GIDEON S. S. PAULRAJ is an ordained minister of the Church of South India, a Church in the Anglican Communion, and teaches courses in New Testament, Greek language, and theology. He received his PhD from the University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham. Having been born and brought up in India, he is concerned about the destitute (beggars), and this concern motivates him to read Luke-Acts and to propose a Lukan theology of hunger and hospitality.
"""This marvelous book challenges us to see the familiar in Luke-Acts in a life-changing way. What happens if we interpret 'the poor, ' as those who are starving? What happens when we honor dishonorable, destitute persons by inviting them to our banquets? What happens to our traditional Christology when we highlight Jesus who reveals himself as stranger, guest, host, and servant at the table of life? Let's apply Luke's meal Christology to contemporary crises such as food insecurity in India."" --Robert J. Karris, author of Eating Your Way Through Luke's Gospel ""This work on a Lukan theology of the poor is remarkable because it deals with the past as well as with food insecurity today. India is the context in which the voice of the poor and the marginalized as hungry people appear, and contemporary India is challenged by those marginalized who read the reflections of the communities reflected by Luke-Acts. I commend this work to all those working for justice and for the end of hunger today."" --Mario I. Aguilar, author of After Pestilence: An Interreligious Theology of the Poor ""Unexpectedly, some of us in the West are now faced with the reality or threat of food shortages. In this timely publication, Paulraj combines a careful analysis of the rich treatment of the themes of food poverty, justice, and hospitality in Luke-Acts with a thorough understanding of contemporary policy debates. It provides a vital resource for anyone engaged in those debates, whilst shedding fresh light on the meaning of several Lukan passages."" --Crispin Fletcher-Louis, visiting research fellow, University of Gloucestershire"