A Grammar of New Testament Greek: Volume 3: Syntax by Nigel Turner My rating: 4 of 5 stars I'm not really fit to compare Greek grammars. I read this one (carefully) for class as I was obliged to do. Whatever Turner's value compared to his competitors, I, at least, got...
NTScholarship
When Scholarly Arguments about Homosexuality Are Inaccessible
No matter what field of study you name, there will be people in it who are arguing over your head—even if it's your own field of study, the one you trained in. There are countless topics in the broad field of biblical studies that I am not qualified to say much if...
Tyndale House on Christian Scholarship
Got this from the Tyndale House, an academic ministry you should be aware of. This strikes me as just the right note to play: As we celebrate 70 years of service of the church, we are looking to increase and develop the work of Tyndale House and to raise up a new...
The Allure of the Iron Cage: Reactions to Steven D. Smith’s The Disenchantment of Secular Discourse
I hope to publish the paper I read at the Bible Faculty Summit, but for my blog audience I'll go ahead and offer the pre-release PDF and the audio (downloadable). The audio is also available below (no video included): [video...
George Marsden on Point of View
I've been thinking a good deal about what George Marsden wrote—in a book I have thoroughly enjoyed (two chapters to go and I'm really eager to see what he says in the final one): Let me say a word about point of view. One of the conventions of the mid-twentieth...
The Literal Meaning of Literal
In the American South, it can still feel natural to have religious discussions with strangers. My last was with a friendly and professional C-Dry Basement services salesman. Standing in my mildly leaky, retirement-age home (b. 1948), he told me confidently, "You can't...
Two Stories I Think About Sometimes
Story 1 Many years ago I remarked to a group of grad school friends, “One of the goals I have for my seminary education is to get myself to the place where I could write a good commentary.” One girl in the group wrinkled up her nose and said, “I can’t think of...
Rob Lister’s Hermeneutical Method
In the opening pages of his God Is Impassible and Impassioned: Toward a Theology of Divine Emotion, Rob Lister pretty well sums up what I try to do every time I preach: The relevant biblical data needs to be interpreted with a conscious commitment to formulating...
Comparing Bible Translations
Comparing English Bible translations responsibly is very hard work. It requires a number of skills: Comparing Bible translations requires a knowledge of Greek and Hebrew. Like most things that should go without saying, it really can't. To be truly responsible when...
Review: Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief
Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief by John M. Frame My rating: 4 of 5 stars When a systematic theology begins with a series of endorsements that are longer than certain other systematics, you know you’ve got either a goldmine or a naked emperor....
I Was Clearly Censored
I was censored. And as a blogger who has occasionally deleted comments (I generally contact the commenter to explain), I understand why. I did not read the commenting policy, and perhaps I would have adjusted my comment if I had. But over at Rachel Held Evans' blog,...
Wise Comments on the Value of the Original Languages
I agree.