This week the internet exploded when archaeologists found a seal from Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The seal contains the phrase לחזקיהו [בן] אחז מלך יהדה–at least I’m trusting the person who knows paleo-Hebrew script to have that correct! The translation is “Belonging to Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, King of Judah.” What an exciting find! Of course this doesn’t “prove” that the Bible is true,…
One of the sessions at SBL in Atlanta (2015) brought together three editors of mainstream journals to discuss the process of selecting and editing journal articles for publication in their journal. Much of the process is common sense, but it was most helpful to hear the differences between the journals that were represented and their estimated statistics on article selection vs. rejection and the kinds of articles….
This year’s Institute for Biblical Research’s plenary speaker was Craig Bartholomew. He spoke on a biblical philosophy of history, which he draws out of the Old Testament, focusing in his talk on the view of God and history espoused in Ps 93, the first of the “YHWH mlk” psalms (“Yahweh reigns”). This theory comes largely out of his new….
In Constantine Campbell’s latest book, Advances in the Study of Greek: New Insights for Reading the New Testament, he summarizes in two chapters the use of discourse analysis by New Testament scholars over the past few decades. A summary of these chapters and some evaluative comments might be helpful for those interested in discourse analysis….
I would classify this work as first Christian, second critical, and third Catholic. While I’m not Catholic, the benefit of a Catholic textbook on the OT is that it includes discussion of the other seven Greek intertestamental works that are important for NT backgrounds (and, of course, for seeing to where the stream(s) of the OT flow). Moreoever, Boadt enlists Pope Pius XII’s support for a critical approach to the OT based on his Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943). More recently in 1989, Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) called for a “criticism of criticism”….
From the volume Paul and Pseudepigraphy (PAST 8) (which I briefly summarize and evaluate here), one essay stood out as particularly important for contemporary debates over Pauline style. Many recent studies have emphasized the possible input of co-authors and the possible freedom of amanuenses, but many scholars still ignore these possibilities and argue for pseudonymity based on style. The argument is common with Ephesians/Colossians, as well as the Pastorals, and also 2 Thessalonians….
I found this paragraph in a post by Wayne Coppins: For further reflections on Martin Hengel’s life and work, see esp. my translation of his essay “A Young Theological Discipline in Crisis” in Earliest Christian History (cf. e.g., Larry Hurtado 1 and Michael Bird) and Roland Deines’ heavily documented essay in this same volume. See also e.g. Roland Deines, John Dickson, Larry Hurtado 2, David Neff, Daniel B. Wallace, and The Telegraph. Check these out, especially the ones with personal stories about students and professors dining with Hengel at his home, which I…
Scott Hafemann reviewed G. K. Beale’s NT Biblical Theology at least year’s annual ETS conference. Beale has recorded some replies to Hafemann’s concerns. Here, I provide a summary of Hafemann’s critiques and Beale’s replies, as well as an evaluation of the discussion. Hafemann first objects to Beale’s method of reading the OT in light of its “transformed” fulfillment in the NT, citing Beale’s agreement with Hays’ theory of creative transformation of meaning in light of Christ’s fulfillment. He also suggests…
The variety of views on biblical theology current in the academy are interesting, perplexing, and at times daunting. Finding the most faithful methodology for reading Scripture as both historical and theological is perhaps one of the most pressing Christian academic pursuits today. D. A. Carson’s article on NT Theology lists seven elements that he believes are essential for NT Theology.[1] Seven Elements 1) Theology cannot be left out (contra Baur), nor can it be divorced from history (contra Bultmann). 2)…