NTI Reading and Resources

Here are some New Testament Introduction (NTI) resources that we use at DTS. NTI is more than just a survey of the books of the New Testament. Here we will introduce the historical background of the New Testament and begin to discuss some of the critical issues surrounding the New Testament. 

Due to the nature of the topic, there is a lot of reading. The topics range from historical background to critical method. Consider these reading tips as you wade into this material.


1. Darrell Bock, Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002).

This is a great reference book. The first half addresses background issues such as a historical outline, a religious overview, and a look at the various social groups within the first century. The second half of the book briefly addresses the various types of Gospel criticism. Here Bock gives a concise definition and evaluates both the benefits and drawbacks for each criticism.

I have referred to this book regularly throughout my masters program, doctoral program, and now regularly as I write. I would highly recommend it to your bookcase.


2. D. A. Carson and Douglass Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005).

I would recommend that students have a NT Introduction in their library. And this is a good one to consider. Carson and Moo address the general and specific problems of each New Testament book. They discuss general issues such as who wrote each book and when it was written, but also particular problems such as the relationship of the Synoptic Gospels or Paul’s relationship to the law. You’ll refer to this book regularly throughout your studies.

Donald Guthrie’s Introduction, a suggested text, is probably more thorough, but significantly longer. Both Carson/Moo and Guthrie are conservative in their perspective. Bart Ehrman’s Introduction, another suggested text, gives a liberal perspective. Kümmel’s Introduction, not on the syllabus, is another good introduction from a liberal perspective.


3. Paul Barnett, Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times (Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999).

Barnett provides more of a historical overview of the period of the New Testament. He focuses on the history of the church within the apostolic period, particularly the missionary movement of Paul and other members of the apostolic church. This is an excellent book focusing on a short period of time.

F. F. Bruce wrote a good historical overview as well. Unlike Barnett, Bruce covers the Jewish history from the Babylonian exile, which plays a significant role in the lives of the Jews during the time of Jesus.

4. Bruce W. Longenecker, The Lost Letters of Pergamum: A Story from the New Testament World (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003).

The Lost Letters of Pergamum is a fictional depiction of letters between Luke, the Evangelist, and man named Antipas. Through these letters you can catch a glimpse at some of the social make-up of the first century culture. Longenecker describes issues such as honor and shame, table fellowship, wealth, slavery, and martyrdom through these letters.

As a result of the dialogue with Luke, Antipas becomes a part of a Christian community, which gives a picture of how these early Christian communities most likely addressed the surrounding culture. It’s a fun read.

5. Michael B. Thompson, The New Perspective on Paul (Cambridge: Grove Books, 2010).

This small volume is about 30 pages in length. Thompson does a great job discussing the various proponents of the New Perspective and how they differ in degree. He discusses the historical implications as well as the theological implications. This is a handy volume to help guide a new student into this issue. Due to its length, you might be able to read it in a single setting in the library.

There are several other resources that could be added to the list, but this is where we draw the line.

The Lord's Prayer: Some Observations

The Lord’s prayer stands as the most important prayer in the West. In Matthew Jesus states that we should not pray “as the Gentile, because they think that in their many words they will be heard.” In Luke, Jesus seems to encourage us to pray with an annoying persistence. The change in context does not change the meaning, but gives depth and texture to how we ought to present our requests to God.

Matthew

Matthew situates the prayer in a part of the Sermon of the Mount. Here Jesus focuses on our righteousness as we relate to God. First, Jesus states that when give, pray, fast, that we should do it in private. This theme runs throughout this section (Matt 6:1-18). Second, Jesus sums up the heart of the sermon by stating that we should store up our treasures in heaven (Matt 6:19-21) and give our concerns to God, who knows what we need anyway (Matt 6:25-34).

Here Jesus reiterates the fact that all good gifts come from God, we don’t have to manipulate him into providing for us. We need to exercise our faith and believe that he will provide for us when we need provision. We can live thankfully as we remember the times that he provided for us in the past.

Luke

Unlike Matthew, Luke omits the prayer from the Sermon (Luke 6:20-49). Luke places it later (Luke 11:2b-4). Here Jesus gives a parables that teaches us to ask for what we need with shameless persistence. The parable tells a story of a man, who is surprised by guests that stop by his house. He doesn't have anything to provide for these late night guests, so he goes to his neighbor. Jesus suggests that the neighbor will not want to provide food for his friend. After showing persistence, the neighbor finally gives the man bread (Luke 11:8). 

From a Western perspective, this seems to contradict what Matthew says--don’t pile up words to get God to do what we want. Yet in Luke, I imagine a man standing at the door knocking until the man gives him what he wants. The images are in conflict.

Luke describes the man as action without care of what others think of him, “ignoring convention.” In a first century Jewish context, it would have been offensive for the man not to offer his guests food after the journey. The only way that he can get the food he needs is to humble himself before his neighbor. He gets the bread by making himself a spectacle before his neighbor. The neighbor provides for him to save him from further embarrassment. 

We should approach God in the same way--realizing that everything we receive from him is based on sheer grace, not on anything within us.

Relating to God

On a surface level Matthew and Luke seem to draw two different pictures. Matthew says to avoid many words and believe in God. Luke says that we should demonstrate a shameless persistence in our prayer life. On a deeper level, these seem to be two sides of the same coin. Matthew focuses on how we should view God. He’s faithful; he will provide for us. Luke focuses on how we should present ourselves to God, as one who is contrite and dependent on God, realizing that there is nothing we can do to evoke his grace.

Four Common Mistakes in Writing a Term Paper

In a time crunch students can fall victim to some of the more classic blunders in writing a paper. Below are some of the mistakes that I've made.

1. Mismanage your time. Many students procrastinate in writing. They’re unsure about the project, or what’s entailed. When I was a student, I found that I could quickly push writing off to another day. Even though I enjoyed the process, any other project could easily take its place.

You want to start the writing process as early as you can. The truth of the matter is that once you begin a writing project, your mind won’t stop working on it. Even when you step away, you will think about it passively. Carry a journal and jot down notes when you think about a particular resource or idea. The best ideas hit me at the most inconvenient times; you need to have some type of device to capture these thoughts. The more soak time that you put into a paper, the better product you’ll have. Of course, don't underestimate the power of a deadline.

Some students find themselves writing at the last moment. If this is the case, take inventory of the time you have and allocate the project on a timeline. Stick to the time allocation. And remember, sleep is overrated.

2. Reinvent the wheel. As a student I fell victim to the first mistake and guilt from procrastination kept me from going to the professor to ask for help. When I finally did approach the professor it was often too late.

Most papers in higher education or seminary are template style papers. Your professor has read the same paper over and over again. They have seen successful papers and they’re aware of common mistakes that take students in the wrong direction. 

I’m also willing to bet that they want to help you write a good paper--they have to read it. Chances are the paper deals with a topic that they themselves are interested, and they wouldn't mind a coffee break. Don't be afraid to talk with your professor about your paper topic. The dialogue that you have with your professor will give you a better sense of direction for your paper.  

3. Start writing without a thesis. I have read papers that sound like conscious streams of thought. Good students can generally bluff their way through a few pages. Though without a good thesis it will fall flat.

A thesis will help guide your paper. Everything in your paper should support your thesis. If you can’t make a clear connection between your thesis and what you’re writing, then your grader won’t be able to make it either. Seriously consider deleting it.

Here are some tips on developing a strong thesis. The thesis is only about thirty words, but its probably the most important part of your paper. You should carefully craft it. Having a strong thesis will help you write much faster and more efficiently.

4. Consider your first draft as your final draft. After you have spent several days, several weeks, an all nighter on particular issue, you may not feel like reviewing what you just wrote. Its only going to a grader, right?

Its best to put the paper down for a day or two and review it later. Your mind is more objective. The connections that were clear as you formed the argument may need to be tightened up a bit. You may consider a writing group where you can exchange papers with a friend to read.

Typos, grammatical errors, logical errors will get in the way of your argument. It will cause most graders to miss the forest because they have to focus on the errors of the individual trees. You’ll always have mistakes, but make the paper as clean as you can.

When I was in school and I anticipated an all-nighter, I would adjust my schedule so that I pulled the all-nighter a few days prior to the due date. This at least created some time that I could review the paper after getting some sleep.
What are some steps that you might have taken to make the writing process more successful? What mistakes are you finding that you are making this semester, that you’ll vow to correct in the spring?

Paul or Jesus?

2d year Greek student echo the title, but
it's after two years of Pauline Exegesis.

If you were given a choice, would you have dinner with Jesus or Paul? I’m willing to bet we would all choose Jesus. Let’s face it, everybody likes Jesus better than Paul. Jesus bucked the religious and political authorities; Paul is accused of perpetuating slavery. Little children wanted to sit with Jesus; Paul reminded the church that women shouldn’t speak during the meeting. Jesus actually turned water into wine; Paul probably began the tradition of serving grape juice at the Lord’s Supper. Jesus went around telling stories; Paul went around telling people how to live their lives. In the world in which we live, stories are valuable cultural currency, but putting forward some type of ethical standard comes across as judgmental.

J. R. Daniel Kirk’s book, Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? A Narrative Approach to the Problem of Pauline Christianity (Grand Rapids, Baker: 2011), addresses the growing divide in our culture between Jesus and Paul, which appears to have begun as early as Peter, who had trouble understanding Paul. Kirk makes the case that in reality Jesus and Paul really aren’t that far a part. If we read Jesus carefully, we’ll actually see that he puts forward a standard for those who wish to follow him. And Paul, just like Jesus, believes that God is saving the world through those who are marginalized through society. When we set the two in conflict, we are most likely not reading them accurately.

For me, two aspects of the book stand out. 

First, in the subtitle, Kirk notes that he comes to Paul through narrative. By this, Kirk means that you have to understand the worldview that is behind Paul’s thinking to actually understand Paul. Once that’s clear, then Paul’s writing will begin to make sense. And the divide between Jesus and Paul won’t look so great. Worldview is narrative, or a story about how the world functions. One way to define the Christian life or maturity, is by seeking to conform our own worldview to the worldview of the Bible. I’ve written about this in brief here.

Many biblical theologians will say that theologizing with Gospel literature is more implicit than the didactic literature we get from Paul, and therefore more difficult. This assumes that Paul writes in a straightforward manner. In truth a narrative runs behind Paul’s own theology, and if you don’t understand Paul’s backstory of God’s work through Israel, Jesus, and the church, you'll misunderstand Paul himself. The tragedy is that many who assume that they understand Paul really don’t, because they don’t share the values of the apostle, or understand God’s story they way that he does.

This is becoming somewhat of a popular approach to Pauline theology. Timothy Gombis has written a book about understand the narrative behind Ephesians. A few years ago, Ben Witherington wrote a similar book on approaching Paul through narrative.

Second, Kirk looks at a number of current issues and addresses them through his understanding of the Christian narrative. This is a marked difference in recent work in biblical theology. In the past, biblical theology has been descriptive of the text. The second part of Kirk’s book investigates current issues from women in ministry to homosexuality. Readers will not agree with Kirk on all of these issues, but his critique that Christians have engaged the discussion in a markedly unchristian manner is right on.

For me, good biblical theology should be descriptive, but it should also call us to respond. The Christian story ought to challenge us and our approach to the world. This is a step in the right direction.

What problems have you had with Paul? If you had a chance, how would you steer the conversation at dinner?

Gratitude, a Thanksgiving Reflection

Irony for today? An ad for gratitude.

Presumption permeates our current culture. We all feel like we are entitled to iPhones, cable TV, anything else that black Friday marketers highlight. Just below the surface of this is the feeling that we deserve it. The inverse, then, is that if we don’t get these things, then we feel wronged or betrayed. We didn't get what belonged to us. I’ve actually felt sorry for people that pull out their early 2000’s flip phone; this probably propels this sentiment in a negative way. Life begins to look like it isn’t fair.

The Christian story cuts against this idea. Paul tells the Philippians that he considers all that he has as something to thrown away. Paul is warning the Philippians against relying on anything other than Christ for salvation. You'll never hear a theological argument for the soteriological value of consumerism on Sunday morning. But it seems that more than not we place our lives in the hands of these things. And when they don’t come through we are either disappointed or angry. We definitely don’t feel Christian joy.

The opposite of this is gratitude.

Twelve steppers say that if you want to be successful in recovery, then you have to have an “attitude of gratitude.” This might sound like some type of platitude, but it summarizes the heart  any twelve step recovery program. It indicates that all that we have comes from someone or something bigger than ourselves, and that all we have is in spite of our best efforts. Gratitude is that emotion that results from the realization that despite ourselves we have received something wonderful. Whenever I begin to feel an entitlement-induced-depression, I make a list of the top five things for which I’m thankful.

It is one thing to realize that there is something bigger than ourselves, it's another to actually insert ourselves in the wider world. Giving back to those in need, true need, provides some significant insight. It puts our own life in perspective. When you help someone who doesn't know from where they will receive their next meal, it puts the delayed release date of iPhone 5 in perspective. It reminds us that God’s concern isn’t for my own accumulation of stuff, but for those who are in need.

When we begin to develop this attitude within our lives we’ll see that all good gifts come from the Father above. Similarly, the things in which we once boasted really get in the way of the gifts that God wants to give to us. Life really isn’t that fair; neither is grace.

How do you show gratitude? Even though it might not change your life circumstances, how does it alter your perspective?

ETS/SBL Book Round Up

How can you tell if you are at ETS or SBL? To quote NT Wright (who described two professors from oxford): “they are wearing tweed, and you overhear one of them saying ‘ninthly.’” They also pack an extra suitcase with them to lug their books back home. Below are some of the gems that I picked up.

So I'll tip my hand--below is the list of books that I picked up at ETS. I did not bring an extra suitcase.

I first grabbed the 28th edition of the Nestle-Aland Greek text that just came out. There are just a few changes to the text in the General Epistles, and none to the Gospels, Acts, or Paulines. The editors have updated the list of manuscripts that form the basis of the text. They have updated the cross references in the text and have made it a much more reader friendly edition. I'm happy with the purchase. Interestingly enough because of the new edition there was a fire sale on the 27th edition. Crossway had a nice diglot edition with the ESV, but it was a little bulky. There will be a few more editions that come out later in the year or early next year that have various English translations. This will probably cause the biggest stir among first year Greek students who bought a NA-27.

Second, I picked up a slim volume by DA Carson: Jesus The Son of God. Carson discusses the Christological title in about 100 pages. He focuses on the use of the title, particularly John 5 and Hebrews 1. The last chapter focuses the discussion on the use of the title in a Muslim context. DA Carson is a sharp scholar. I'm looking forward to see how he deals with the text. I'm becoming more convinced that good theology has to be both exegetically sound, but also relevant to the society around us. Carson is exegetically sound, and I'm aware of his theological work. I'm not aware of his contextualization of Christianity within a muslim context. I'm interested to see how he lands.

Third, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, looks very interesting. This topic is crucial to those coming into biblical studies. The difficult, however, of removing a blindspot is that you aren't aware of it. As readers, and teachers of the Bible, we have to continue to sensitize ourselves to the cultural norms that we have wholesale adopted that impact how we read the text. Some of the more fruitful discussions about the text have come when my distance from the text has been highlighted and in some degree addressed. The Bible challenges culture, the ancient as well as the modern. To appreciate this critique, you have to appreciate the message of the Bible as well as the culture. The ability to do this will regularly give insight to the Bible.

Fourth, Pennington's Reading the Gospels Wisely, addresses specific Gospel issues. Developing theology from narrative is particularly difficult. There are layers of issues that range from history to literary. How were the Gospels written? Why were they written? What was their purpose? How do we make out their theology since much of the message is implied through description of the stories.

Fifth, G. K. Beale's work, We Become what We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, looks interesting. Here Beale investigates idolatry throughout the Bible and how it applies to the Christian life. The concept of imitation pervades the Bible. This is particularly illuminating in regards to the New Testament's command for us to conform ourselves to Jesus.

I'm beginning to see more monographs that address particular theological themes that run through the Bible. One series that I'm interested in is the New Studies in Biblical Theology.

Sixth, Kingdom Through Covenant, is a biblical theology that is seeking to engender a discussion within evangelicalism between dispensational and reformed theologians. Understanding the covenantal system in the Old Testament and how it is applied to the New Testament is critical. The discussion over at the Gospel Coalition sparked my interested here. Darrell Bock, Douglas Moo, and Michael Horton each reviewed the book from their various theological spectrum. The authors respond here.

Last, but certainly not least, I picked up the first volume of Craig Keener's commentary on Acts. This heavyweight comes in just over 1,000 pages and covers the first two chapters of the book. The introduction to the book is over 600 pages and the rest is the exposition. Keener is capable with the background material. This should prove itself to be a great resource for the background of the book. The book of Acts is key to understanding how the early church developed from the resurrection on. This is a projected four volume series. Volume two should be out soon.

I almost picked up Eckhard Schnabel's commentary on Acts, but felt that it might be redundant compared to Keener.

Surviving a Paper: Crafting a Strong Thesis

Writing is hard. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. People will try to encourage you. You might see others with an ability to miraculously multiply words on paper. But don’t let them fool you--writing is hard. No matter how you frame it, you have to sit down and write. Oftentimes, writing actually means re-writing, and revising, and re-writing again.  

With a few tools you can make it manageable. The outline is important, but probably more crucial and more basic is the thesis statement. If the outline is the map of your paper, the thesis is the compass. The needle is always pointing north. Getting a bead on this bearing is the most critical part of writing a solid paper. Giving due diligence to the sentence early in the project can make the entire project unfold faster and hold together tighter. This in turn will make the reader (most likely your professor or grader) happy. When people are generally happy, they will assess work in a more positive light. In sum, writing a strong thesis first and tweaking it along the way will help you score a better grade. It takes a little more mental work up front, but its cheaper than a bribe, or hoping that your prof’s favorite sports team is winning when he happens to be reading your paper.

A good thesis will have a subject and a predicate. The subject generally identifies the topic of your paper. The predicate will generally identify what you think about the subject, or what you plan to argue throughout your paper. For example: “First century Jewish tax collectors were considered sinners.” “Tax collectors” is the subject; they fact that they “were considered sinners” is the predicate. The rest of the work is just displaying the evidence that supports your thesis, or showing why evidence that doesn’t support is weak, misinterpreted, or on closer inspection really does help your case.

Here are some things to consider:

1. Ask the research questions. When you don’t have a thesis, raise the question about the subject. Generally, in seminary, your professor will give you a list of topics. Choose one and begin asking questions about that area: Why is it important? Is it important? What’s related to it? Sifting through these answers can help you come up with a good thesis statement.

2. Use a good action verb. The most vital member of the thesis statement is the verb. It controls the action. The verb of my thesis statement is “consider.” This is fine. It gets into first century thinking, but a better verb might be: “criticized,” “avoided,” “ridiculed.” Try this: “First century Jewish tax collectors were ridiculed as sinners,” or “...avoided as sinners.” This tells me more about the life of a tax collector than “consider,” and definitely how they were treated in light of what others thought about them.

3. Use the active voice. The active voice forces the writer to show who is doing the acting. Our example thesis statement is passive; we don’t know who considered first century Jewish tax collectors as sinners. Do the Romans? Jesus? A better thesis would be: “Pharisees avoided Jewish tax collectors as sinners.” If Jesus is the subject, then the phrase changes to “Jesus reached out to tax collectors as sinners.” Including the actor will help your thesis sentence out a lot. I find that students use the passive voice more. Left to my own devices, I would use the passive voice. Pinpointing the actor is difficult, and I’m lazy.

When you have a good thesis print it out and tape it on your computer monitor. Think about it when you write your outline. Work it over when you are waiting in line at Starbucks. When you have a strong thesis statement it will help you land your paper.

Book Review: Allison and Le Donne

I just wrapped up two historical Jesus books this fall. Dale Allison, who notes that this will probably be his last work, and Anthony Le Donne, who is relatively new to the field. Both draw from the latest memory theories. Memory theory is significant for historical Jesus studies, since everyone in the field believes that the Gospel records rest on the earliest memories of the disciples. Earlier work in this field focuses on the frailty and unreliability of memory. Allison and Le Donne temper this view a bit.

Allison’s work, Constructing Jesus: Memory, Imagination, and History, is an update and great articulation of his normal historiographical method (See for example: Jesus of Nazareth: Millenarian Prophet). Allison argues that the normal historical critical method of sorting out which saying or tradition is authentic or else a part of the early church ought to be put in the past. Rather, if the bulk of the traditions suggest a particular feature of the historical Jesus, then we should consider it authentic. This suggests that there is more continuity between the historical Jesus and the early church theology. 

If you’re aware of Allison’s work, there are few surprises. Jesus’ eschatology is apocalyptic. He viewed himself as the eschatological agent of an impinging apocalyptic event. He does this by noting the thrust of the traditions, rather than analyzing authentic traditions. Allison makes the case that even though a tradition may not be authentic, if it is a part of the larger thrust of the tradition, then it most likely represents a characterization of Jesus that is remembered by his earliest disciples.

This work reflects the long, judicious, sustained thinking about the historical Jesus. There is much to be gleaned from Allison’s approach and work on the subject.

Le Donne’s work, The Historiographical Jesus: Memory, Typology, and the Son of David, raises a challenge to the normal historical Jesus assumption that if a tradition involves a type, then it is most likely the work of the early church. Le Donne shows that social memory theorists suggest that the earliest memories would have been narrated through typology. 

Le Donne's assumption that memories are refracted in a specific way seems a little simplistic. But his thesis regarding typology however is persuasive and important. Le Donne introduces social memory theory to historical Jesus studies, which is proving to be an important study.

The second part of his book focuses on the Son of David typology as it is applied to Jesus in the Gospels. He shows that the typology was used to recapitulate Jesus’ healing ministry. Even though Le Donne focuses on the Son of David as a “work bench” for his historiographical thesis, this is one of the more interesting parts of the book. Few works on the Gospels focus on the Son of David in favor of the more popular “son of man” or “son of God.”

Both works take historical Jesus studies address memory theory issues, which are critical to Jesus studies.

Coke Zero--The Power of "And"

When I was a kid, I could only drink one coke a day, so I planned out when I would drink it, or else I would wait for a particularly busy day and sneak two. Once my metabolism slowed down, I learned to drink Diet Coke. It took a while to acquire the taste, but the thought of drinking all of the Coke I wanted was worth it. Pretty soon I became a Diet Coke fiend. Then Coca-Cola came out with Coke Zero--Real Coke taste without the calories. Now I ask waiters if they have Coke Zero. If they don't, I ask for water and glare hoping that they will report to the management the disappointment of another Coke Zero loving customer.

Just recently Coke Zero came out with a genius ad campaign playing off the the conjunction “and” which holds their tagline together. Why settle? You can have real Coke taste AND zero calories. What a deal!? The lead of the commercial loves the power of ‘and.’ He thinks about the times that he refused to settle. It starts at an early age when he upgrades his ice cream with sprinkles by saying “and.” He accepts a job with a great salary and negotiates stock options by simply saying “and.” He goes to bed with the store clerk who helps at the store by just saying “and” when she asks if she can assist him. 

The message is that you can get more out of life by just using the little conjunction. This idea of not settling but grabbing all that you can, really all that you can get resonates with our culture. The consumer mentality that we can never get enough, that we'll never be satisfied, that we ought to get what we deserve, resonates with the Coke Zero ‘and.’ Don’t become a victim of the tyranny of the ‘or.’

Coca-Cola has come a long way from a bunch of hippies on a hill singing about needing to teach the world a song. Before all we needed was a Coke and a smile. The message cuts against the grain of New Testament so much that its hard to think of a single text that addresses this mentality--many come to mind. James states that we don’t have what we ask for because we ask with wrong motives (James 4:1-3). Paul states that whatever he has gained, he counts as loss for the sake of gaining what’s truly important, being found in Christ (Phil 3:7-11). Jesus states that true gain comes from God (Matt 6:25-34). The New Testament provides a unified voice that we should focus on following Christ and seeking his kingdom. All else is futile.

So what if the and gets a little more. The little more will only take us further from where we need to be in Christ.

Green Exegesis

I just finished Richard Bauckham's book Living with other Creatures: Green Exegesis and Theology. Independent of that I stumbled upon a TED talk by Naomi Klein on the Western addiction to risk. The TED talk was about the environment, but its title was a little misleading--“Addicted to Risk.” Both Bauckham and Klein make a similar argument, but on wholly different grounds.

Bauckham’s work responds to an article that lays the blame of the current ecological crisis at the feet of the church. Bauckham responds that the real problem isn’t the church, but a modern approach to the Bible that views the world as a resource that needs to be exploited. Essentially Bauckham agrees with White, but claims its not the Bible that maintains that position. The problem is that we read the Bible in a culture that has taken on thought that the world is at our disposal.

On the other hand, Klein criticizes the prevalent western addiction to risk for our current ecological crisis. Our questions highlight some of the thinking: instead of asking how to keep the planet from getting hotter, we ask how hot can we get the planet before we have to do something different.

The responses that we have to ecological problems usually are high risk/high reward and usually executed without a lot of thought. Klein points to the idea of the junkshot, or the idea of shooting trash down a hole to stop a leak. This was an attempt of BP to stop the leak in the gulf. It didn’t work. It reminds me of a  German saying: “keep the ball low”--stay conservative.

Though Bauckham and Klein are coming from different perspectives, they both take a similar slant on ecological issues. They’re platform is to analyze the dominant cultural scripts at play in our culture and how they impact our behavior. In this case, the idea of consumerism is at work. We thrive on what we can consume. Bauckham’s point is that the biblical understanding of dominion in Gen 1-3 means that we ought to protect the environment, not exploit it. Klein argues that our addiction to risk and the belief that we have unlimited access to resources is the root of our approach to the environment with little regard for for the consequences. Both show how a dominant cultural narrative is challenged. Its interesting to see from both Bauckham and Klein.

Christianity calls us to something similar. Part of being a Christian is to look at the scripts that are at play within our own world and challenge them with the Christian narrative. Paul tells the Ephesians that as children of light they expose the the shameful things in the dark. This means that we have to understand our own Christianity, but also understand the culture in which we live and how our Christian belief challenges it.

Upcoming Houston Area Theological Events

There are number of upcoming events that you may want to be aware of. First, on September 8, 2012 Simon Gathercole will present a lecture on the nature of the apocryphal Gospels in comparison with the canonical Gospels at the Lanier Theological Library. There's an extensive reading list for the event.

1. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospel as Eyewitness Testimony. By Richard Bauckham (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006). Bauckham's thesis is that the Gospel narratives are based on eyewitness testimony, and should be considered much earlier and stable than critical scholars have assumed. Besides literary and historical evidence to the eyewitness testimony, Bauckham treats memory, oral transmission, and the role of testimony in ancient historiography.
2. Dethroning Jesus: Exposing Popular Culture's Quest to Unseat the Biblical Christ. By Darrell L. Bock and Daniel B. Wallace (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007). Bock and Wallace investigate significant claims that are made in the larger academic community that separate what they call 'Jesusanity' from Christianity. Bock and Wallace do a great job responding to the these attempts to separate the Christ of faith from the Jesus of history and address the Baur's thesis that Christianity involved several alternative Christianities and evolved into orthodox
3. The Gospel of Judas: Rewriting Early Christianity. By Simon Gathercole (Oxford: OUP, 2007). I just picked up Gathercole's work. It looks like a more detailed study of the Gospel of Thomas with a chapter including a translation and commentary. Gathercole addresses the message of the Gospel, but within the context of the discussion of the alternative Christianities model that we discussed above.
4. Who Chose the Gospels? Probing the Great Gospel Conspiracy. By C. E. Hill (Oxford: OUP, 2010). Again, I was just made aware of Hill's work through the conference and just picked it up. Hill investigates the early church traditions on the canonicity of the four canonical Gospels and the history surrounding the determination of the four Gospels.

The last time that I visited the event page, it looked like it was filling up. I would recommend reserving your space as soon as you can.

Second, Grace Reformed Baptist Church is hosting Dan Wallace on September 14-15, 2012 as a part of the 2012 John Bunyan Theology and Church History Conference. Dan will be discussing the reliability of the New Testament.

It looks like Dan will be a part of a larger conference in Dallas at Watermark Community Church on September 29, 2012. Other speakers will be William Lane Craig, Greg Koukl, John Stonestreet, Frank Turek, Todd Wagner, and Ravi Zacharias.

Surviving Seminary: How to Read

Seminary Spoiler Alert: You will read a lot when you come to seminary. Like any graduate program reading plays a critical part of seminary. Students underestimate this necessity--everyone can read, right? But the ability to read well, and efficiently, can save you time in your coursework and many sleepless nights. Solomon says that the making of books there is no end; most seminary professors really try to put that statement to the test.

Historically, Christianity has always been a bookish religion centered around the Old and New Testament and the writings of the church fathers. Proclamation has always been a critical piece. Even Genesis indicates that God spoke the world into existence. Whether it is the Bible, an ancient sermon, a technical commentary being able to consume and comprehend large amounts of material will always be important for Christian workers. Our main job is understanding the Bible and communicating it to the world around us.

If you peruse the Dallas Theological Seminary schedule you'll see that most classes require students to read about three books roughly 200+ pages. An average course will have about 1,000 pages, which will be about 70 pages a week. This will vary upward or downward depending on the class or the week. This doesn't include reading you'll need to do for papers or projects. 

Here are some tips:

First, Tim Ferriss gives some good advice on how to increase the speed of your reading through the PX Project. Essentially speed readers have three goals: 1. decrease the number of fixations (or times that your eyes fix on a word) that you have on a line; 2. minimize back skipping or re-reading; and 3. increasing your peripheral vision so that you can read multiple words at a time. Essentially the best way to increase the speed of reading is to minimize the times that you have to reread a passage. When you begin this, you will want to monitor your speed to insure that it is increasing. I still monitor how fast I’m reading by checking how many pages per hour that I read. Standard speed reading classes will help students with reading strategies to increase the speed. 

Second, refuse to approach books in a standard manner, by beginning with page 1. The goal is to understand what the author is trying to say. A good author will summarize his argument at strategic parts of the book. Reading these points first can help you understand the entire book. Look for the thesis that the author is trying to make and note how he or she argues the case. Generally this will be in the introduction or conclusion of a chapter. This top-down approach is much more efficient than a chronological approach that most readers take. Even though professors may expect you to read the book in its entirety, to better comprehend a book you focusing on the thesis will help you read the rest of the author’s argument with more efficiency.

Third, find the best time of the day to read. Take time when you are the most alert to read. Keep a list of what you need (or would like to read) and keep at it. Don’t wait until a due date. This will keep your reading list manageable. If you find something that will be helpful for a paper then make a note and come back to it during that reserved reading time. Be consistent and make it a habit.

Fourth, take good notes that you can retrieve later. A good summary of a book will keep me from having to re-read a book. It also helps me retrieve old information when I need it for a different paper or class. Good notes will help you not only in later classes, but later in ministry when you need to put together a lesson or sermon.

Reading is a cognitive activity. Like anything else, to increase your effectiveness, you have to practice. The best way to do this is to take a reading class or to find some exercises that will help increase your speed. Periodically check the speed at which you are reading. I will generally monitor how much time I spend reading a book by reading or monitor how many pages that I'm reading per hour. 

Chris Skinner on the Gospel of Thomas

I just finished up Chris Skinner's slim volume on the Gospel of Thomas in the WATSA (What Are They Saying About): The Gospel of Thomas (New York: Paulist Press, 2012). And while the cover is lacking, Skinner does a great job of discussing the issues that surround the Gospel and introducing the reader to others that they need to consult. The most helpful piece was the bibliography in the back, though it is abridged. A full bibliography would have been more helpful. By the end of the book I had a pretty decent list of books to chase down. I get the sense that they are the more critical pieces that will take me to the heart of the issue. There are a number of volumes that provide an introduction to Thomas, but this was the most economical choice.

Skinner covers three areas that are largely related: 1. the date of Thomas' composition, 2. the relationship of Thomas to the canonical Gospels, and 3. the theological outlook of the Gospel. Skinner concludes the book with a discussion on the relationship of Thomas and the Historical Jesus. In many conversations these issues are regularly confused: if the Thomas is independent of the Canonical Gospels, then it must have been written in the first century; if it has a Gnostic outlook, then it must have been written in the second century. Assumptions of the early church further complicate these issues. The difficulty in assessing these issues are that there are both late and early traditions in Thomas making it difficult to place the Gospel before the canonical Gospels or afterward. Really the best way forward is to assess each saying on its own. Even though they are related, Skinner does a great job teasing out the issues and focusing on each one.

As a part of the "What Are They Saying About" series Skinner has to entertain the issue of consensus on a given issue. If I ever had an idea that there was any consensus concerning Thomas, its gone now. There's little agreement in each of the areas that Skinner presents. But for the most part different perspectives can be divided into various camps. Skinner does a fair job laying out all of the arguments. In that respect the book is helpful. The striking feature is that consensus, a hallmark of Modern scholarship, is sought throughout the book. The difficulty with consensus is that even though everyone agrees on a particular issue, they may all be wrong. At an introductory level of writing seeking consensus might be helpful so that the reader can get into the dialogue, but the more specific or granular the argument becomes the more difficult consensus will come by.

Overall, Skinner did a great job on this short introduction. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in pursuing Thomas as a point of study. Other works are still needed. Skinner doesn't discuss the transmission of Thomas or the language issues. I also would have appreciated more interaction with the text of the Gospel itself.

Why Learn Greek?

I spent a few hours with a student who didn't know Greek. We were working with a diglot. There was a word that was translated as "woman" but he thought that another word was present in the text that seemed to indicate that it could describe her as "dew dropped" or "bottle shaped." After about 15 minutes of looking for a word that could have that meaning I had to ask him for help. He pointed it out, it was T-N-V, or in Greek, τήν, or in English: "the," the definite article in feminine accusative form. Even though the article has some flexibility rather than just "definitizing" a noun, it can't attribute the shapeliness of a woman.

The problem came down to the fact that the student was using an online tool. When he clicked the link to the meaning, it took him to the standard Greek-English lexicon for classical Greek (LSJ), but it took him to the wrong entry. The entry that was given to him contained options for that meaning, but it was the wrong word. Without a knowledge of Greek all that he could do was rely on the tool, but the tool was wrong. At the end of our conversation he agreed that he needed to know Greek to answer the kinds of questions that he raised with the text. If he had known Greek he would of had a different set of questions and the conversation would have gone significantly deeper.

The truth is, I suspect, that students of the Bible who do not know Greek, but rely "on the tools" in reality do not rely on the tools. The tools that we have today are significant, but to make the best of them you really need to have a working knowledge of the language. There are tools that I'm waiting for so that I can make better use of my time for study. But without having a framework for the language, tools that get you into the original texts take much longer. At that point, the text is most likely ignored. On the other hand those who know Greek and Hebrew most likely are aggravated when they cannot see what is laying beneath the translation.

The best analogy might be hanging pictures with a nail gun. It could be done, but a hammer would do the trick. And a nail gun is probably so much overkill that it wouldn't be used. If all I had was a nail gun to hang a picture, I would probably just leave the picture leaning against the wall, or just go get the hammer. But if all you have a is a hammer, then doing construction is significantly difficult. Every job requires a different set of tools.

The student that I met made the most honest observation. He noticed that the questions he was raising about the text could not be answered without knowing the language. Without a basis of the language he couldn't go any further in his study. As students of the Holy Word of God and those who proclaim it to His Church should be searching it to that level, a level that requires a deeper knowledge of the language in which it was written.

Where Mortals Dwell: A Christian View of Place for Today

Craig Bartholomew's latest work Where Mortals Dwell: A Christian View of Place for Today (Baker Academics: Grand Rapids, 2011) has focused what he would consider the biblical narrative on the idea of place in the Bible. Essentially, place, or the idea of adding significance to a space, or a locale that lacks significance, should reflect our own Christian commitments. God is redeeming us, but he's also redeeming the world. As Christians we need to partake in this redemption by creating places that reflect the values of the biblical narrative.

The first part of Bartholomew's book focuses on the biblical theology of 'place-making'. The damage that was done in Gen 1-3 is slowly working its way to Rev 22 and the new heavens and the new earth. The interplay between the cities in the Old Testament are key throughout the narrative, particularly Jerusalem and Babylon. Interestingly in Gen 1-2 Eden is described as a garden, but John the river as flowing out of a city (Rev 22).

The second part of Bartholomew's book looks at the theological development of place-making throughout Christianity. How space was developed before the modern era is particularly important for our thinking today, but the modern and postmodern attempts to make place significantly challenge us today. Modernism really sounded the death knell for place-making, but postmodernism has really reinvigorated it. Postmodernism strives to think in terms of place in light of the community's narrative. For Christianity, that narrative would be the biblical one.

Bartholomew argues that we don't repel some of the ideas that came out of the modern period, but that we reorganize them. For instance, globalization of the 80's and 90's has done some damage, namely the Western's desire for goods on the cheap and China's ability to provide those goods on the cheap but at the cost of global pollution has caused incalculable damage. On the other hand, China might be able to produce solar energy at a rate that using solar energy may make more economic sense.

The third part focuses on various applications that Christians today can place-make, namely the city, the house, the garden, the church, the university. Bartholomew really challenges the notion that a practical theology is largely connected to what we think about who we are and who we are in relationship to God and his creation. We were created to have dominion over the world and to care for it. Oftentimes because of our sin, the world around us groans, but we ignore it.

Excellence: The Character of God and the Pursuit of Scholarly Virtue

Based on Köstenberger's address at the regional ETS meeting last week I decided to pick up his book on Godly Character and the pursuit of scholarship: Excellence: The Character of God and the Pursuit of Scholarly Virtue, (Crossway, 2011).

The book is largely devotional, which makes for an interesting paradox since its written for scholars, who generally avoid popular reading. However, it seems that Köstenberger might have niched the book so that it will only appeal to a select group of Evangelical readers.

Köstenberger basically builds the outline of the book from 2 Peter 1:3-11 and the virtues that Peter lays out for the believer to follow. Each chapter is a short essay that discusses the biblical theology of the virtue and then some practical outworking of the virtue in one's "pursuit of scholarship."

Two things struck me as I read the book: (1) the cost of doing good scholarship is pretty high, and (2) why wouldn't you want to do it. We truly are working with the Queen of the Sciences. As a result we should do it well and Christian-ly. Köstenberger shows that you can do both.

The chapter that stood out the most to me was his treatment of creativity. Because of our commitment to excellent scholarship, but also our doctrinal commitment, we are forced to be more creative. Oftentimes I find that creative-types want freedom, but really want is the mother of creativity. When I have to complete a task, but my resources are limited, these are the times that I'm able to find creative solutions. Sometimes these solutions are in place until I can find something better, but at other times they are actually work better than what I had before. I wouldn't have come to it unless the need arose.

Another chapter that stood out dealt with passion. Its amazing to think that there are scholars that can't get passionate about the Bible or theology. Most scholars got into this business because of a deep love for the Bible, God, the church. But by the end of a Th.M. or M.Div. students are more concerned with getting into a Ph.D. program or getting published. At what point to students lose their passion and develop a pride or hunger for fame?

Though Kösternberger states up front: "This is not a self-help book" (a plea that all self-help books make!), he makes a number of helpful tips for scholars to implement. Wake up at 4:30am; this is when you get your best work done. Make reading or writing a hobby. Don't neglect your relationships, particularly your family.

There is little negative to say about this book. I appreciated the vulnerability that Köstenberger displayed at times in helping young scholars develop and think through what it means to work within biblical studies (a real lacunae in biblical academic training). I would have liked to see it broaden out to other believers--they should study the Bible too.

The punchline of the book reminds me of a quote from J. Oswald Chambers that a co-worker sent me:

"The spirit of the welfare state does not produce leaders. If a Christian is not willing to rise early and work late, to expend greater effort in diligent study and faithful work, that person will not change a generation. Fatigue is the price of leadership. Mediocrity is the result of never getting tired."