Kerygmatic Hermeneutics takes a reader at once into a concrete apprehension of God in his scriptural truth through flowing in the Spirit. With the Spirit working with Scripture, a reader navigates in a to-ing and fro-ing between the general claims of God and the patterns of his actions in the world, and the embodiment of these general claims in the concrete particularity of contemporary living. This to-ing and fro-ing shapes an embodied witness to the world. In this account, an interpretation of scriptural truth is incomplete until Christ is proclaimed in the power of the Spirit to bring life. This brings the world into an encounter with God. Kerygmatic Hermeneutics is an account of how one may make theology in the Pentecostal-charismatic tradition. This constructive theological account also yields a practice of interpretation of Scripture in a community of faith. This formulation of kerygmatic theology and its hermeneutical practice opens theology to empirical enquiry and spiritual discernment in a post-Christian western world. This account is also existentially relevant for the global south and east, especially where readers find themselves having to speak apologetically into diverse religious and spiritual practices in daily encounters.
Swee Sum was an associate professor of finance at the National University of Singapore (NUS). She remains as an honorary fellow at the NUS Business School. She is an accountant by training and graduated with a PhD. degree in finance from the University of Washington, Seattle. To better serve the Christian community, she has gone on to read a PhD program in Theology at Durham University, UK. Paper qualifications aside, Swee Sum has had diverse work experience in corporate banking, corporate finance and real estate development prior to joining NUS. She holds professional qualifications as a certified public accountant and a chartered financial analyst (CFA). As director of the Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy, she advanced knowledge and the impactful practice of social purpose organisations in capacity building and sector development.
Swee Sum had served as Vice-Dean (Academic Affairs, Finance and Administration) of the NUS Business School. She also served in her professional capacity, sitting on the Board of Management, Academic Staff Provident Fund as well as the Investment Sub-Committee that manages the NUS endowment fund.
Outside the University, Swee Sum sits on the Scientific Committee of the University of Geneva Centre for Philanthropy. She was also member of the Income Tax Board of Review. She had served on the Board of Trustees of the CFA Institute Research Foundation, USA.
As part of her giving back to the church and community, Swee Sum has more than forty years' experience in non-profit accounting, finance and governance. Her theological training positions her to help develop and teach at the Asian Pastoral Institute. Her research interests span hermeneutics, pneumatology, ecclesiology, practical theology, and Pentecostal-charismatic theology. Swee Sum has published in journals, and monograph as well. She has also contributed in book chapters. In the academic community, she has served as reviewer for various journals and academic chair of an international conference.
