Wold, Donald J. 1945-

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WOLD, Donald J. 1945-

PERSONAL: Born 1945. Education: Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, M.Div.; University of California at Berkeley, Ph.D. ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Baker Books, P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287.

CAREER: Pastor, counselor, and professor of Near Eastern studies.

WRITINGS:

Out of Order: Homosexuality in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, Baker Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 1998.

SIDELIGHTS: Donald J. Wold's first book, Out of Order: Homosexuality in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, uses Biblical passages and other primary sources from the ancient Near East to explain the Judeo-Christian position on homosexual practices. Wold examines Old Testament passages, such as the story of the destruction of Sodom, as well as legal strictures codified in Leviticus to support the theory that the ancient Hebrews felt homosexuality to be a violation of the natural order of God's world. The author finds a similar association between the notions of chaos and disorder and the practice of homosexuality in the New Testament. To quote Lori A. Burkett in her reading of the work for Journal of Psychology and Theology, Wold reaches the conclusion that "same-gender sexual relations are categorically forbidden in the Bible."

With his book, Wold has contributed to a growing body of scholarly literature on same-gender relationships in a Biblical context. James Beck noted in the Denver Journal that Wold "has made a valuable and substantial contribution to the current discussion among evangelicals regarding homosexuality." He added, "The book is best suited for understanding the Bible's condemnation of deliberate sins of homosexuality committed by adults. . . . This contribution is significant and noteworthy." Burkett declared Out of Order "a stimulating scholarly journey through the biblical texts of the Old and New Testaments as well as various historical data on the ancient Near East."