On Perspective, regular NT Gateway blog commenter Crystal has her reflections on her favourite Jesus films:
Cinema Jesus Redux
I am also a fan of the Roger Young Jesus (1999). And let me recommend in particular the so-called international version, if you can get hold of it, because it has the great post resurrection scene of Jesus in modern style dress in the streets of Malta, met by children.
Perhaps I might also add that my comments on The Passion of the Christ, to which Crystal kindly refers, were written up more fully in two other places, first a short article on Bible and Interpretation, and then a much fuller article in Jesus and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Also blogging SBL were:
Christopher Heard on Higgaion; and I looked through my blogroll and noticed that Higgain was missing, which I can hardly believe; now corrected.
Ben Myers mentions that Peter Leithart has also been blogging AAR / SBL at Leithart.com.
And Stephen Carlson mentions Annie Dillard at LocustYears, which is another new blog to me, and another welcome addition to the blogosphere.
Ben Myers mentions that Peter Leithart has also been blogging AAR / SBL at Leithart.com.
And Stephen Carlson mentions Annie Dillard at LocustYears, which is another new blog to me, and another welcome addition to the blogosphere.
Times Review of Footsteps of Jesus
The Times has a review of In the Footsteps of Jesus:
Radiohead
Chris Campling finds God
Radiohead
Chris Campling finds God
Edward Stourton has a gift for putting youthful flesh on desiccated historical bones. Religion, particularly the Christian one, is something of a Mastermind subject for him, and over the next four weeks he is returning to a path not so much welltrodden as worn away into an arroyo or gulch.
In the Footsteps of Jesus also gives Stourton the chance to indulge in some serious “puff-pant” documentary. You don’t know the genre? Yes you do, it’s when the presenter gives you a sense of where he is by saying: “And here we are (puff), near the top (pant) of” wherever. It works best on radio — David Attenborough has been known to use the same technique on television, but that’s because he really is knackered . . .
. . . . And there are wonderful little insights to save up for the watercooler, such as the one about Jesus choosing to reveal that He was the Son of God in the very spot where a dirty great temple appointing Augustus Caesar to the gig had been built.
And Stourton is not afraid to meander off down sidepaths when the journey looks interesting. Few of us will have lifted up the rock under which reside the Nazi pastors of Germany at the end of the 1920s, for example. Faced with the Jewishness of Jesus, they unearthed the theory that, coming from Galilee, He must have been Aryan because Aryans had invaded Galilee, and so, well, er, there you go, QED, Heil Hitler, etc. Yes, you are right, it’s good stuff. Try not to miss it.
A plea for the use of hand-outs
Torrey Seland in a photo illustrated post on Philo of Alexandria blog makes a lucid appeal for the use of hand-outs at SBL sessions:
To speak for myself, it really helps me to understand, to follow and to concentrate on a paper if there is a handout.
The English of Martinez was sometimes somewhat difficult to follow, and Najman, who is an excellent scholar, is also an impresssive fast speaker, adding explanatory parantheses along the way. I must admit, however, not having English as my mother tongue, that I would have been greatly helped if there had been some handouts, giving the main aspects of the arguments presented. This is not something experienced only in this session; by no way,- many presentations suffer in a similar way. But that is no excuse. Please; do start considering using handouts.And Torrey refers to previous discussion of the phenomenon on the blogs. I think Torrey is bang on target here, and I would add that handouts are also regularly the choice of some disabled attendees, especially those who have trouble seeing a screen. The fact is that you simply cannot predict the technology either; this year we had one speaker in the Synoptics section who needed an overhead projector, and only the front row could see the screen.
Hence I have to wait some time to have a fuller understanding and enjoyment of these important papers.
To speak for myself, it really helps me to understand, to follow and to concentrate on a paper if there is a handout.
Also blogging the SBL was:
Phil Harland on Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean blog, though his comments are only brief, and he promises something in due course on Stephen Carlson's The Gospel Hoax. Let me add here that one of the things that is so good about the number of bloggers now reporting on the SBL is hearing about meetings one could not get to. The SBL Annual Meeting is so massive that you regularly miss things you have to be at; and sometimes duty has to take priority over joy.
Photo-blogging the SBL
Jim West has put the rest of us (well, me at least) to shame in his photographic illustration of his SBL experiences on Biblical Theology. I actually took my digital camera with me this year, fully intended to use it, but never once remembered to do so while at the meeting. I need to correct that next time.
There are two special highlights among Jim's pictures. The first is the picture of the e-listers on the Saturday morning, which includes bloggers Jim Davila, Stephen Carlson and me. The other is the picture of Jim's hotel bed, which functions as a strident defence of James Crossley's controversial decision to photograph his room. It seems that Jim has the luxury of a room all to himself, not like us hard-up academics who share.
There are two special highlights among Jim's pictures. The first is the picture of the e-listers on the Saturday morning, which includes bloggers Jim Davila, Stephen Carlson and me. The other is the picture of Jim's hotel bed, which functions as a strident defence of James Crossley's controversial decision to photograph his room. It seems that Jim has the luxury of a room all to himself, not like us hard-up academics who share.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Postcolonial Biblical Reader
My former Birmingham colleague, Prof. R. S. Sugirtharajah has a new collection out, and this alert arrived today:
---
The Postcolonial Biblical Reader
Edited by R.S. SUGIRTHARAJAH, University of Birmingham
This wide-ranging reader provides a comprehensive survey of the interaction between postcolonial criticism and biblical studies.
For more information, including table of contents and examination copy details, go to:
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/book.asp?ref=140513349X
Paperback (ISBN: 1405133503)
Available ROW: 15/11/2005,
Available US: 14/12/2005
Hardback (ISBN: 140513349X)
Available ROW: 15/11/2005,
Available US: 14/12/2005
---
The Postcolonial Biblical Reader
Edited by R.S. SUGIRTHARAJAH, University of Birmingham
This wide-ranging reader provides a comprehensive survey of the interaction between postcolonial criticism and biblical studies.
For more information, including table of contents and examination copy details, go to:
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/book.asp?ref=140513349X
Paperback (ISBN: 1405133503)
Available ROW: 15/11/2005,
Available US: 14/12/2005
Hardback (ISBN: 140513349X)
Available ROW: 15/11/2005,
Available US: 14/12/2005
Searching for the historical Jesus
Further to my previous post on the series, here's an article on it appearing yesterday in BBC News On-line:
Searching for the historical Jesus
In a series of radio programmes, In the Footsteps of Jesus, the BBC's Edward Stourton brings to life the world in which Jesus lived. In this article, he explains why tracing the historical facts about Jesus is so important.
The piece talks about Andrew Overman's excavations:
Searching for the historical Jesus
In a series of radio programmes, In the Footsteps of Jesus, the BBC's Edward Stourton brings to life the world in which Jesus lived. In this article, he explains why tracing the historical facts about Jesus is so important.
The piece talks about Andrew Overman's excavations:
It was a fire in 1998 that gave Dr Overman his coup at Omrit; it cleared the scrub and he was able to identify the outline of a huge Roman-era temple.And there are discussions of the scandal of the "Aryan Jesus".
He believes it was erected by King Herod to honour the Roman Emperor Augustus at the time when Augustus began to be viewed as a living god, and he has identified it as the site of Caesarea Philippi.
He is now engaged in an ambitious project to rebuild the temple; it will soon rise to its original 23 metres (75 feet) in height, once again dominating the surrounding landscape.
What's been on the BBC
I do miss the BBC while I am away; don't think I realized just how fond I was of it until I left England. I am afraid I surround myself with it here in Raleigh, and a few days away leaves me bereft. So, having first caught up on the test match in Pakistan, then Mark E. Smith of the Fall reading the football results on Saturday (wonderful and hilarious), and the very exciting Dr Who special scene featuring Chris Tenant as the Fifth Doctor, counting down to the Christmas special (hooray! I'll be in England to watch it! That alone is worth the trip back), I turned to the new Radio 4 series which premiered yesterday:
In the Footsteps of Jesus
Regular readers may recall that I have mentioned my work on this series before (I was the historical consultant for the series). From the link above you can read the transcript and listen to the programme. And there are some photographs too.
In the Footsteps of Jesus
Jesus the Jew looks at the essentials of what can really be said about Jesus with any degree of historical certainty and places Him in the context of the wandering charismatics and faith healers who were about at the time.
It also explores how His Jewish roots were gradually airbrushed out of theology, culminating in Nazi theologians who produced a Bible excised of all references to Judaism and who portrayed Jesus as an Aryan.
Regular readers may recall that I have mentioned my work on this series before (I was the historical consultant for the series). From the link above you can read the transcript and listen to the programme. And there are some photographs too.
SBL Monday: the rest
[Note, an earlier post deals with events that came chronologically after the events in this post (a bit like Luke-Acts?), because I finished that one first.]
After the Historical Jesus section at which Ted Weeden was speaking, I bought some more books, and was pleased to see that Continuum were now offering 50% discount (early 40%), so it was almost worth having waited. I say almost because I had wanted to get the three volumes of Davies-Allison on Matthew, which was super-cheap, but it seems that everyone else wanted it too and only volume 2s were left. Maybe next time. I might blog on some of my other purchases over the coming days.
I spent a little too long at the book exhibit, though, because I missed the very beginning of Stephen Carlson's Secret Mark paper. Apparently one of the speakers dropped out, so Stephen was on 25 minutes early. (Strong mental note: make extra allowances for such things in the future). But I heard almost all of it, thankfully, and it was a tour de force. Stephen presented extemp, and regular readers will know that I am a fan of that, and the talk was clearly illustrated with all the relevant samples of the hand of Secret Mark, the hands of other mss from Mar Saba, and the hand of Morton Smith himself; readers of the book will know about M. Madiotes and Stephen brought up all the relevant information about this character (I won't spoil it for those who have not read the book yet -- it's my favourite part) in dramatic fashion, with one bullet point at a time on the left, and then a photograph of Smith added on the right; at the point when it was added, there was a general laugh of surprise and recognition. Stephen added one interesting element not in the book, where the text of a word had been written around one of the foxing stains in the book.
I felt a little sorry for the speaker who was on after Stephen, since virtually the entire room got up and left just as he started, and there were only about seven or eight of us left, and some of us no doubt because we were not quite quick enough.
There was a reception for Stephen Carlson's book in the evening in the Baylor University Press suite, with some nice food (some high quality beef, asparagus, cookies). There was no booze, though, and afterwards several of us retired to the Independence Brewery Pub and continued our conversations. That pub is a definite must-visit if you are in Philadelphia -- a great variety of good draft beers and not too expensive (by American standards, at least; at $3 or so a pint, we are in the range of a standard English pub pint).
After the Historical Jesus section at which Ted Weeden was speaking, I bought some more books, and was pleased to see that Continuum were now offering 50% discount (early 40%), so it was almost worth having waited. I say almost because I had wanted to get the three volumes of Davies-Allison on Matthew, which was super-cheap, but it seems that everyone else wanted it too and only volume 2s were left. Maybe next time. I might blog on some of my other purchases over the coming days.
I spent a little too long at the book exhibit, though, because I missed the very beginning of Stephen Carlson's Secret Mark paper. Apparently one of the speakers dropped out, so Stephen was on 25 minutes early. (Strong mental note: make extra allowances for such things in the future). But I heard almost all of it, thankfully, and it was a tour de force. Stephen presented extemp, and regular readers will know that I am a fan of that, and the talk was clearly illustrated with all the relevant samples of the hand of Secret Mark, the hands of other mss from Mar Saba, and the hand of Morton Smith himself; readers of the book will know about M. Madiotes and Stephen brought up all the relevant information about this character (I won't spoil it for those who have not read the book yet -- it's my favourite part) in dramatic fashion, with one bullet point at a time on the left, and then a photograph of Smith added on the right; at the point when it was added, there was a general laugh of surprise and recognition. Stephen added one interesting element not in the book, where the text of a word had been written around one of the foxing stains in the book.
I felt a little sorry for the speaker who was on after Stephen, since virtually the entire room got up and left just as he started, and there were only about seven or eight of us left, and some of us no doubt because we were not quite quick enough.
There was a reception for Stephen Carlson's book in the evening in the Baylor University Press suite, with some nice food (some high quality beef, asparagus, cookies). There was no booze, though, and afterwards several of us retired to the Independence Brewery Pub and continued our conversations. That pub is a definite must-visit if you are in Philadelphia -- a great variety of good draft beers and not too expensive (by American standards, at least; at $3 or so a pint, we are in the range of a standard English pub pint).
SBL Tuesday: On the Way Home
On the way home now from SBL, with a hiccup on the way (I've seen "hiccough"; is that American sp?). Half of the plane at Philadelphia airport seems to be full of Duke faculty and graduate students hoping to return to Raleigh Durham. As the plane taxi-ed off, there was a loud and not very healthy sounding vibrating buzz, apparently the air conditioning malfunctioning. We returned to the terminal and there was an inspection and after half an hour or so, just as I was drifting into a pleasant sleep while reflecting on Dale Allison's Resurrection book, and then an annoucement that we were all to get off and that there would be another plane for us. So we are now sitting at another gate, awaiting our new plane.
I usually seem to encounter some sort of big delay on the way back from the SBL and it's a great comfort this time to be travelling just within America. I am not going to have any flight connection to rush for, nor the chance of getting stranded away from home for the night. I am desperate to get home by the end of the SBL. It's not that I don't love the meeting, and especially spending time with old friends; it is just that I've had enough of it by the end and I really want to see my family again. I reckon that there are a lot of people who feel the same way; why else do so many people escape on the Tuesday morning? The last morning always feels like a damp squib to me, even if there is a good session on. And no one likes to have their session timetabled for the Tuesday morning.
And the really great thing for me this year is that not only will I not have the missed night's sleep that you always get when travelling from the USA to the UK, but also I have a holiday to go back to instead of work. It's always been a bit grim travelling as a Brit, in the past, back from the SBL and feeling the buzz of excitement among Americans who are heading home or to relatives for their Thanksgiving break. So instead of getting back on Wednesday morning, having lost a night's sleep and going straight in to teach, it's a case of going home, meeting the kids from school as they begin their Thanksgiving break, and having a break myself until next week. Gosh, no wonder Americans are always in such a good mood when they depart from SBL.
I am writing this on Tuesday morning from the airport, but I won't upload it until I'm back home. Unfortunately, the wireless internet from the airport here, as from Raleigh Durham International Airport too, costs a mint. Spending a little time at the airport did give me a second chance to get a Philly Cheese Steak. Perhaps a bit odd for breakfast, but I've eaten too much scrambled egg over the last few days, and not enough Philly Cheese Steaks. They are quite good, and the one here was better than the one I had yesterday.
Later note: I have arrived home and it's great to be back; but with some very good memories of a happy and successful SBL meeting. I have a couple more posts to go, including the rest of my Monday diary, and some general reflections, but they are only half written so will have to wait for a little.
I usually seem to encounter some sort of big delay on the way back from the SBL and it's a great comfort this time to be travelling just within America. I am not going to have any flight connection to rush for, nor the chance of getting stranded away from home for the night. I am desperate to get home by the end of the SBL. It's not that I don't love the meeting, and especially spending time with old friends; it is just that I've had enough of it by the end and I really want to see my family again. I reckon that there are a lot of people who feel the same way; why else do so many people escape on the Tuesday morning? The last morning always feels like a damp squib to me, even if there is a good session on. And no one likes to have their session timetabled for the Tuesday morning.
And the really great thing for me this year is that not only will I not have the missed night's sleep that you always get when travelling from the USA to the UK, but also I have a holiday to go back to instead of work. It's always been a bit grim travelling as a Brit, in the past, back from the SBL and feeling the buzz of excitement among Americans who are heading home or to relatives for their Thanksgiving break. So instead of getting back on Wednesday morning, having lost a night's sleep and going straight in to teach, it's a case of going home, meeting the kids from school as they begin their Thanksgiving break, and having a break myself until next week. Gosh, no wonder Americans are always in such a good mood when they depart from SBL.
I am writing this on Tuesday morning from the airport, but I won't upload it until I'm back home. Unfortunately, the wireless internet from the airport here, as from Raleigh Durham International Airport too, costs a mint. Spending a little time at the airport did give me a second chance to get a Philly Cheese Steak. Perhaps a bit odd for breakfast, but I've eaten too much scrambled egg over the last few days, and not enough Philly Cheese Steaks. They are quite good, and the one here was better than the one I had yesterday.
Later note: I have arrived home and it's great to be back; but with some very good memories of a happy and successful SBL meeting. I have a couple more posts to go, including the rest of my Monday diary, and some general reflections, but they are only half written so will have to wait for a little.
Monday, November 21, 2005
SBL Monday afternoon
In some respects today was the most enjoyable day; I didn't feel as rough as I did yesterday, I didn't have anything to do in public, I was able to find time to buy some more books, I got to spend a decent amount of time with people whose company I really enjoy, and I went to some sessions. I went in to the first paper of the Biblical Greek Language and Linguistics section where my former PhD student Catherine Smith was presenting first and she did a great job -- there's real pride for the supervisor who sees his former students performing so well in public! Her paper was on her reconfiguring of the Synoptic data in the light of systemic functional linguistics, with focus on the parable of the Sower.
We went next to the Historical Jesus section, where we caught the fag end of an interesting discussion about Jesus' illegitimacy. There was then a paper by about Jesus and repudiaction of family ties, very well presented with a clear handout, but the method was not to my taste -- all Q / Thomas and multiple attestation. I don't have the programme with me but I think her name was Susan Griffith, but that might be wrong. I asked a question at the end about the combination between multiple attestation and the criterion of embarrassment -- I can't help thinking that one cancels out the other. If everyone, Q, an independent Thomas, Mark, Matthew, Luke all have this same material, who is embarrassed about it? The multiple attestation is itself an argument against embarrassment.
She was followed by someone whose name I don't recall (sorry!) on the Parable of the Pounds / Talents and the Archelaus background. Last up was was a brilliant presentation by Ted Weeden on Bailey's theory of informal controlled oral tradition, in which he demonstrated clearly to my satisfaction that the evidenciary basis for Bailey's thesis is flawed. A very useful, multi-page handout too. Michael Bird was there too, but I am less convinced than he that Jimmy Dunn's response at the end was adequate. I think Ted Weeden has dealt a fatal blow to Bailey's theory, at least on the evidence that Bailey himself provides.
More anon.
We went next to the Historical Jesus section, where we caught the fag end of an interesting discussion about Jesus' illegitimacy. There was then a paper by about Jesus and repudiaction of family ties, very well presented with a clear handout, but the method was not to my taste -- all Q / Thomas and multiple attestation. I don't have the programme with me but I think her name was Susan Griffith, but that might be wrong. I asked a question at the end about the combination between multiple attestation and the criterion of embarrassment -- I can't help thinking that one cancels out the other. If everyone, Q, an independent Thomas, Mark, Matthew, Luke all have this same material, who is embarrassed about it? The multiple attestation is itself an argument against embarrassment.
She was followed by someone whose name I don't recall (sorry!) on the Parable of the Pounds / Talents and the Archelaus background. Last up was was a brilliant presentation by Ted Weeden on Bailey's theory of informal controlled oral tradition, in which he demonstrated clearly to my satisfaction that the evidenciary basis for Bailey's thesis is flawed. A very useful, multi-page handout too. Michael Bird was there too, but I am less convinced than he that Jimmy Dunn's response at the end was adequate. I think Ted Weeden has dealt a fatal blow to Bailey's theory, at least on the evidence that Bailey himself provides.
More anon.
SBL Monday morning
Another early morning breakfast appointment, Synoptic Gospels Steering Committee. Next year I am going to give myself at least one early morning off; I am not getting my money's worth out of the hotel bed. My roommates hardly see me.
I then had the SBL Forum Advisory Board and a useful meeting, with lots of good suggestions. It finished in time for me to get to the last two papers in the Paul and Politics section, Jeff Peterson on "Paul, Passover and Politics", focusing on 1 Cor. 5.7 and featuring some stuff I want to follow up for my own research on the Passion Narratives. Then James McLaren gave an interesting paper on the identity of the man of lawlessness in 2 Thess., though unfortunately I missed quite a lot of the paper through sleep.
At lunchtime I got my first taste of a Philly cheese steak sandwich and it was pretty nice, though the place we went to was apparently not the best and there was not enough cheese in it.
I then had the SBL Forum Advisory Board and a useful meeting, with lots of good suggestions. It finished in time for me to get to the last two papers in the Paul and Politics section, Jeff Peterson on "Paul, Passover and Politics", focusing on 1 Cor. 5.7 and featuring some stuff I want to follow up for my own research on the Passion Narratives. Then James McLaren gave an interesting paper on the identity of the man of lawlessness in 2 Thess., though unfortunately I missed quite a lot of the paper through sleep.
At lunchtime I got my first taste of a Philly cheese steak sandwich and it was pretty nice, though the place we went to was apparently not the best and there was not enough cheese in it.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Also blogging SBL today are . . . .
Joe Cathey has lots of interesting posts on the SBL, including one today on the CARG session which he describes as "one of the best that I have attended here at SBL". I must admit to enjoying it too. Stephen Carlson was up later than me blogging on SBL Saturday. Jim Davila decided to abandon the television-blogging and to go for a 15 minute (maximum allowed) stint on the computers in the Book Exhibit. Jim West has several posts, including one on the Biblioblogging session. Torrey Seland likewise comments:
Michael Bird is blogging on Euangelion. Pete Williams has an interesting take on the Wright / Ehrman / Crossan / Martin session. Rick Brannan comments on the biblioblogging session. Joe Weaks comments briefly. James Crossley is still blogging, but alas, no more interesting pics of other parts of his hotel yet. For pics, you'll have to go to Yasmin Finch (and here).
Sorry still no pics here. I couldn't really take pictures while chairing one session and speaking at another. But I'll definitely try to get a couple of pics done tomorrow.
The discussion had its merits; it could perhaps, at least according to my opinion, have been a little more organised as people just 'took the word' and spoke without waiting in line, or giving a sign.I am probably to blame on both points, but I must admit to having enjoyed the easy-flowing ad-hoc nature of the discussion. People did give a sign -- they generally put up a hand or similar, and I don't think anyone hogged the floor; nor did anyone not get the opportunity to speak if they wanted it. The question about the future is a good one -- we should have raised those questions more.
I had also hoped that someone (in addition to me.......:-) had focused a little more on the future; What do we expect blogosphere will look like in two years, and/or what do we want it to look like? I presume the wild flowers will continue to grow; but if we do not get more blogs who focus more strictly on specific fields, or groups of biblical writings, we will lose some interest in the scholarly world....
Michael Bird is blogging on Euangelion. Pete Williams has an interesting take on the Wright / Ehrman / Crossan / Martin session. Rick Brannan comments on the biblioblogging session. Joe Weaks comments briefly. James Crossley is still blogging, but alas, no more interesting pics of other parts of his hotel yet. For pics, you'll have to go to Yasmin Finch (and here).
Sorry still no pics here. I couldn't really take pictures while chairing one session and speaking at another. But I'll definitely try to get a couple of pics done tomorrow.
SBL Sunday afternoon
I went to the Matthew Section at 1 today and was the first up. I presented a paper on The Rock on Rocky Ground: Matthew, Mark and Peter as Skandalon. It wasn't the best presentation I've given; I was feeling quite ill by this point (my own fault, I know), but I did get some great questions afterwards which will help to improve the paper. Steve Black spoked next, also on Peter, on whether or not he was rehabilitated in Matthew. Rodrigo J. Morales spoke on Wisdom in Matthew, the yoke saying and the Sermon on the Mount. Catherine Sider Hamilton spoke on blood in Matthew, and Daniel Gurtner talked about the temple in Matthew. There was a nice symmetry to the session, with two from Duke and two from Toronto School of Theology, two papers on Peter, two papers on the Temple. It was a really well attended session as well, and I was pleased that I had made 100 handouts.
I had a series of other meetings; ate some good Chinese; and at 9 was the Duke Reception -- full to the brim -- and my first ever. Eric Meyers stood up and introduced faculty old and new, including me, and I had lots of nice personal welcomes afterwards.
Agonies over for me. I am looking forward to relaxing and enjoying the SBL properly tomorrow. And before going to bed, I must sneak a peak at what others have been blogging of the conference to compare notes.
I had a series of other meetings; ate some good Chinese; and at 9 was the Duke Reception -- full to the brim -- and my first ever. Eric Meyers stood up and introduced faculty old and new, including me, and I had lots of nice personal welcomes afterwards.
Agonies over for me. I am looking forward to relaxing and enjoying the SBL properly tomorrow. And before going to bed, I must sneak a peak at what others have been blogging of the conference to compare notes.
SBL Sunday morning
Alas, I only managed three and a half hours' sleep; I have a terrible habit of filling my schedule so full that in the end it's the sleep has has to be sacrificed, and I regretted it today. As I got up for my breakfast meeting, I felt pretty rough and felt that way all day, but managed to perk up tonight. Managed to summon up enough energy to chair a session this morning and to present a paper this afternoon, but I found neither easy. I am making a resolution that next year I will have at least one morning when I don't have to get up at 6. OK, personal whinge over; time to give my reflections on the day.
After my breakfast meeting (in a pretty posh restaurant called Soles, normally a seafood place), I went to the Computer Assisted Research Section for our much blogged-about session on The Pains, the Pleasures and the Prospects for Biblioblogging. I was asked to put the panel together for this last spring, and the personnel will be familiar to many of my readers. I gave a short introduction, and then Jim Davila presented his paper. I am delighted to say that although Jim did not jump, or wave, or produce Victor Borge style sounds when he read hyperlinks, he did do a little jump when he told us that he would not be doing any of those things. You can still read his paper on-line. As usual on these occasions, it was presented beautifully. Rick Brannan then presented his paper with a very clear Powerpoint, which made it easy to follow -- and interesting. We then took a couple of minutes while we tried to find enough chairs for all the panel. In addition to Jim and Rick, this was Stephen Carlson, Torrey Seland, Ed Cook, Tim Bulkeley, AKMA, Jim West. Each took five minutes to introduce themselves and teir blog and add some reflections. We then had a discussion amongst ourselves, and I opened up the last 40 minutes to the floor to add their own comments and questions. Rarely have I been to an SBL session with so lively but at the same time so genial a discussion. As it turned out, many of the audience were themselves bloggers, and there were useful contributions from Jo Weaks, Brandon Wason, Paul Nikkel, Chris Heard and many others.
I don't think we broke any new ground and I don't think we discovered anything about blogging that we didn't already know, but it was one of those sessions that transcended that because of the positive vibe. Am I being too upbeat about it all? Perhaps, because Paul Nikkel's question was the one that did give me pause for thought, and several of us discussed it further afterwards, including Yasmin Finch. The gist of the question was the act of defining ourselves as bibliobloggers, discussing what one is, discussing who is in and who is out; all such things are raising some walls around us, creating a community with its own way of behaving. There is some institutionalization of the charismatic routes of our blogging here. The question tapped into some of my concerns about our having an SBL session on this, though in the end the session really served its purpose well, to raise the profile of blogging in the academic context, and to provide a positive and productive forum in which lots of like-minded people were able to come together for the first time in the same place and celebrate the strengths of an activity that we enjoy, and apparently many others benefit from.
After my breakfast meeting (in a pretty posh restaurant called Soles, normally a seafood place), I went to the Computer Assisted Research Section for our much blogged-about session on The Pains, the Pleasures and the Prospects for Biblioblogging. I was asked to put the panel together for this last spring, and the personnel will be familiar to many of my readers. I gave a short introduction, and then Jim Davila presented his paper. I am delighted to say that although Jim did not jump, or wave, or produce Victor Borge style sounds when he read hyperlinks, he did do a little jump when he told us that he would not be doing any of those things. You can still read his paper on-line. As usual on these occasions, it was presented beautifully. Rick Brannan then presented his paper with a very clear Powerpoint, which made it easy to follow -- and interesting. We then took a couple of minutes while we tried to find enough chairs for all the panel. In addition to Jim and Rick, this was Stephen Carlson, Torrey Seland, Ed Cook, Tim Bulkeley, AKMA, Jim West. Each took five minutes to introduce themselves and teir blog and add some reflections. We then had a discussion amongst ourselves, and I opened up the last 40 minutes to the floor to add their own comments and questions. Rarely have I been to an SBL session with so lively but at the same time so genial a discussion. As it turned out, many of the audience were themselves bloggers, and there were useful contributions from Jo Weaks, Brandon Wason, Paul Nikkel, Chris Heard and many others.
I don't think we broke any new ground and I don't think we discovered anything about blogging that we didn't already know, but it was one of those sessions that transcended that because of the positive vibe. Am I being too upbeat about it all? Perhaps, because Paul Nikkel's question was the one that did give me pause for thought, and several of us discussed it further afterwards, including Yasmin Finch. The gist of the question was the act of defining ourselves as bibliobloggers, discussing what one is, discussing who is in and who is out; all such things are raising some walls around us, creating a community with its own way of behaving. There is some institutionalization of the charismatic routes of our blogging here. The question tapped into some of my concerns about our having an SBL session on this, though in the end the session really served its purpose well, to raise the profile of blogging in the academic context, and to provide a positive and productive forum in which lots of like-minded people were able to come together for the first time in the same place and celebrate the strengths of an activity that we enjoy, and apparently many others benefit from.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Biblioblogging issues
Ahead of tomorrow's session (in fact, later today, because I'm up in the small hours), Torrey Seland has posted his own reflections which are worth reading:
Biblioblogging Issues
Biblioblogging Issues
SBL: Saturday afternoon
I attended the first session of the Synoptics Section which was, unfortunately, pretty badly attended. Next door, afterwards, there was the best attended session of the New Testament Textual Criticism section I have been to, and it was the highlight of the meeting so far. It was something of an eclectic mix, with a panel made up of John Dominic Crossan, Tom Wright, Bart Ehrman and Dale Martin; Kim Haines-Eitzen was in the chair. The ostensible reason for the session was a review of two books, Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus and a book by Wright on Scripture, called something like The Last Word. All four speakers are fine orators and there was an extent to which the session was a battle between the four to produce the best performance and get the most laughs. Crossan was first and posed the question of Ehrman that there was more variation between the Gospels already, looking at them synoptically, than there was between the various texts of the Gospels. And he asked the repeated question about the distinction between the "Word of God" and "words of God". Second was Dale Martin who began by outing himself publicly as an amateur theologian, and who criticized Wright for making historical claims about what was in Jesus' mind, claims that had no place in responsible history. Next was Tom Wright, who defended his new 100 page book by noting that it did have oversimplification and that there was a lot more detail in some of his large academic books. Bart Erhman spoke last and gave a fine exhortation to taking textual-criticism seriously, chiding his NT colleagues for their ignorance, a point accepted, perhaps grudgingly, by everyone on the panel. There was a panel discussion, with a lot of talking past one another, and then there were questions from the floor.
I was left with the feeling that this was one of the more entertaining SBL sessions I had ever been to, and especially good in the textual criticism section. (By the way, the overall theme was the Authority of the Bible). But there was not, in the end, the kind of intellectual engagement between the panelists that would have made it truly memorable.
Tomorrow morning is the session of special interest in this forum -- a two hour discussion of what we think we are doing when we blog. Should be fun.
Update (2.01): Michael Bird (who was sitting next to Brandon Wason, and behind Stephen Carlson and me), has his reflections on this session on Euangelion. Unfortunately, I missed the end of Dale Martin's paper on account of being asleep.
I was left with the feeling that this was one of the more entertaining SBL sessions I had ever been to, and especially good in the textual criticism section. (By the way, the overall theme was the Authority of the Bible). But there was not, in the end, the kind of intellectual engagement between the panelists that would have made it truly memorable.
Tomorrow morning is the session of special interest in this forum -- a two hour discussion of what we think we are doing when we blog. Should be fun.
Update (2.01): Michael Bird (who was sitting next to Brandon Wason, and behind Stephen Carlson and me), has his reflections on this session on Euangelion. Unfortunately, I missed the end of Dale Martin's paper on account of being asleep.
SBL Saturday
I too am here in Philadelphia at the SBL Annual Meeting. The good news is that there is free wireless internet available in public areas of the convention centre and I have my blogging machine with me. Not a lot to report on yet, except that I have met lots of old friends, and some new ones, and have been able to put some faces to names too. At 11.30 a.m. was the annual e-listers meeting, where those who inhabit the email lists gather together and meet one another, and there are several group photographs taken.
It is good to see a big stack of Stephen Carlson's Gospel Hoax available just as one walks into the Exhibit Hall, and there seems rightly to be a lot of interest in it.
It is also good to see that Jim Davila is once again performing his science-fiction style feat of blogging through his television set (over on Paleojudaica). Other bibliobloggers encountered include Michael Pahl, Stephen Carlson and Jim West. On Early Christian History, James Crossley defends his controversial decision to photograph his hotel bed. But I remain a fan of the decision to publish the photograph; this is just the kind of the thing the punters want; it helps those who can't make it this year to get a taste of the SBL Philadelphia experience. Much more interesting than lots of text.
It is good to see a big stack of Stephen Carlson's Gospel Hoax available just as one walks into the Exhibit Hall, and there seems rightly to be a lot of interest in it.
It is also good to see that Jim Davila is once again performing his science-fiction style feat of blogging through his television set (over on Paleojudaica). Other bibliobloggers encountered include Michael Pahl, Stephen Carlson and Jim West. On Early Christian History, James Crossley defends his controversial decision to photograph his hotel bed. But I remain a fan of the decision to publish the photograph; this is just the kind of the thing the punters want; it helps those who can't make it this year to get a taste of the SBL Philadelphia experience. Much more interesting than lots of text.
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