Want To Get Published? FREE Review Copies

Recently, I was approached by some folks who oversee the theology/biblical studies journal Religious Studies Review (RSR), which is based out of Rice University, and was asked if I would join the editorial team. I gladly accepted the offer as a sub-editor and am now overseeing books related to the Gospels, particularly the Gospel of Mark. Part of what this means is that if you are someone interested in Markan studies and someone also interested in getting awesome books in exchange for writing reviews (and by the way, RSR's reviews are typically about 600 words in length!), then it would be great for us to be in touch. Of course, I can't promise everyone who approaches me a book and I can't promise that I can get you a book, but if the situation avails the opportunity, I can work to try to make it happen. Having said that, at present, I have three books sitting on my shelves that need to be reviewed. If you are interested in any of the following, do let me know asap and we'll try to get things squared away. You can contact me directly through the form found HERE.

* D.T. Roth: Metaphor, Narrative, and Parables in Q (WUNT 315)
* A. Wypadlo: Die Verklärung Jesu nach dem Markusevangelium (WUNT 308)
* Eds. Wischmeyer, Sim, and Elmer: Paul and Mark: Comparative Essays Part I Two Authors at the Beginnings of Christianity (BZNW 198)

***UPDATE** (11/18/14 at 9pm EST): The work Paul and Mark has now been claimed as has Metaphor, Narrative, and Parables in Q.

     

Are They Still Using The Criteria Of Authenticity?

Yesterday I started reading a book that I'm reviewing for a journal, a book that I'm already finding quite interesting.  This new (2013) work by Michael J. Thate is published by Mohr Siebeck in their WUNT series and is titled Remembrance of Things Past?: Albert Schweitzer, the Anxiety of Influence, and the Untidy Jesus of Markan Memory.  What I've read thus far is very well-written and thought-provoking.  I am keen to continue reading the rest of the volume.

Before I get to Thate's thoughts on Chris Keith's work (as well as those who contributed to the anti- or post-criteria work he edited), two things should be mentioned.  First, the end-goal of Thate's work should be noted.  He says that this volume of his attempts "to (re)situate the historische Jesu Frage within the wider discussion of secularization both in terms of its history of interpretation as well as its contemporary constructions" (14).  Further, it is an "experimental critique in the formation and reception of discourses and a theorizing of reception criticism" (14).  The book is divided into two parts and the first of these focuses heavily on Albert Schweitzer's work.  This leads me to the second point, that is, that Thate frames the whole discussion of historical Jesus studies in relation to Schweitzer, whom he (correctly) describes as one if its most influential and strongest voices, perhaps even "the strongest" (20).

In Thate's view, scholars have basically been attempting to break out of Schweiter's mould for centuries.  In separating from him, they might believe that they can make a long-standing name for themselves.  Scholars have longed to "escape his influence" and "'clear imaginative space' for new and exploratory approaches" to ancient Jesus materials.  The attempt to escape, an attempt often made by striving to get out of Schweitzer's straightjacket and free from historical criteria, is something Thate says is actually a "tip-of-the-cap" to "Schweitzer's enduring genius" (20).  That, I think, is a word on target.  

Now, what's really important to note is that this attempt to escape criteria, what Chris Keith and others are attempting to do, is what Thate, drawing on Ward Blanton and Jacques Derrida, describes as "outbidding" (16).  The attempt to escape from criteria is also an attempt to escape from the Quest for the Historical Jesus, which is characterized as unfounded and misguided by some scholars, including Morna Hooker, Scot McKnight, and others says Thate.  But what is outbidding exactly?

Outbidding occurs when an interpreter of a tradition presents themselves, as Blanton (Displacing Christian Origins, 8) notes, "as outdoing the religious communities or traditions in view" so that they might then present "their own thought as a kind of 'purified' or 'originary' version of the religious tradition they criticized."  In short, Thate is arguing that Chris Keith et. al., are outbidding when they attempt to overthrow Schweitzer and offer their own "pure" or "originary" alternatives; they see themselves as "doing Christianity one better" as it were, than their predecessor(s).

Thus, those like Keith, with their outbidding statements "entrench themselves against the history of interpretation as being misguided and operating within the wrong set of rationality" (16).  But, says Thate, what really happens when those who issue calls "to terminate the use of the 'traditional methods employed by Jesus historians' is that without analyzing the doxa of these 'traditional methods'", they simply "change into something more comfortable" (16).  Therefore, Thate contends that when Keith argues "if the historical-Jesus enterprise wishes to step out of its 'methodological quagmire' its only hope is through 'media criticism and memory theory,'" all he is really doing is taking the same old argument, that is, the "criterion" argument, and putting it in new dress.  Or to cite Thate, "Though certainly promising on many counts, the purported 'post-criteria' approach adopted here (i.e. by Keith et. al.) cannot escape the erotics of 'authenticity' or the gaze of the originary.  This is a Quest for the pure genre; the authentic genre; the real genre.  As such, this amounts to little more than the criterion of authenticity in drag" (17).

In the end, according to Thate, "A 'post-criteria' approach" is really a type of re-aestheticizing and re-racializing "of the very criteria which they think they have left behind" (17).  Readers of these anti- or post-criteria works, then, should not turn a blind eye to the processes of outbidding that are taking place and the redressing of old ideas; readers should beware.

Since I just started working through the volume, I still have some ground to cover.  But I look forward to engaging what already seems to be a very learned, informative, and well-written, study.  When I was writing my book Entering the Fray and writing my chapter on the the so-called Quests for the historical Jesus, or the history of historical Jesus research, one of the most enjoyable parts was reading and researching Schweitzer.  So, I'm glad to read up on this influential man once again and Thate's work is already proving an enjoyable entree.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to review this book.

PS:  You can also get the .pdf version of Thate's dissertation HERE.

The Audio Greek New Testament: Review, Pt. 2

In yesterday's review (Pt. 1) of The Audio Greek New Testament, I mentioned that I would provide a snippet of audio from this great resource and also make some comments about it. So, here is a short clip from the salutation of Paul's letter to the Galatians (1-5).

As you can hear, The Audio Greek New Testament uses an American Erasmian pronunciation. This, of course, will not suit everyone's preferences but for me personally, I quite like it. As an alternative to the pronunciation schemas used by Randall Buth and Christophe Rico among others, this is the pronunciation system that I was taught and therefore, I am right at home with it.

One of the more difficult challenges I find with this product is that it can be tough to listen to in large chunks. That is because it is read with little inflection (emotion, etc.) and as a result, can have something of a monotone feel to it. To be sure, it is well produced and the audio is crisp and clear, yet a listener such as myself would have hoped for something a bit more dramatic perhaps. In fact, a dramatic reading of the GNT is something that I myself would really enjoy being a part of, so, if there are any of you out there that would be interested in joining forces to make something like this happen, drop me a line here and let me know. In the meantime, the resource that Hendrickson and Schwandt have provided us with is a great resource. I know there are other versions of the GNT being read out there, but what separates this from the others is 1) Its quality, and 2) Its very user-friendly and intuitive interactive PDF.

So, I stand by my recommendation of this project and encourage everyone to head on over to the Hendrickson site and pick up a copy for yourself or the Greek scholar in your life right now. You can do so by clicking HERE. Thanks again to Hendrickson for this great tool!

The Audio Greek New Testament: Review, Pt. 1

Today I received a wonderful package in the mail from the fine folks over at Hendrickson. It is a DVD titled The Audio Greek New Testament, which is performed by John Scwandt, who is a Fellow of Classical Languages at New Saint Andrew's College and the founder of the Institute of Biblical Greek (BiblicalGreek.org). I want to do at least a two-part review on this resource. In this first and very brief review, I just want to draw attention to some of the features. In the next part, I will build on this and also provide a snippet of audio to whet your appetite. To begin, this DVD is in Mp3 format, which means that you can transfer the audio to your smartphone, iPod, computer, Mp3 Player, etc. This means that you can essentially listen to the text wherever you go. The only discernable drawback here is that it is in DVD format, so, you will not be able to play it in your automobile. However, you can transfer it to your computer and put it on a car-compatible CD. One of the reasons it is in a DVD format is because it includes a very nice, attractive and interactive PDF, which you can see images of below.

The audio follows the UBS4 Greek New Testament, so, for those of you who already have that text, this is for you. If you don't have it, you really should get one and this product will be for you! As you will see just below, listeners can use the interactive PDF to select whether they want to hear readings via pericopes or chapters. This is a very user-friendly, intuitive and creative feature!

On an interesting side note, Schwandt also has a version of this tagged within the Logos software platform, which is very cool; it highlights the Greek terms being pronounced as they are read within the text. However, you are MUCH more limited with that product as you are not really able to easily export it into a transportable Mp3 or DVD format. So, I would highly encourage everyone to pick up this great resource. Again, I say more about it in the next part of my review but for now, take a look at the brief screencast below to see and hear it. Then, go get your copy of The Audio Greek New Testament HERE! Have a Christmas list? Why not tell someone you'd like this for a gift?

Here a brief look via screencast at the eye-pleasing, interactive PDF and how it functions. (NOTE: To make the video larger, click the TV/Screen icon in the bottom right corner.)