Category: Biblical Studies
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Jesus’ Death & Jesus Mythicism
Read more: Jesus’ Death & Jesus MythicismJesus Mythicism—have you ever heard of it? It’s the idea that Jesus never existed. If it sounds like rubbish to you, that’s because it is. Until a few months ago I had never actually heard someone defend the position. I simply assumed that Jesus Mythicists were merely online trolls who lived under the fantastical bridges…
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Reading Other Peoples’ Mail
Read more: Reading Other Peoples’ MailReturning from the mailbox, you flip through the stack that is your recent prize. You begin the important task of separating the pertinent letters from the ones that will be quickly discarded without even being read. Postcards and invitations in one stack, ads in another; bills, the things you wish you could throw away, on…
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“A Reconciled Community…of those Justly Condemned”
Read more: “A Reconciled Community…of those Justly Condemned”In his commentary on Amos, Hans Walter Wolff writes, …Amos with his message of judgement thrusts Israel back among the nations, there appears here a negative print of Pentecost. The wall between God’s people and the nations of the world is already being broken down. The Church will suffer damage if it does not allow…
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My New Article in the Scottish Journal of Theology
Read more: My New Article in the Scottish Journal of TheologyI’m excited that my article, “Suffering and Covenantal Hope in Galatians: A Critique of the ‘Apocalyptic Reading’ and Its Proponents,” is finally in print, appearing in the newest issue of the Scottish Journal of Theology (68.1 [2015]: 1–15). The paper was originally presented in the Paul Group at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the British…
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Esther and Her Elusive God (Reviewed)
Read more: Esther and Her Elusive God (Reviewed)Two weeks ago the newest issue of Themelios (39.3 [2014]: 517–519) contained a review of my Esther book by Dr. Ched Spellman. This is the fourth review that I’ve come across (see the other reviews by Brian C. LePort, Joel Watts, and Brant Clements) and the first one in a journal. I’m grateful for the…
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PhD and Time Managment
Read more: PhD and Time ManagmentThe other day a friend of mine wrote a really great blog post where he surveyed several PhD students about how they managed their time while working on their PhD. You can read his post here: http://tinyurl.com/o28leab. I thought I would weigh in on the matter in this blog post. Typically one receives the following…
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New Volume: Reactions to Empire
Read more: New Volume: Reactions to EmpireI am excited to let you all know that a new volume that I co-edited with Dan Batovici is nearly in print. The collection is called, Reactions to Empire: Sacred Texts in their Socio-Political Contexts (WUNT II/372; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2014), and is the result of a session of the International Meeting of the Society…
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Most Influential Commentaries on Galatians (Top 5)
Read more: Most Influential Commentaries on Galatians (Top 5)A little over a year ago I wrote a post about the Top Galatians Commentaries. For that list I chose the 5 best in terms of teaching the text the closest to how I think it should be understood. I still stand by those 5—although with the recent addition of Doug Moo’s commentary I think…
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Mission to Outsiders: Ethics & Ethos
Read more: Mission to Outsiders: Ethics & EthosI am very excited because I recently had the opportunity to contribute to two edited volumes that have finally appeared in print. The first volume is entitled, Sensitivity to Outsiders: Exploring the Dynamic Relationship between Mission and Ethics in the New Testament and Early Christianity (WUNT II/364; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2014), and the second volume is entitled,…
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Do you Read the Bible literally?
Read more: Do you Read the Bible literally?A few days ago I was asked a straightforward and seemingly simple question. “Do you read the Bible literally?” I honestly wasn’t sure how to respond. I stammered my way through an answer that I wouldn’t be able to repeat. I wish I had said, “Yes, the Bible is a book that I, literally, read.” Unfortunately,…