Tribute to Professor Emeritus Dr. Gary Yamasaki

After a life devoted to God and the study of Scripture, Columbia Bible College Professor Emeritus, Dr. Gary Yamasaki passed away unexpectedly while recovering in hospital on February 19, 2022. Gary had a brilliant mind, and he pursued novel approaches to both studying and teaching the Bible.

During his 26 years as a member of the Columbia faculty (1990-2016), Gary Yamasaki made a positive impact upon many students as he challenged them to delve deeply into God’s Word. He always looked for innovative ways of engaging his students. This included making ample use of popular culture – especially movies – as a means of helping students understand biblical texts more clearly. At the same time, he worked hard to introduce his students to the latest developments in Biblical scholarship. Following the conclusion of teaching responsibilities at Columbia, Gary also served as Columbia scholar-in-residence for a number of years. He deported himself in ways consistent with and supportive of the ministry and mission of Columbia Bible College.

Dr. Yamasaki also made his own contribution to scholarship, especially in the area of point-of-view crafting in Biblical stories. His 2007 book entitled Watching a Biblical Narrative: Point of View in Biblical Exegesis was a finalist for the Trinity Book Prize. In 2016, Fortress Press released his volume on the relevance of popular movies for the interpretation of Biblical stories, Reading the Bible in the Twenty-First Century: Insights from Filmmaking for Analyzing Biblical Narrative.