Ron Huggins recently critiqued Hal Taussig’s A New New Testament, and puts his finger on a problem that I believe plagues more popular-level publishing in our field: I am not sure of the exact number but I am quite certain I have at least ten other English translations of the Gospel of Thomas on my shelves in… Continue Reading
I always have my eye out for writing advice, even from authors who typically write in different genres than my usual. The following excerpts are from an interview Tim Ferriss did with Fred Waitzkin (part 1, part 2), an author perhaps best known for his book, Searching for Bobby Fischer. From part 1: On ending one day… Continue Reading
The Shroud of Turin, a linen cloth bearing the image of a bearded, possibly crucified man, who some believe was Jesus, has surfaced in the news once again. The Telegraph recently reported research from the University of Padua that dates the material earlier than medieval times: The Turin Shroud is not a medieval forgery, as… Continue Reading
More than a few blogs posted on the meaning of Maundy Thursday this morning. I here quote Witherington: It actually comes from the phrase Mandatum Thursday, or loosely translated ‘mandate’ or ‘commandment’ Thursday. It refers to the commandment from John 13 which you see in the picture above. Unfortunately, it was assumed that John 13 is… Continue Reading
Looking for a good excuse to visit Australia? September 27–28, 2013 at Macquarie University: “Observing the Scribe at Work: Knowledge Transfer and Scribal Professionalism in Pre-Typographic Societies.” If I were in Sydney this Fall, I would attend. More about the conference: ‘Observing the Scribe at Work’ will bring together specialists in pre-modern societies of the Mediterranean… Continue Reading
Ryan Vasut recently laid out his method for using Zotero. There are a lot of great tips there, and a few I will definitely be working into my work flow–something I was just thinking and blogging about. (cf. Naselli’s resources on using Zotero, too). Continue Reading
Recently Brice Jones reviewed The Early Text of the New Testament (OUP 2012). His overall evaluation is positive, and he provides both helpful summaries and critiques. He is most critical of essays by Kruger and Charlesworth, concluding: In sum, it seems apparent that there is a theological agenda behind both Kruger’s and Charlesworth’s articles. The conservative and apologetic… Continue Reading
While waiting for our coffee to brew (via the French press), a friend and I were chatting a bit about the scholarly workflow, the process of researching and writing (and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting). Shortly after, about an hour into my own work in the Gospel of Luke, I made a number of observations… Continue Reading
A few interesting reads from that past week or two: Anthony Le Donne has finished an interesting series of posts on Morton Smith and Secret Mark: Part one, two, three, four. Ron Huggins has a series of interesting posts related to art in biblical studies and broader scholarship. BW3 has a series of reviews going on Paul and… Continue Reading
Yesterday evening I was reading a print edition of the Greek text of Luke 19:28–44 (NA28), and I realized at one point that the pagination effected me as a reader. The medium effects interpretation. Let me briefly explain. Triumphal Entry in the Gospel of Luke I am reading the story of the Triumphal Entry in the… Continue Reading