-2003), POSCO Research Fellowship (1991-3), Hyundai Motors Research Fellowship (1991-3), University Scholarship of Excellence (Hanyang, 1987-9), and National Research Foundation Fellowship of Excellence (South Korea Government, 1989-1991).
Dr. Park has previously served Cincinnati Chinese Church and Arlington Chinese Church for 14 years and foreign laborer ministry at Sarang Community Church (Seoul, Korea). Dr. Park is married to Alice and has three children: Eileen, Eunice, and Euclid.
Books or Book Chapters:
Typology in Biblical Hebrew Meter: A Generative Metrical Approach (New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 2017).
“Biblical Hebrew Poetry”, in “Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?” A Grammatical Tribute to Professor Stephen A. Kaufman (eds. Hélène Dallaire, Benjamin Noonan, and Jennifer E. Noonan; Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2017), 289-316.
Journal Articles:
“Pointing to the Accents in the Scroll: The Functional Development of the Masoretic Accents in the Hebrew Bible,” Hebrew Studies 55 (2014): 73-88.
“The Text and Translations of Job: A Comparative Study on 11QtgJob with Other Versions According to Translation Techniques,” Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament 2/2 (2013): 165-190.
“Application of the Tiberian Accentuation System for Colometry of Biblical Hebrew Poetry,” Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 39/2 (2013): 113-128.
“A New Historical Reconstruction of the Fall of Samaria,” Biblica 93/1 (2012): 98-106.
“The Cultic Identity of Asherah in Deuteronomistic Ideology of Israel,” Zeitschrift für die alttestamentlich Wissenschaft 123/4 (2011): 553-564.
“Short Notes on the Etymology of Asherah,” Ugarit Forschungen 42 (2010): 527-534.
“Melchizedek as a Covenant Figure: The Biblical Theology of the Eschatological Royal Priesthood”, published at https://bible.org/article/melchizedek-covenantal-figure-biblical-theology-eschatological-royal-priesthood, April 4, 2011.
“Thematic-Structural Analysis of 1 John 3:6, 9 and 5:18 for the Problem of Sinlessness”, published at https://bible.org/article/thematic-structural-analysis-1-john-36-9-518-problem-sinlessness, March 23, 2011.
Book Reviews:
Mark S. Smith, The Genesis of Good and Evil: The Fall(out) and Original Sin (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Know Press, 2019) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 31/3 (2021): 391-393.
Elie Assis, Identity in Conflict: The Struggle between Esau and Jacob, Edom and Israel (Siphrut: LTHS 19, Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2016) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 28/1 (2018): 82-84.
Philip R. Davies, The History of Ancient Israel: A Guide for the Perplexed (Bloomsbury Guides for the Perplexed, Bloomsbury & T&T Clark, 2015) in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Studies 60/1 (2017): 163-165.
Raymond F. Person, Deuteronomy and Environmental Amnesia (EBCS 3, Sheffield Phoenix, 2014) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 26/4 (2016): 565-568.
Daisy Yulin Tsai, Human Rights in Deuteronomy: with Special Focus on Slave Laws (BZAW 464. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2014) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 25/4 (2015): 560-564.
Nicole J. Ruane, Sacrifice and Gender in Biblical Law (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2013) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 24/3 (2014): 412-414.
Kenneth C. Way, Donkeys in the Biblical World: Ceremony and Symbol (History, Archaeology, and Culture in the Levant 2; Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2011) in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 57/2 (2014): 416-418.
Knut Martin Heim, Poetic Imagination in Proverbs: Variant Repetitions and the Nature of Poetry (BBR Supplement 4; Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2013) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 24/1 (2014): 93-96.
Jean-Dominique Barthélemy, Studies in the Text of the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (Textual Criticism and the Translator 3; Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2012), in Bulletin for Biblical Research 24/1 (2014): 75-76.
John H. Walton, Job. NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 23/3 (2013): 421-423.
E. Merrill, M. Rooker, and M. A. Grisanti, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2011) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 23/2 (2013): 257-259.
Caryn A. Reeder, The Enemy in the Household: Family Violence in Deuteronomy and Beyond (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2012), in Review of Biblical Literature (2013).
B. C. Hodge, Revisiting the Days of Genesis: A Study of the Use of Time in Genesis 1-11 in Light of Its Ancient Near Eastern and Literary Context (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2011) in Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament 2/1 (2013): 135-137.
Yitzhaq Feder, Blood Expiation in Hittite and Biblical Ritual: Origins, Context, and Meaning (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011) in Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament 1/2 (2012): 250-253.
Jeffrey Burns, The Music of Psalms, Proverbs and Job in the Hebrew Bible. Jüdische Musik Band 9 (Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 2011) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 22/3 (2012): 424-426.
R. B. Salters, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Lamentations. International Critical Commentary (New York: T & T Clark, 2010) in Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament 1/1 (2012): 111-113.
Stephen J. Bennett, Ecclesiastes/Lamentations: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City: Beacon Hill, 2010) in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 55/1 (2012): 166-168.
Shemaryahu Talmon, Text and Canon of the Hebrew Bible: Collected Studies (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2010) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 22/1 (2012): 117-118.
Jürg Luchsinger, Poetik der alttestamentlichen Spruchweisheit (Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer, 2010) in Bulletin for Biblical Research 21/3 (2011): 400-401.
William P. Brown, Psalms. Interpreting Biblical Texts Series (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010) in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 54/3 (2011): 616-617.
Robin A. Parry, Lamentations. The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary Series (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010) in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 54/1 (2011): 141-143.