N T Wright Moving to St Andrews

The University of St Andrews announces the appointment of the Right Reverend Dr Nicholas Thomas Wright, presently the Bishop of Durham, to be Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity. According to the announcement, Professor Wright will take up post in the School of Divinity at St Andrews from September 1st 2010. Will there be a surge of postgraduate students in St Andrews?

Read the news announcement here and here.

Two Articles for Publication

Time flies - next week marks the final week of class for the seminary. In terms of my personal research,I managed to squeeze in some time over the past few weeks to get two articles ready for publication . I am glad that the articles are now out of my way, and I can move on to other research project.

The first article is on "Paul's Use of Temple Imagery in the Corinthian Correspondence: The Creation of Christian Identity" that will form a compendium of essays to be published by T&T Clark, hopefully in time for SBL Annual Meeting in November. In this article, I argue that Paul creatively draws on the symbolic universe of the Christ-community by employing the temple imagery in the Corinthian correspondence. By doing so, Paul uses the temple imagery powerfully in his appeal to realign the community to the ethos of the gospel of Christ in the formation of a distinct Christian identity. What emerges then from a the use of the temple imagery is a vivid and extraordinary image that holds together a number of different notions such as community identity, the building up of community, and the appearance of the community to the outsiders.

The other is a short article on "οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ἡμῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας (Acts 16:17): Is Paul Proclaiming The Way or A Way of Salvation?" This article argues that the absence of the article before the phrase ὁδὸν σωτηρίας should be taken seriously. Such construction can be taken to indicate either a definite or an indefinites nuance, as suggested by the Apollonius' Canon. A close examination of how the word ὁδός and σωτηρίας are used in Acts demonstrates that the phrase ὁδὸν σωτηρίας should rightly be translated as "a way of salvation" and not "the way of salvation" (as translated in the many English translations such as the ESV, KJV, NASB, NET, NIV, NKJV, and RSV, amongst others). Seen from this perspective, I argue that the slave girl was in fact proclaiming in her shouts that Paul was merely preaching a way of salvation, and NOT the way of salvation. This would have been confusing and misleading, to say the least, to the hearers. It is tantamount to a complete distortion of the content of Paul's message. As such, Paul has no choice but to perform exorcism on her. As such, Paul was not merely deeply troubled by the source of the proclamation which is from Satan, as understood by most commentators. Rather, Paul was deeply troubled over the content of the message of the slave girl that directly challenged the gospel and thereby caused confusion among the hearers.

Review of Biblical Literature April 17, 2010

The following new reviews have been added to the Review of Biblical Literature on April 17, 2010:

Hector Avalos, Sarah Melcher, and Jeremy Schipper, eds.
This Abled Body: Rethinking Disabilities in Biblical Studies
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7175
Reviewed by Yael Avrahami

Susan Emanuel and Jonathan G. Campbell
The Exegetical Texts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6413
Reviewed by Eric F. Mason

A. Philip Brown
Hope amidst Ruin: A Literary and Theological Analysis of Ezra
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7135
Reviewed by Bob Becking

James R. Linville
Amos and the Cosmic Imagination
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6646
Reviewed by M. Daniel Carroll R.

John P. Meier
A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume 4: Law and Love
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7101
Reviewed by William Loader

Gerald O'Collins
Christology: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Study of Jesus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7264
Reviewed by James F. McGrath

Gregory E. Sterling
Coptic Paradigms: A Summary of Sahidic Coptic Morphology
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7000
Reviewed by William Arnal

Guy G. Stroumsa
The End of Sacrifice: Religious Transformations in Late Antiquity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7122
Reviewed by Douglas Estes

Stefan Wälchli
Glaubenswelten der Bibel: Eine kleine Geschichte des biblischen Glaubens und der Entstehung der Bibel
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6936
Reviewed by Louis Jonker

Harald Martin Wahl
Das Buch Esther: Übersetzung und Kommentar
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7190
Reviewed by Donatella Scaiola

Walter T. Wilson
Pauline Parallels: A Comprehensive Guide
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7136
Reviewed by Martinus C. de Boer

Otto Zwierlein
Petrus in Rom: Die literarischen Zeugnisse
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7189
Reviewed by James D. G. Dunn

New Journal: Early Christianity

Mohr Siebeck announces the inaugural issue of Early Christianity will be published in May 2010. According to the publisher, this journal "is concerned with early Christianity as a historical phenomenon. Thereby, “Early Christianity” aims to overcome certain limitations which have hindered the development of the discipline, including the concept of the “New Testament” itself. The journal, then, is taken to cover not only the first Christian century but also the second."

"This journal will not, however, give any special prominence to reception-history or to the second century. The total phenomenon called "early Christianity" comprises a kaleidoscopic range of individual phenomena, including communal structures, social norms, discursive practices, points of conflict, material remains, and much else – far more than just the production and reception of texts. This journal will strive to reflect this multiplicity of contexts, in the expectation of new light on our subject-matter from a variety of angles."

"Early Christianity" will appear four times a year.

Articles for the first issue include the following:

Michael Wolter, Die Entwicklung des paulinischen Christentums von einer Bekehrungsreligion zu einer Traditionsreligion.

Judith M. Lieu, “As much my apostle as Christ is mine”: The dispute over Paul between Tertullian and Marcion.

Matthias Konradt, Die Christonomie der Freiheit. Zu Paulus’ Entfaltung seines ethischen Ansatzes in Gal 5,13-6,10.

John M.G. Barclay, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy”: The Golden Calf and Divine Mercy in Romans 9-11 and Second Temple Judaism.

Jonathan A. Linebaugh, Debating Diagonal Δικαιοσύνη: The Epistle of Enoch and Paul in Theological Conversation.

SBL International Meeting Online Programme Book Now Available

The online programme book of the 2010 SBL International Meeting is now available. This year's International Meeting will be held from July 25-29 at Tartu, Estonia. From a quick glace of this year's programme book, it seems that there are less papers offered in this year's International Meeting compared to previous years' Meetings.

The papers to be presented in the Paul and Pauline Literature Unit are as follows:

Duane A. Priebe, Wartburg Theological Seminary
Romans and the Sermon on the Mount (30 min)

Sang-Hoon Kim, Chongshin University
Triple Chiastic Structures in Rom 6 (30 min)

Teresa Kuo-Yu Tsui, Fu Jen Academia Catholica
“Baptized into His Death” (Rom 6:3) and “Clothed with Christ” (Gal 3:27): The Soteriological Meaning of Baptism in Light of Pauline Apocalyptic (30 min)

Nicholas Taylor, University of Zululand
Dying with Christ (Rom 6:3-4) in Light of Contemporary Notions of Death and Afterlife (30 min)

Dennis R. Lindsay, Northwest Christian University
Intertextuality and Typology in Paul’s Understanding of the Salvation of All Israel (30 min)

Francois Tolmie, University of the Free State
Angels as arguments? The rhetorical function of references to angels in the Main Letters of Paul (30 min)

Thomas R. Blanton, Luther College
Religious Economies of Symbolic Goods? Apuleius’ The Golden Ass and Pauline Epistles as Test Cases (30 min)

Nelson Makanda, Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology
Client Loyalty: the Defining Theme in Galatians (30 min)

Edward Pillar, University of Wales
"Whom he raised from the dead": Exploring the anti-imperial context of Paul’s first statement of resurrection (30 min)

Randar Tasmuth, Theology Institute of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
Aspects of the Idea of Man in Paul (30 min)

Matthew R. Anderson, Concordia University
Deconstructing the Temple: 1 Corinthians 3 amid Agrippa II’s Renovations (30 min)

Oh-Young kwon, Alphacrucis College
Discovering the Characteristics of Collegia – Collegia Sodalicia and Collegia Tenuiorum in 1 Corinthians 8-10 and 15 (30 min)

Julien Ogereau, Macquarie University
Paul’s leadership style in the light of 2 Corinthians 10-13 (30 min)

Dace Balode, University of South Africa
Social Diversions in the Corinthian Church (30 min)

Review of Biblical Literature April 9, 2010

The following new reviews have been added to the Review of Biblical Literature:

Michael Bachmann
Anti-Judaism in Galatians? Exegetical Studies on a Polemical Letter and on Paul's Theology
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7235
Reviewed by Kevin McCruden

Michael F. Bird
Are You the One Who Is to Come? The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7239
Reviewed by Christopher W. Skinner

Mark J. Boda
A Severe Mercy: Sin and Its Remedy in the Old Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7269
Reviewed by Erhard S. Gerstenberger

Walter Brueggemann
Divine Presence amid Violence: Contextualizing the Book of Joshua
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7156
Reviewed by Gerrie Snyman

R. Crumb
The Book of Genesis Illustrated
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7316
Reviewed by David Petersen

Robert Daly, ed.
Apocalyptic Thought in Early Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7237
Reviewed by Martin Karrer

W. Edward Glenny
Finding Meaning in the Text: Translation Technique and Theology in the Septuagint of Amos
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7312
Reviewed by Francis Dalrymple-Hamilton

T. Muraoka
A Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7273
Reviewed by Frederick Danker

James Reitman
Unlocking Wisdom: Forming Agents of God in the House of Mourning
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6823
Reviewed by Craig G. Bartholomew

Akira Satake
Die Offenbarung des Johannes: Redaktionell bearbeitet von Thomas Witulski
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7162
Reviewed by Russell Morton

It Is Finished....All the Papers Marked

The past week has been a rather busy one. Most of my time was consumed by marking all the papers for our TEE students who took my course, Biblical Interpretation, and the research papers of my Master of Theology students.

I am still rather puzzled at the papers produced by the TEE students. Despite all my reminders not to do so, a large number of students still consulted dated popular commentaries by William Barclay and Matthew Henry. As a result, it is not surprising that only a very small percentage referred to semi-technical and technical commentaries in their exegesis papers. And even smaller numbers looked up journals despite easy access to ALTAS.

It seems to me that this observation only goes to show the extent of the influence of the writings of Barclay and Henry among believers, and these works appear to be the first port of call in looking for resources to aid them in understanding the text.

How can we encourage the students to leave these popular references behind and move on to consult recent academic works?

Noah and Coffee...

In light of what I have just posted last night, it seems Noah understands me very well...

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Wish for Coffee Places in Seremban

If only Seremban has coffee places such as these - that would make life in the seminary a little bit more "enriching" for a coffee lover like me....not to mention that they would be great places to hang out or chill out after a long day.

Chrsit the Lord is Risen Today...

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia....Χριστός Ανέστη! Αληθώς Ανέστη!