tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324392162024-03-23T14:19:22.552-04:00Ched SpellmanChedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comBlogger700125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-48849817266549677882024-03-15T09:26:00.001-04:002024-03-15T09:26:08.412-04:00The Holy Spirit is always already at work <p> Fred Sanders ends his excellent little book on the Holy Spirit with this summative statement: </p><p></p><blockquote><p>The Holy Spirit makes himself known to us in a way that is better than we could have expected or imagined for ourselves. </p><p>He is the prevenient person, always already at work, never Father-free or Sonless in his being or in his work, closer to us than our own breath, and making known to us in the depths of our selves the deep things of God.</p></blockquote><p><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433561433/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">The Holy Spirit: An Introduction</a></i>, 156. </p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-62585245346387374722024-03-01T07:15:00.005-05:002024-03-15T09:32:04.705-04:00Biblical Theology & Resurrection Hope w/ Mitch Chase<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtr01KZVWyoXZCdyxnIwOvDXaVoOcpGXO3IZOwAtgk1L0aBGra9kCCx0yGAM5xZxp4PNM_2NAw_WWsLvgNbkNNoV2m2MTNA76kcWDeF5bXjWJyTu-f55mfmEzQEkEHERaCdVmtAiiE6UH90y8WnlALMfF_k0Vn33SsSW-ZCjkSAc559_0-k46z/s785/GHBlu-LXgAARaki.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="785" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtr01KZVWyoXZCdyxnIwOvDXaVoOcpGXO3IZOwAtgk1L0aBGra9kCCx0yGAM5xZxp4PNM_2NAw_WWsLvgNbkNNoV2m2MTNA76kcWDeF5bXjWJyTu-f55mfmEzQEkEHERaCdVmtAiiE6UH90y8WnlALMfF_k0Vn33SsSW-ZCjkSAc559_0-k46z/s16000/GHBlu-LXgAARaki.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;">In this episode, I talk with my friend Dr. Mitch Chase about some of his recent work in biblical theology. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;">Mitch is both a professor and a pastor, so he is well-equipped and well-positioned to examine the relationship between the academy and the church as well as the role of a pastor-theologian. We also discuss the way the biblical canon as a whole speaks to the theological themes of death and resurrection hope. The book we discuss in this conversation is </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BP9FBF75/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; text-decoration-line: none;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Resurrection Hope and the Death of Death</em></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;">(Crossway, 2022). </span></p><div class="style-scope ytd-video-secondary-info-renderer" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.sbts.edu/faculty/mitchell-l-chase/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">Chase</a> is pastor at Kosmosdale Baptist Church and also associate professor of Biblical Studies at Southern Seminary. He also writes an excellent <a href="https://mitchchase.substack.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">regular newsletter on Biblical Theology.</a> </span></div><div class="style-scope ytd-video-secondary-info-renderer" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;"> </div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;">This podcast is hosted by Ched Spellman (<a href="https://linktr.ee/chedspellman" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">https://linktr.ee/chedspellman</a>).</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Thanks for listening!</span></p>
<iframe allowtransparency="true" data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="150" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=cq6yp-158dd9b-pb&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=7&size=150" style="border: none; height: 150px; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" title="Mitch Chase on Biblical Theology & Resurrection Hope" width="100%"></iframe>
<p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Substack Series on the Canonical Approach:</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><a href="https://bit.ly/3rht399" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">https://bit.ly/3rht399</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">My Most Recent Book:</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><a href="https://amzn.to/3ELxbBk" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">https://amzn.to/3ELxbBk</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Episode Sponsor: <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><a href="https://cedarville.edu/gradpodcast" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">https://cedarville.edu/gradpodcast</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Digital Tip Jar ("Buy Me a Coffee"):</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chedspellman" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chedspellman</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 10pt;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Clarifying Note: The views of special guests are their own & do not necessarily reflect my own or the organizations with which I am formally and informally affiliated.</em></span></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-58914258833194981152024-02-10T07:05:00.002-05:002024-02-11T09:47:37.777-05:00The Holy Spirit—The Comforter (Complete Works of John Owen, Volume 8<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFmzVNJPBi18JT6o-FxXtRSv6Rj9EQFLdT0_lqd2Fy-n-H964Yu1vtNElvyIpPv3dTadXpb9uDdbkm8ysTwbZ7Xu2oc5IOdzyRGlZ1Ql6E3sZbLQw92PrcmIM6k_kaXlSQUDjHcF_wfVH4WJ9EslKfdid_uBDbZguYK80uZKDIFK6yilenC5h/s2500/Owen_Volume8.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFmzVNJPBi18JT6o-FxXtRSv6Rj9EQFLdT0_lqd2Fy-n-H964Yu1vtNElvyIpPv3dTadXpb9uDdbkm8ysTwbZ7Xu2oc5IOdzyRGlZ1Ql6E3sZbLQw92PrcmIM6k_kaXlSQUDjHcF_wfVH4WJ9EslKfdid_uBDbZguYK80uZKDIFK6yilenC5h/w640-h427/Owen_Volume8.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433560216/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165"><i>The Holy Spirit—The Comforter</i>. </a>The Complete Works of John Owen, Volume 8 (<a href="https://www.crossway.org/books/the-holy-spiritthe-comforter-hccase/">Crossway</a>, 2023). </b></p><p>Who is spiritual enough to pray? How can I be sure that I am saved? What does the Spirit do in my life and in the life of the church? </p><p>In <i>The Holy Spirit—The Comforter</i>, Owen gives thoughtful responses to these rather personal but perennially relevant questions. This volume is a companion of sorts to Volume 7 (<i>The Holy Spirit—The Helper</i>). In both volumes, Owen fills out his doctrine of the Holy Spirit with discussion of the works of the Spirit that shape the life of a believer. Perhaps because of how closely linked these works are, editor Andrew Ballitch simply reprints the relevant section from volume 7's more extensive historical introduction. </p><p>The three works included in this volume are <i>The Work of the Holy Spirit in Prayer</i> (1682), <i>The Holy Spirit as a Comforter </i>(1693), and <i>A Discourse of Spiritual Gifts </i>(1693). These were written toward the end of Owen's life and ministry. They thus give an interesting window into Owen's mature reflection on the nature of the Christian life. </p><p>For example, in his work on prayer, Owen responds to a specific issue in his ecclesial and social context (the re-established mandate that every parish must use the book of common prayer) by marshaling several disciplines (exegesis, biblical theology, and systematic reflection). Owen clarifies several times that he is not opposed to the use of written prayers <i>per se</i>, but rather he is opposed to the <i>requirement</i> for churches to use them and also the indefensible <i>reasons</i> that were given in defense of this practice. </p><p>One such reason is Owen's direct target throughout his work: The average Christian lacks the <b>spiritual</b> <b>knowledge</b> and <b>theological</b> <b>skills</b> to pray as they should. Owen responds to this position with a simple but profound rebuttal: Every believer is indwelled by God the Spirit, and this same Spirit supplies everything that is needed to have peace and communion with God himself. </p><p>Owen therefore concludes that "God has promised under the NT to give unto believers, in a plentiful manner or measure, the Spirit of grace and of supplications, or his own Holy Spirit, enabling them to pray according to his mind and will." </p><p>He anchors this argument in a close reading of Zech 12:10 (the promised Spirit of grace and supplications), Gal 4:6 (the Spirit of Christ who enables prayer to the Father), and Rom 8:26 (the Spirit who prays when we don't know what to say). By the work of God the Spirit, Owen insists, believers in Christ have everything they need to address God in prayer. </p><p>This gift of prayer is "an evangelical mercy and privilege."</p><p>In the contemporary push to "retrieve" the riches of the great tradition, it's also helpful to remember the cautions and qualifications that accompany some of the doctrines and practices from other eras. </p><p>Owen's theological framework for prayer alongside his warnings against a Spirit-less liturgical use of written prayers is worth retrieving as well. </p><p><b>Some Notes: </b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>See <a href="https://www.crossway.org/articles/introducing-the-complete-works-of-john-owen/">details on the other volumes</a> in <i>The Works of John Owens</i>. More on <a href="https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-john-owen/">the historical and theological significance</a> of Owen's work. Cf. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6254090547">goodreads</a> post & <a href="https://www.chedspellman.com/2024/01/the-holy-spiritthe-helper-complete.html">my review of volume 7</a> (<i>The Holy Spirit—The Helper</i>); Thanks to Crossway for this review copy. </li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-13921974491453236802024-02-05T19:14:00.004-05:002024-02-10T19:26:21.898-05:00New Book on Irenaeus of Lyons
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F30fc9bc1-dab3-45b8-944e-aed6b5ad6582_600x918.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="523" height="200" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F30fc9bc1-dab3-45b8-944e-aed6b5ad6582_600x918.jpeg" width="131" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F30fc9bc1-dab3-45b8-944e-aed6b5ad6582_600x918.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="523" height="800" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F30fc9bc1-dab3-45b8-944e-aed6b5ad6582_600x918.jpeg" width="523" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 / 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: white; border-left: var(--size-4) solid var(--background_pop); color: #404040; font-family: Spectral, serif, -apple-system, system-ui, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 19px; margin: var(--size-20) 0; padding: 0px;"><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br /><i>He who was the Son of God became the Son of Man, that man, having been taken into the Word and receiving the adoption, might become the son of God.</i><br /><br />This last year, I’ve been working on a book about Irenaeus (Eye-Wren-Aye-Us), an important theologian among the earliest churches in the second century.<div><br /></div><div>The book is part of the “Patristic Essentials” series with Fontes Press and has now been published! You can <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1948048930/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">order it from Amazon</a> or from the <a href="https://www.fontespress.com/product/irenaeus-essential-readings/">publisher website</a>. If you like it, consider leaving a review! If you hate it, consider telling as few people as possible.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Removing Roadblocks to Reading Irenaeus</b></div><div><br /></div><div>One of the aims of the book (and series) is to provide an entry point for someone wanting to read or study Irenaeus but doesn’t know where to start. For Irenaeus, there are several reasons why his major works are sometimes neglected.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>First</b>, Irenaeus’s most well-known work <i>Against Heresies</i> is a long, complex, and difficult book to work through as a whole. Only the most dedicated students will read this work from start to finish. A central reason for this difficulty is the complicated nature of Books 1–2 where Irenaeus delves into various gnostic systems at a granular level. As one editor has noted, in these first two books especially, “the patience of the reader is sorely tried, in following our author through those mazes of absurdity which he treads, in explaining and refuting these Gnostic speculations.”<div><br /><b>Second</b>, Irenaeus is usually associated with his strongly worded critiques and wide-ranging polemical arguments against the various heretical teachers. This has led many scholars and casual readers to view Irenaeus with varying levels of suspicion. These two factors (the difficulty of Books 1–2 and the notorious reputation of an unflinching “heresiologist”) sometimes discourage people from considering Irenaeus’s body of writing in its entirety and on its own terms.<br /><br /><b>Finally</b>, the available English translations of <i>Against Heresies</i> are generally antiquated and usually only available through larger collections in the public domain like the Ante-Nicene Fathers series.<br /><br />This volume seeks to help readers of Irenaeus's works navigate each of these difficulties. Accordingly, the introduction above briefly situates Irenaeus in his historical context and notes the theological contributions he makes to the developing doctrine of second-century Christianity.<br /><br />When viewed within his social and ecclesial context, Irenaeus can be appreciated for much more than his catalogue and critique of heretical views. The first chapter also provides a summary and synthesis of Books 1–2 of <i>Against Heresies</i> that helps explain the most critical issues addressed here and also recovers some of the hermeneutical gems that are embedded in this larger discourse.<br /><br />The remaining chapters include notable selections from across <i>Against Heresies</i> and <i>Demonstration</i> of the Apostolic Preaching. The goal in these selections has also been to preserve the shape of these works so that a reader might get a sense of the internal logic of Irenaeus’s theological writings.<br /><br />To this end, each chapter begins with a brief overview that provides the literary setting of the following selections. New headings are likewise included at strategic locations to guide readers and track the flow of Irenaeus’s larger argument. Each selection also begins with the book, chapter, and section number so that a reader can cite any included quotation with the original location in a given work.<br /><br />In terms of how the book is structured, Irenaeus’s constructive work <i>Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching </i>is situated in the logical development of Irenaeus’s project. Accordingly, the Demonstration serves as a concise articulation of the rule of faith that governs both his engagement with heretical writings (in <i>Against Heresies</i>, Books 1–2) and also his constructive analysis of biblical texts (in <i>Against Heresies</i>, Books 3–5).<br /><br />So, the book starts with a summary and synthesis of <i>Against Heresies</i>, Books 1–2, then includes the full text of <i>Demonstration</i>, then gives selections from <i>Against Heresies</i>, Book 3, and in a concluding chapter provides selections from <i>Against Heresies</i>, Books 4–5. This is a relatively subtle structural commentary on the shape of Irenaeus’s overall project, but it can help you discern the relative weight Irenaeus gives to his constructive proclamation of what God has done in Christ.<br /><br />Finally, the English translations here have been updated to aid contemporary readers as they make their way through these texts. In some stretches of the text, there are only minimal changes (cleaning up archaisms forthwith!) but other sections are revised much more substantially (smoothing out some truly tortuous full page paragraphs!).<br /><br />In line with the general aim of the Patristic Essentials series, the endgame of this volume is to introduce Irenaeus and his comprehensive vision of the one God’s work of redemption to a new generation of readers.<br /><br /></div><div><b>Table of Contents</b><br /><br />1. An Orientation to Irenaeus of Lyons<br /><br />2. Preaching the Gospel with the Rule of Faith: <i>Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching</i><br /><br />3. The Gospel according to the Scriptures: Selections from Book 3 of <i>Against Heresies</i><br /><br />4. The Testimony of Christ and His Apostles: Selections from Books 4–5 of <i>Against Heresies</i><br /><br />5. Refuting Falsehood with the Rule of Faith: Books 1–2 of <i>Against Heresies</i><br /><br /><i>Further Reading<br />Works Consulted<br />Scripture Index</i><br /><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-77545489506258612632024-02-01T19:06:00.011-05:002024-02-10T19:12:08.260-05:00Training for Ministry in a Textual Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faea222b3-2aec-40db-b9ef-f301b49791af_3024x4032.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="800" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faea222b3-2aec-40db-b9ef-f301b49791af_3024x4032.jpeg" width="600" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>What is the purpose of a seminary? </b></div><div><br /></div>Because of financial pressures and the shifting mores of higher education, those training for ministry today have become less tolerant of lengthy degree programs and loosely connected coursework. A prevailing question among potential students continues to be, “Is a seminary education worth the cost?”<div><br /></div><div>In this scenario, the coherence of a seminary’s vision for theological education and the integrated nature of their course of study is a paramount concern.</div><div><br /></div><div>In light of this pressing and perennial need, I examine here a recently published proposal about the nature of theological education and reflect on the enduring concerns it surfaces for those teaching and training for ministry today.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Pursuing the Coherence of a Theological Curriculum</b><br /><br />John Sailhamer (1946—2017) is known for his careful scholarship on the Hebrew Bible and his focus on the compositional strategies found in the text of Scripture. Perhaps less well-known is his vision for theological education. In the Spring and Summer of 1993, Sailhamer prepared for a possible role of provost at Dallas Theological Seminary by articulating a detailed proposal for theological education and its possible implementation in a seminary curriculum.<br /><br />In “The Nature, Purpose, and Tasks of a Theological Seminary,” Sailhamer articulates a series of core commitments to be pursued when training students for ministry that is worth considering. Though he ended up not taking this position, his address represents what he saw as an ideal arrangement of a school’s faculty, curriculum, and institutional priorities.[1]<br /><br />From Sailhamer’s perspective, “present seminary programs at best often lack a cohesive center and are otherwise often incoherent or, in some cases, irrational.” His purpose is to “provide a theoretical and reflective basis for designing a coherent and cohesive curriculum (both explicit and implicit).”<br /><br />This abstract and theoretical discussion is necessary for Christians because the purpose of theological education is rooted in revealed truth. Ensuring that each aspect of ministry training is explicitly or implicitly grounded in the Scriptures and undertaken for the sake of the churches is an urgent and necessary endeavor. For Sailhamer, this practical and theoretical requirement warrants an extended reflection on the nature, purpose, and tasks of a theological seminary.<br /><br />In a confessional institution, one must think carefully about the relationship of the seminary to the Christian churches and also to the Christian Scriptures. Accordingly, the purpose of a seminary is “to glorify the living Word of God who is known in the written Word of God” and it does this “specifically by preparing ministers of the Word.” Having established this all-important theological and hermeneutical foundation, Sailhamer then discusses the relationship between the seminary and the academy. Carefully distinguishing and relating the church and the academy enables the seminary to maintain its distinctive role in relation to both domains.<br /><br />Because of its non-negotiable theological commitments and curricular focus, the seminary or divinity school offers something that other academic institutions are not able to provide. “As a matter of fact,” Sailhamer explains, “a proper study of the Bible as an object within the [academy] can only be appreciated and carried out within the context of a text-community such as a theological seminary.”<br /><br />Having established the necessity of both the academy and the church, Sailhamer next discusses the academic tasks that are necessary for a seminary to function properly. These include achieving and maintaining accreditation, producing scholarly publications, and contributing to academic disciplines with an integrated faculty structure.<br /><br /></div><div><b>Envisioning the Seminary as a Textual Community<br /></b><br />Perhaps one of the most distinctive aspects of Sailhamer’s address is his identification of the seminary as a textual community. The seminary’s purposes and spheres of ministry are established by its core identity as a text-community and the nature of the biblical text that produces and guides it. In his address, Sailhamer characterizes a “textual community” as one that “conceptualizes its own existence in terms of authoritative texts.”[2] Here he also draws upon Kevin Vanhoozer’s definition of a textual community as a “community united by, indeed constituted by, a foundational text—the Christian Scriptures." [3]<br /><br />Sailhamer develops this notion by arguing that “the role of the Scriptures as texts in the seminary community is more than a means of conceptualizing its Christian identity, it is, as well, constitutive of the seminary community itself.” He reflects further, “As a biblical text-community, the seminary is a domain that has embedded within it yet another domain, that is, the world of the biblical text” meaning that “both the seminary and the world of the biblical text share the same set of rules and values.” Recognizing the biblical canon as an authoritative text will shape the makeup of the faculty, the student body, and the curriculum. Both the seminary’s vision and its activities will be guided by its commitment to being a biblical text-community.<br /><br />As the text-community of a seminary is of first importance to Sailhamer’s vision, the execution of such a vision requires a dynamic reading of the biblical text “in its ongoing context . . . the seminary community.” This version of communal reading puts a “clear emphasis on the importance of the seminary itself as a text-community and the responsibility of the seminary to itself.” For students and faculty alike, this recognition of the seminary as a text-community creates the atmosphere of communal submission to the authoritative biblical text. The formative features of this text-community affect not only a student’s future ministry but also shapes his or her present ministry within the seminary context.<br /><br />This vision means that the current seminary context should enable and encourage ministry that is centered on the Scriptures and that nourishes the faith of believing readers within this intellectual environment. Sailhamer contends that viewing the seminary as a text-community is essential because the “reservoir from which a life of ministry draws is filled and nourished by the prayerful study of God’s Word.”<br /><br />This theological vision for seminary education repurposes the core activities of the seminary curriculum as the guidance of the Scriptures shapes the life of the community. The seminary that is also a textual community is necessarily a worshipping community that engages its current culture in accordance with the script of the biblical text.<br /><br />The disposition required for this vision is a high view of Scripture’s authority and a commitment to reading it with trained eyes and softened hearts. Accordingly, the seminary is a fitting place for an academic study of the Scriptures, not simply because of its status as an academic community but also because of its status as a confessional text-community.<br /><br />As this kind of textual community, the seminary is a qualitatively different academic setting than a secular university that does not include training for ministry. In this intellectual and theological setting, interpreters study the meaning of biblical texts in light of core commitments to the authority and divinely inspired origin of these Scriptures. In this regard, Sailhamer argues that the seminary uniquely meets the “necessity of a sympathetic text-context for a proper exegesis of the Bible.” For Sailhamer, the hermeneutical concept of a text-in-context and of a text’s effective history complement this basic understanding of the theological educational institution. [4]<br /><br />Because the seminary is situated within the larger domain of the Christian church (unlike the university), it is able to function as “a text-community shaped by the Bible within a context of an effective history that lies unbroken from the time of its composition.” In other words, the seminary, like the church, is a “living key to the Bible’s meaning.”<br /><br />As such, the seminary is equipped in a unique way to apply the Scriptures to the needs of the church. The seminary is a community of faith that maintains the intellectual and spiritual resources that are necessary for a proper understanding of the Bible. Sailhamer’s contention at this point is that the seminary is thus “an instance of the Bible in context.” Because the seminary is also embedded in the broader domain of the church, it also becomes a socially effective reality or “an instance of the Bible in culture.”<br /><br />Serving as a realization of the Bible both in context and in culture allows the seminary to be “a test case for understanding texts in situations.” In this way, the seminary becomes primarily a community of faith that wrestles with both the meaning and the meaningfulness of biblical texts. The element that connects the modern biblical reader to the textual intention of the ancient biblical author is the medium of the text and the affinity of faith.<br /><br />Maintaining the focus and stability of the textual community will also allow a seminary to adapt to changing circumstances and address whatever new challenges may arise. As Sailhamer reflects, “Viewing the seminary as a textual community can also assist in the task of projecting goals and ideals for the seminary into the future. Simply put, whatever the future may hold, the central task of the seminary always remains the same—the interpretation of Scripture.”<br /><br /></div><div><b>Closing Reflection</b><br /><br />For theological educators who are seeking to uphold a strong theology of the Scriptures and also prepare students for ministry in dialogue with the highest level of academic rigor, Sailhamer’s understanding of the nature, purpose, and tasks of a seminary remains encouraging and instructive.<br /><br />Encouraging because it represents a compelling vision of the organic integration of careful study of Scripture and faithful ministry among the churches.<br /><br />Instructive because the task of envisioning and articulating a coherent seminary curriculum is still an ever-present responsibility of those involved in the academic study of the Bible in every generation.<br /><br />Notes: </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>For the full text of Sailhamer’s address and an account of this transitional time at DTS, see <i>The Seminary as a Textual Community: Exploring John Sailhamer’s Vision for Theological Education</i>, ed. Ched Spellman and Jason K. Lee (Fontes, 2021), pp. 3–50. All quotations from Sailhamer are drawn from this source. While unpublished, the address is a completed work that was intended for public delivery. This document therefore stands as an important historical artifact from a transitional time in the history of DTS and also as a developed blueprint for the teaching philosophy that Sailhamer worked out across his career as an educator.</li><li>On the use of this concept from a different angle in the study of literacy and manuscript cultures in the ancient and medieval eras, see Jane Heath, “‘Textual Communities’: Brian Stock’s Concept and Recent Scholarship on Antiquity” in <i>Scriptural Interpretation at the Interface between Education and Religion</i>, ed. Florian Wilk (Brill, 2018), pp. 5–35. Heath broadly characterizes a textual community as “a community whose life, thought, sense of identity and relations with outsiders are organized around an authoritative text” (5).</li><li>For this quotation, see <i>Seminary as a Textual Community</i>, p. 10n25. Cf. Vanhoozer’s discussion of the relationship between the biblical canon and the covenant community in<i> The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology</i> (WJK, 2005), pp. 133–50.</li><li>On the notion of effective history, Sailhamer interacts with Hans-Georg Gadamer’s work in <i>Wahrheit und Methode</i> (Mohr-Siebeck, 1975) and also draws upon the critique of Gadamer by E.D. Hirsch in <i>Validity in Interpretation</i> (Yale University Press, 1967). For example, see <i>Seminary as a Textual Community</i>, 5–6; <i>Introduction to Old Testament Theology: A Canonical Approach</i> (Zondervan, 1995), 93–96, 168–169, 218–220; and <i>Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition and Interpretation</i> (IVP, 2009), 68–98.</li></ol><i>This reflection also appears in Didaktikos: Journal of Theological Education. 5.4 (April 2022): 36–38 and is <a href="https://chedspellman.substack.com/p/training-for-ministry-in-a-textual">featured in my newsletter</a>. </i></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-58747698852755814802024-01-22T19:00:00.000-05:002024-02-10T19:04:29.627-05:00Bible Reading in the Age of the Internet <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b07258c-4fba-4ea8-a838-64a2ad516147_4592x3448.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="800" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b07258c-4fba-4ea8-a838-64a2ad516147_4592x3448.jpeg" /></a></div><br />After you ask, “How did the Bible come to be?” you can then pose the question, “How did the Bible come to us?” How did the letter to the Philippians get from Paul’s prison cell to your pocket? How did the great Isaiah scroll make it from ancient Israel into my imitation leather CSB Study Bible?<div><br /></div><div>This is an enormous area of study so here I will focus on just some of the unique challenges and opportunities that our contemporary cultural moment holds for the prospect of reading individual biblical texts in light the broader collection of Scripture.<br /><br /></div><div><b>Is There an App for This?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Analysis of technological innovation often fails to navigate between the Scylla of overdone alarmism and the Charybdis of uncritical optimism. There is reason to fear both theoretical adversaries, as each one usually militates against an even-handed and cogent analysis of cultural trends and technological paradigm shifts.</div><div><br /></div><div>A remarkable element of the current discussion regarding the changing ways people communicate and interact in our society is how quickly the mode of analysis has needed to move from anticipation to observation. We are no longer waiting for the advent of a new technological climate just on the horizon but are already partaking in a markedly different manner of cultural expression.</div><div><br /></div><div>One issue the church would do well to consider as it proclaims “the old, old story” in a world saturated by new media is the effect of this climate on its central text. Indeed, there is a pressing need for the church to think strategically about the way it protects and proclaims the biblical canon.<br /><br /></div><div><b>Technological Paradigm Shifts</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Though it’s probably correct to think of our current shifting context as a unique historical phenomenon, this is by no means the first paradigm shift that has had a direct impact on the biblical text.<br /><br />During the OT period, biblical books were written and transmitted on scrolls. Because it was impractical for a single scroll to contain the full contents of most biblical books, any notion of the biblical text as a whole was by necessity conceptual.<br /><br />As the Hebrew Bible formed, the groupings of Law, Prophets and Writings became an overarching framework by which to order the biblical material. Thus, when readers picked up a portion of a biblical scroll, they had to conceptually locate the section that they were holding in relation to the other books held sacred.<br /><br />Around the first century AD, the birth of the codex (book-form) represented a seismic paradigm shift in the way written material was produced, transmitted, and understood by the typical reader. By at least the fourth century, the entire biblical canon was able to fit on one physical codex, bound together with contextual relationships ordered and solidified. <br /><br />Readers of the canon striving to read individual writings in light of each other were greatly aided by this technological innovation. Though the specific content of the canon varied in different faith communities, it was easier to proclaim the Scriptures as a whole when they were bound together in a single codex.<br /><br />The rise of Gutenberg’s printing press during the Reformation era standardized the book form and allowed for the unprecedented dissemination of published material. One author summarizes the significance of this shift by noting that “until the mid-nineteenth century, no significant technologies were introduced that altered the form, volume, or speed of information. As a consequence, Western culture had more than two hundred years to accustom itself to the new information conditions created by the press.” This remarkable invention created the text-based culture that has endured for over half a millennium.<br /><br /></div><div><b>From Scrolls to Scrolling</b></div><div><br /></div><div>This set the stage for the eruption of new media. With the rise of computer technology at the end of the twentieth century, a new way of communicating was born. Though there are many obvious similarities between old and new media, recent developments represent something unique.<br /><br />One obvious feature of this new climate is the digitization of many paper-based formats. The ability to digitize a codex means that the intrinsic connection between a book and the print form, previously understood as inviolable, is weakened.<br /><br />Experimentation with digital manifestations of former staples of the print-based paradigm is common. Increasing numbers of magazines, newspapers, and journals are being offered exclusively online. Though digital books have been on the radar for a number of years, the success of recent e-readers such as Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad have demonstrated that the practice of reading books electronically is here to stay.<br /><br />While the digitization of the codex is an important feature of our current climate, the destabilization of texts perhaps best represents the drastic nature of the shift. The advent of the search engine revolutionized how many people use the Internet and also modified the way those users access and interact with data.<br /><br />Most text on the Internet is malleable, able to fit into whatever mold the given medium requires. It is no longer necessary to access an entire work or document, as search engine technology enables rapid keyword searching and access to related content via an intricate web of interconnections.<br /><br />As information continues to proliferate, possible intersections of loosely related data on the information superhighway are legion. The movement from text to hypertext thus creates a new technological environment that represents a challenge for readers, including those interacting with the biblical canon.<br /><br /></div><div><b>When the Canon is in the Cloud<br /></b><br />A perennial question in the church and among biblical scholars has been, “What is the canon?” Centuries of debate and discussion have done much to complexify the historiographical account of canon formation but little to eliminate the question once for all.<br /><br />For Protestants, the canon consists of the sixty-six books contained in the OT and NT. Though there is significant diversity among the documents, the church holds that a unity exists between them that can be viewed from a variety of angles by means of a number of disciplines.<br /><br />In light of the significant and sweeping technological developments noted above, another question that rises to the surface is, “Where is the canon?” A digitized and destabilized Bible exists in a different way than in a physical codex form.<br /><br />As the Internet era developed, there was trend towards what is sometimes called “cloud computing,” a phrase that describes the relationship between users and their data. In this model (so familiar to us now), users input data into web-based services and then draw it out of “the cloud” whenever they need to access it.<br /><br />Biblical readers who make use of this type of technology likely have also made adjustments to their reading habits. For these users, the biblical text exists in the cloud alongside terabytes of non-related information.<br /><br />When reading the Bible online or on a mobile device, most of the time there will be rival texts vying for the attention and focus of the reader. The hyper-texted and inter-linked nature of most of the web will require a reader to exercise consistent discipline if he or she desires to read a large portion of text without distraction. Other options are always on offer and only a click away.<br /><br />In this context, the “proverb of the day” might appear right below your nephew’s birthday pictures, that bit of commentary on the book of Revelation comes just above your friend from high school’s comments on the season finale of The Mandalorian, and the psalm you read a few moments ago gets buried in the Facebook feed just as quickly as the embedded YouTube video that played while you were reading it.<br /><br />The lure of the link is a siren song often underestimated by casual users who are sometimes unaware of the lack of focus they devote to sustained reading.<br /><br />If the codex form is understood as the glue that has held the many books of the canon in a firm contextual relationship, that glue is clearly not as dry as it once was. For an increasing number of people, the Bible as a stable document is being replaced by the Bible as a searchable database.<br /><br />As the primary medium of accessing the Bible migrates more and more away from the book form, the issues of definition (what?) and location (where?) will need to be addressed with urgency and care.<br /><br /></div><div><b>The Need for “Big Picture” Biblical Theology<br /></b><br />Among other considerations, one of the ways the church can maintain the integrity of biblical unity is by encouraging and equipping believers to develop an intentional canon-consciousness. This task will involve utilizing the concept of the Bible as a whole as a “big picture” mental construct in the minds of its readers.<br /><br />Armed with a conceptual framework, a reader will be able to understand scattered parts of the biblical story in light of the bigger picture, regardless of the chosen medium.<br /><br />For instance, when an algorithm built into an iPhone devotional reading app generates a daily portion of the biblical text, it will be your task as a reader to contextualize those words in your mind. Without some form of mental construct in place, however provisional, the natural tendency to take passages out of context will become the commonplace starting point.<br /><br />Though the church has always had the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel in light of all of God’s revelation, this practice will become increasingly relevant and urgent as technology continues to modify and inform our reading habits. Encouraging believers to think about the textual context of any biblical verse or passage they encounter is one vitally important service the church should continue to render.<br /><br />The development of this type of canon-consciousness can be an effective way to salvage a “whole Bible” interpretive framework in a context that values serendipity over stability.<br /><br />Indeed, adopting an intentional strategy that relates individual biblical passages to one another will enable the church to remain faithful to the comprehensive nature of its central text, even if the people of the book become known as the people of the e-book.<br /><br /><b>Some Notes: </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>This post is a portion of chapter 10 of my little book on canon formation: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1736445901/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">One Holy Book: How the Bible Came to Be and Why it Matters</a>. </li><li>My larger work on “canon-consciousness” is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1910928682/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Toward a Canon-Conscious Reading of the Bible</a>, and my attempt at a “whole Bible” biblical theology informed by the canonical context, see <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0825445612/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Invitation to Biblical Theology</a>.</li></ul></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-39194337847438770842024-01-12T07:05:00.145-05:002024-02-11T09:48:25.776-05:00The Holy Spirit—The Helper (Complete Works of John Owen, Volume 7)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunZKieqkuz6HOuehKCraRSTXk9-G4CxHGrZn-2m33doyF_6xUvz9v3AVXe0V-x0df4s_9UEBxgdtw1AByjUGI17pgIZeT3xK0nlMyVuES1ivSM1Nh7r0_hwLIILasql2Oy88doi_ab8aKt_Ftu5ajaEwjNtQCvY5min4_gViY-Rw2_LuWCBw6/s5000/JohnOwen_WorksHolySpirit.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2637" data-original-width="5000" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunZKieqkuz6HOuehKCraRSTXk9-G4CxHGrZn-2m33doyF_6xUvz9v3AVXe0V-x0df4s_9UEBxgdtw1AByjUGI17pgIZeT3xK0nlMyVuES1ivSM1Nh7r0_hwLIILasql2Oy88doi_ab8aKt_Ftu5ajaEwjNtQCvY5min4_gViY-Rw2_LuWCBw6/w640-h338/JohnOwen_WorksHolySpirit.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433560208/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165"><i>The Holy Spirit—The Helper</i>. </a>The Complete Works of John Owen, Volume 7 (<a href="https://www.crossway.org/books/the-holy-spirit-hccase/?gclid=CjwKCAiAzJOtBhALEiwAtwj8tlKpbDDEzTDCa4ClIFJZjC8zdlYNjOgEwyjkpZafcFfy089kwO25RRoCOVUQAvD_BwE">Crossway</a>, 2023). </b></p><p>This volume is one of the first entries in Crossway's republication of John Owen's complete works. Several features of this initial volume illustrate the value of this series and also the fittingness of this volume as one of the first new issues to be published. </p><p>The book itself has a classic look and feel with readable text and user-friendly headings and chapter breaks. Editor Andrew Ballitch provides a helpful historical orientation to Owen's social and theological context. He specifically focuses on the issues and groups that Owen responds to in the works included in this volume. For example, Ballitch describes the Roman Catholic church in England during this period and the debates about the use of church tradition. He also surveys the various sectarian groups that were active and influential (e.g., the various groups of Baptists & Quakers). </p><p>Ballitch explains that Owen navigates between the over-use of reason, the uncritical deference to church tradition, and the alternate over-emphasis on experience. Owen's work in this area of theologial method articulates the necessity and authority of Scripture alongside a modified use of reason, tradition, and experience. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRvEXcegvVLTXQxMHuatsoOdCjFxelI-zC5XkC5UW_qbncXKcdMLOzVZvzJ6bmw2HaQ1NgI2ZbrbaeB9KWX5eOx77hkx3VP5A85TZCIx65tW_UrATSwV61bWaAHuCfk-UHsKw5ruxlERumIWk3Yx8bvyqV6hBiyQ9sUxh26cCCGsiqlsDh8R6/s5000/JohnOwen_HolySpirit.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2637" data-original-width="5000" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRvEXcegvVLTXQxMHuatsoOdCjFxelI-zC5XkC5UW_qbncXKcdMLOzVZvzJ6bmw2HaQ1NgI2ZbrbaeB9KWX5eOx77hkx3VP5A85TZCIx65tW_UrATSwV61bWaAHuCfk-UHsKw5ruxlERumIWk3Yx8bvyqV6hBiyQ9sUxh26cCCGsiqlsDh8R6/w640-h338/JohnOwen_HolySpirit.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The two works included in this volume are <i>The Reason of Faith</i> (1677) and <i>the Causes, Ways, and Means of Understanding the Mind of God </i>(1678). Both of these works are meant to be viewed in light of his larger project on the person and activity of the Holy Spirit. After establishing who the Holy Spirit is, Owens addresses two particular issues that relate to the Spirit's <i>illumination </i>of the Scriptures. </p><p><i>Why</i> does a believer affirm the Scriptures to be the true and authoritative word of God? And second, </p><p><i>How </i>does a believer understand the meaning of the Scriptures themselves? </p><p>In answering these questions, Owen develops some of the main components of a <i>special hermeneutic</i>. The answer to both questions involves the work of the God himself. </p><p>There are "external" tools and evidences that can support and enhance our understanding and conviction about the inspiration and meaning of Scripture. However, they are not ultimate & cannot lead us to a saving faith in God's word and the truth of the gospel. As Owen articulates several times, these other sources of theology are "helpers of our joy" but can never be "lords of our faith" (95). </p><p>As Owen insists, "All real useful knowledge of the 'wonderful things' that are in the Scripture is an effect of God's opening our eyes by the illuminating grace of his Holy Spirit." </p><p>This volume is a helpful entryway into Owen's doctrine of Scripture as well as a strong start to this new edition of Owen's complete works. </p><p><b>Some Notes: </b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>See <a href="https://www.crossway.org/articles/introducing-the-complete-works-of-john-owen/">details on the other volumes</a> in <i>The Works of John Owens</i>. More on <a href="https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-john-owen/">the historical and theological significance</a> of Owen's work; A <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/owen-plantinga-faith-reason/">helpful analysis of Owen's argument about faith/reason</a> in dialogue with Alvin Plantiga's Reformed Epistemology; Cf. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6136336844">goodreads post</a>; Thanks to Crossway for this review copy. </li></ul><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-73311515741732240052024-01-02T12:25:00.007-05:002024-01-02T12:25:55.653-05:00The Book of Revelation and Local Church Ministry w/ Jason Kees <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PRBXXEyxxCAeAFxfmRNY3hPyx-gxGnD7mgXDKDuJdrjUn5BDhc31xf3n4y7WTN-E6ZJG5hRgXUkI0OO30skHEWpGbQJOmvr9AIFR-YOwHXzhn98S7cRKg_L3ULHzMCkig9ljsVf29-WA9CaNSPpxx0msgVG99PU-1pr3htrf60Ed-JYKPEs_/s826/Kees_Podcast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="826" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PRBXXEyxxCAeAFxfmRNY3hPyx-gxGnD7mgXDKDuJdrjUn5BDhc31xf3n4y7WTN-E6ZJG5hRgXUkI0OO30skHEWpGbQJOmvr9AIFR-YOwHXzhn98S7cRKg_L3ULHzMCkig9ljsVf29-WA9CaNSPpxx0msgVG99PU-1pr3htrf60Ed-JYKPEs_/w400-h291/Kees_Podcast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;">In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jason Kees about some of his recent research on the NT canon and the book of Revelation. We also discuss the importance of our local contexts, the relationship between the academy and the church, the need for more pastor-theologians, and the joy of reading the Scriptures. The book we discuss in this conversation is </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1948048760/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">At the End of All Things: Identifying the Ideal Reader of Revelation</a> </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;">(Fontes, 2023). </span></p><div class="style-scope ytd-video-secondary-info-renderer" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;"> </div><div class="style-scope ytd-video-secondary-info-renderer" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Kees is an Editor at Lifeway (Bibles & Reference). He also writes at <a href="https://jpkees.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">JPKees.com</a> and has <a href="https://ftc.co/multi_author/jason-kees/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">several entries here</a>. </span></div><div class="style-scope ytd-video-secondary-info-renderer" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px;"> </div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="150" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=n6ts8-153b75d-pb&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=7&size=150" style="border: none; height: 150px; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" title="Jason Kees on Revelation & Local Church Ministry" width="100%"></iframe></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;">This podcast is hosted by Ched Spellman (<a href="https://linktr.ee/chedspellman" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">https://linktr.ee/chedspellman</a>).</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Thanks for listening!</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Substack Series on the Canonical Approach:</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><a href="https://bit.ly/3rht399" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">https://bit.ly/3rht399</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;"><br />My Most Recent Book:</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><a href="https://amzn.to/3ELxbBk" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">https://amzn.to/3ELxbBk</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Episode Sponsor: <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><a href="https://cedarville.edu/gradpodcast" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">https://cedarville.edu/gradpodcast</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Digital Tip Jar ("Buy Me a Coffee"):</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chedspellman" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chedspellman</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; word-break: break-word;"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 10pt;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Clarifying Note: The views of special guests are their own & do not necessarily reflect my own or the organizations with which I am formally and informally affiliated.</em></span></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-47729220236407540232023-12-30T12:15:00.000-05:002023-12-30T12:18:02.460-05:00Still Sick in the Bay of Biscay: An Unremarkable Reflection <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg594Z8MVnEapOmlxQM9nJ1XlE-kUuiSFJv7C7rQmIrCx_7w6jtNhTPIoECKNfn9AbdWAa9PTgrZu_BRp2HsBwxBsjpdB91p-L747OUIxf4PsY2sYJdnK0RjEDCVWz0ZdhrIb1p/s1600/ByHarmanWardani_MtPenanggungan_Mojokerto_Indonesia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXSWAQz1Au6tjWKw1yoJue6XdI2yBM16VnBJ5cVIrYHTIBRrXK9dLG4EFQ_moBowCTCzQ_0kHij8cCHPQlebDHg-7g7rOCMSROQskCH-mCr1_wA0rhcC5EPpX68IeZg48CSPc/s1600/ByHarmanWardani_MtPenanggungan_Mojokerto_Indonesia.jpg" title="Mt Penanggungan Mojokerto, Indonesia, by Harman Wardani" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
“Still sick, -in the Bay of Biscay - Lat. 47 N. Long. 3 W.”</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
–William Carey, Journal entry for June 15, 1793.</div>
<br />
I heard these words in the Angus Library at Regent's Park College in Oxford, UK where the original manuscripts of many of William Carey's letters and journals are housed.<br />
<br />
This particular entry resonated with me at that particular moment, not the least because I was still experiencing the drag of jet lag and flirting with a migraine. Pro Tip: This is not the best disposition for a walking tour of the city! I was initially intrigued by Carey’s statement and upon further reflection, I think his terse journal entry is instructive for a fully formed understanding of the missionary and pastoral task.<br />
<br />
One of the reasons Carey kept the journal was to keep his supporters back home informed of his mission work during his trip to India. In the previous entry for June 14, Carey grimly recounts, "Sick, as were all my family and incapable of much reflection." The next day on June 15, the effect lingers, "Still sick," followed by the latitude and longitude. All Carey records is where he's at and how he feels. The entry itself is sparse, unglamorous, and strikingly unremarkable.<br />
<br />
No, "Though my physical body grows sick of the sea with each tumult of this billowing ocean, my soul sallies forth on the waves of supernal bliss as I sojourn to the mission field on celestial wings fueled by the verve of my Spirit-wrought blood-earnestness . . ." Not even a, “You call me out upon the waters . . .”<br />
<br />
Just, "Still sick."<br />
<br />
A few days later, an entry reads, "Nothing remarkable."<br />
<br />
If you’ve been in ministry for any length of time, you’ve likely had more than one “still sick in the bay of Biscay” type of day. The minister or missionary must be fueled by more than the "thrill" of adventure when the only thing on the horizon is the "chill" of illness or a long string of unremarkable days.<br />
<br />
If we could see Joseph’s journal entry about a decade into his imprisonment in Egypt, it might read, “Still wrongly accused and misunderstood. Still in prison.” Centuries later an apostle under house arrest might have recorded on his parchment sometime after his third denied request, “Thorn still in place. Still hurts.” Sunburnt and weary, a Jewish carpenter waiting and wandering in a Judean wilderness might have written, “Day 39. Still hungry. Nothing remarkable.” Before Jesus faces the devil on day 40, he endures the drudgery of day 39.<br />
<br />
In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul connects the task of living out the gospel to the work of making a living. Paul and his co-workers were not idle among them, but “with toil and labor” they “worked night and day” so that they would not be a burden (2 Thess 3:8). They even reasoned, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (3:10). Some among them were walking in idleness, “not busy at work, but busybodies” (3:11). Paul strongly encourages them “in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living” (3:12). After this specific admonition, Paul backs up and gives a general application. He urges, “Do not grow weary in doing good” (3:13). Fittingly, then, Paul begins his conclusion to the letter by saying, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace <i>at all times</i> in <i>every way</i>. The Lord be with you all” (3:16).<br />
<br />
The believer who toils and labors, who works quietly and earns a living, and who does not grow weary in doing good is able to do so precisely because of the promise of the Lord’s continuing presence in those moments. Union with Christ means the Lord of peace remains present in your joy, in your pain, in your liftoffs, and in your layovers.<br />
<br />
The Christian life is exhilarating. But every journey includes the trial of transit, and sometimes those lulls can make you seasick. The glories of the gospel oftentimes (perhaps most of the time) are proclaimed in the throes of weakness and within the steady rhythms of the unremarkable. The gospel is not only big enough to leap the gap between departures and destinations; it’s also able to settle into the strain of the mundane.<br />
<br />
One of the lifelines for the minister who is “in it for the long haul” is the confidence that the God of this gospel grants perseverance in the pastoral task even when you’re still sick and there’s nothing remarkable to report.<br/><br/><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-83533650116829379682023-12-15T07:15:00.000-05:002023-12-30T12:09:41.387-05:00Cyril of Alexandria's Trinitarian Theology of Scripture, Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxWYjDZ_FS_Xkpx7GQR4h1qCgU7Zns6zjCM13_Iw_fSjd1Kra9vXiiLl8YItRopA2ZA3D5uG_c5A2V8bWY5PMpKtH8COWzUZbdwvdt6T57FnfDlNLcolYhuSoSVNdDfGrh_V3yE-sFyudiphzqhOthpjGYaCXnjQvcv4rmWuFtU0W3hKst-RZ/s213/CyrilAlexandria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="75" data-original-width="213" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxWYjDZ_FS_Xkpx7GQR4h1qCgU7Zns6zjCM13_Iw_fSjd1Kra9vXiiLl8YItRopA2ZA3D5uG_c5A2V8bWY5PMpKtH8COWzUZbdwvdt6T57FnfDlNLcolYhuSoSVNdDfGrh_V3yE-sFyudiphzqhOthpjGYaCXnjQvcv4rmWuFtU0W3hKst-RZ/s1600/CyrilAlexandria.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" imageanchor="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNgpUsAHpewUd9k02WGovLSIhgi0ivlZpY4R8HtGuUKGNPDOOKtnVJ5Zvc5nYD2tKLQZgTLe3gPVSt0F618oO-VjQSrASlnOtflpzU96QgEOsh9upLiZGJyIcpphYyWjRqYNtVQ/s1600/51QKbGjwSZL._SX329_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_+%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;" /></div>
<b>Title:</b> <i>
Cyril of Alexandria's Trinitarian Theology of Scripture</i><br />
<b>Author:</b> Matthew R. Crawford<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Oxford University Press, 2014<br />
<b>Price:</b> $125.00 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0198722621/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">amz</a>)<br />
<b>Binding:</b> Hardback<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 304<br />
<div style="clear: both;">
</div><br />Cyril of Alexandria is an important but sometimes neglected theologian from the fifth century. <div><br /></div><div>There are at least <b>two possible reasons </b>why Cyril is sometimes left out of discussion of the development of the doctrine of the Trinity. Cyril is perhaps best known for his wrangling with Nestorius about the two natures of Christ and the debate about whether Mary should be called the “mother of God” (<i>theotokos</i>). He is most closely associated, then, with Christological discussions about the nature of the incarnation. Consequently, when theologians or historians trace the doctrine of the Trinity, they sometimes move from Athanasius, to the Cappadocians, and then directly to Augustine’s formulations. This line of development sometimes overlooks the important developments of pro-Nicene Trinitarian theology that continued to advance in the East.<br />
<br />
In this volume, Matthew Crawford seeks to address an overlooked aspect of Cyril’s Trinitarian theology. While Crawford acknowledges Cyril’s important contributions to Christology of the fifth century (seen at the council of Ephesus and then later at Chalcedon), he focuses specifically on <b>Cyril’s pro-Nicene theological commitments about God as a holy Trinity</b>. Crawford argues also that Cyril of Alexandria played an important role not only in the development of Christology (in relation to Nestorius) but also in the development of pro-Nicene Trinitarianism (5). Specifically, <b>Crawford asks how this thoroughgoing pro-Nicene theology intersects with Cyril’s understanding of revelation and Scripture.</b><br />
<br />
Crawford notes that a feature of recent scholarship on the development of Nicene orthodoxy is “the greater emphasis upon and appreciation of the role that scriptural exegesis played in those debates” (1). In his development of Cyril’s theology, Crawford seeks to continue this trend. Noting the “growing realization” among scholars that “biblical interpretation is intrinsic to Nicene theology,” Crawford observes that many contemporary readers still perceive patristic exegesis “as at best a curiosity and at worst a misreading of Scripture” (3). Crawford’s goal in this regard is to uncover “the assumptions present within pro-Nicene theology that made such reading practices seem plausible to those who inhabited this theological culture” (3). More generally, Crawford seeks to “bring out the pre-understandings that pro-Nicene theologians brought to the text of Scripture, which then guided their reading of whatever individual passages they encountered” (3).<br />
<br />
Crawford’s major thesis is that “intrinsic to pro-Nicene theology is a certain understanding of Scripture that consists of two components corresponding to the divine movement <i>towards humanity</i> in revelation, and <i>humanity’s encounter with</i> that revelation in the written word of Scripture” (3, emphasis added). For Crawford, these two components form the shape of Cyril’s broad understanding of Trinity and Scripture. First, “revelation proceeds from the Father, through the Son, and in the Spirit” (4). Second, “exegesis is a Spirit-enabled contemplation of the Son in Scripture, by which believers are led onwards to a vision of the Father” (4). </div><div><br /></div><div>In the reading of Scripture, then, the incarnate Son is central because “he is simultaneously the primary locus of divine revelation” and also the “focal point of scriptural contemplation” (4). Part of the payoff of discerning this “basic schematic outline” in Cyril’s writings is the way it demonstrates that pro-Nicene theology was “not only Trinitarian in its doctrine of God,” but also “included a correspondingly Trinitarian theology of Scripture” (4).<br />
<br />
Crawford unpacks this central thesis in a series of carefully connected chapters. In chapter two, he argues that for Cyril the concept of revelation is inescapably Trinitarian. Divine revelation is <i>from</i> the Father, <i>through</i> the Son, and <i>in</i> the Spirit (42-54). Chapter three and four, then, expand on this position. In chapter three, Crawford explores the prominent operations of the Spirit foregrounded in the production and reception of written revelation. </div><div><br /></div><div>For Cyril, the “spiritually breathed book” is produced by “Spirit-bearing authors” (72ff). Cyril’s understanding of inspiration, in other words, is a “specific instantiation of Cyril’s theology of revelation” (8). Chapter four reemphasizes the central role that the incarnate Son plays in the economy of revelation by showing that the Son speaks in the prophets and apostles. During the incarnation, too, the Son speaks through <i>himself </i>(116-20, 125-33).
<br />
<br />
Chapters five and six focus on the reception of revelation by readers. Here Crawford shifts from considering Cyril’s understanding of Scripture from the perspective of its “relationship to the divine in the event of divine unveiling” to the considering Scripture from the perspective of “humanity’s encounter with the written word in the act of exegesis” (7). The Scriptures bear a critical role in the divine economy: They allow readers to participate in the <i>divine Word</i> by means of the <i>written Word</i> (see 176-81).</div><div><br /></div><div>For Cyril, “the church possesses the Jewish Scriptures because they have been given to it by Christ, its Shepherd, who was himself the original divine source of those words” (180). Crawford summarizes this emphasis by arguing that “Cyril’s practice of exegesis is a function of his understanding of the place Scripture occupies in the plan of salvation” (8).<br />
<br />
The final chapter addresses the theological task and the end of exegesis. Crawford highlights Cyril’s position that engaging the theological task is the means by which one encounters the life of the incarnate Son. “In Cyril’s estimation,” Crawford concludes, “searching after understanding has an appropriate and necessary place in the renewed existence of believers” because it is in fact “a mediation of the Son’s own life to believers” (228).<br />
<br />
In other words, “the theologian-exegete never grows beyond the church’s most basic confession of Christological and Trinitarian faith” (228). Meditating on Scripture, then, is a means by which believers encounter the Father. As Crawford summarizes, “in the order of divine operations,” the Spirit “effects the will of the Father and Son among humanity, but in terms of humanity’s experience of the divine, he leads believers back to the source from which all divine acts ultimately flow” (223).<br />
<br />
In sum, “When the Christian engages in the task of theological reflection upon Scripture, the Son is guiding the believer by the Spirit to a greater knowledge of the Trinitarian mystery revealed in the Son himself” (223). Further, Scripture is a “source of divine life, but hardly one disconnected from the person of Jesus” (239). Rather, “Scripture is a source of divine life precisely <i>because</i> it provides the contemporary believer with access to the singular and unrepeatable event of divine unveiling in the incarnate Son” (239). This formulation dovetails with Crawford’s overarching argument that Cyril keeps his Christological focus grounded upon a robust Trinitarian foundation. <br />
<br />
As Crawford develops his argument, he shows how the major theological areas of Trinity, revelation, and bibliology organically connect in Cyril’s thinking. This historical theology has potential implications for contemporary theology, as these loci are not always as integrally connected in works of systematic theology. By focusing on the pro-Nicene theological commitments that Cyril and his contemporaries work with as they <i>read</i> and <i>interpret</i> biblical texts, this study allows Cyril to add his own voice to contemporary discussions about Trinitarian exegesis and theological interpretation.<br />
<br />
Reading Crawford’s volume will likely make you want to read more of Cyril’s own writings. This book will help you do so with a deeper framework that allows you to see both the Christological focus and Trinitarian depth of this important patristic theologian’s body of work.
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
Also in <i>SWJT</i> 60.1 (Fall 2017): 107-08.<br /><br /><br /></div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-57428349843009582122023-12-15T07:05:00.026-05:002024-01-01T16:33:38.562-05:00Biblical Theology and the Gospel of Luke w/ Ben Gladd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3_BqzwSWc2eDzM5GO-HhLXi6zCsbcYn3www23CbTCM4Y5EfnwnEMnJkjSf5jjbh9TAt25s9GlJC7HrlSrXwXgno8laxdUmzDkgn2iAMXGUK85DApiuKQlcLJCq7S-4IPl8RiPX5Cv8i32yoTXStv0sUgLFM5bcY2m1SJyITWk5ZehFrwN6ix/s618/GladdPodcastLukeOTNT.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3_BqzwSWc2eDzM5GO-HhLXi6zCsbcYn3www23CbTCM4Y5EfnwnEMnJkjSf5jjbh9TAt25s9GlJC7HrlSrXwXgno8laxdUmzDkgn2iAMXGUK85DApiuKQlcLJCq7S-4IPl8RiPX5Cv8i32yoTXStv0sUgLFM5bcY2m1SJyITWk5ZehFrwN6ix/s16000/GladdPodcastLukeOTNT.jpeg" /></a></div><p>In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ben Gladd about his work in biblical theology, NT studies, and the Gospel of Luke. In our conversation, we talk about the relevance of biblical theology to ministry, the use of the OT in the NT, and the literary beauty and theological depth of the Gospel narratives. His recent books along these lines are <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/143357523X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165"><em>From the Manger to the Throne</em></a> (Crossway), <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1540960161/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Handbook on the Gospels</a> </em>(Baker), and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1540960048/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165"><em>Dictionary of the NT use of the OT </em></a>(Baker). </p>
<div class="style-scope ytd-video-secondary-info-renderer"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string"><a href="https://rts.edu/people/dr-benjamin-gladd/">Gladd </a>is professor of NT at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, MS. </span></div><div class="style-scope ytd-video-secondary-info-renderer"><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string"><br /></span></div>
<iframe allowtransparency="true" data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="150" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?from=embed&i=vk5s3-1523b16-pb&share=1&download=1&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=7&size=150" style="border: none; height: 150px; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" title="Ben Gladd on Biblical Theology & the Gospel of Luke" width="100%"></iframe>
<div class="style-scope ytd-video-secondary-info-renderer"> </div>
<p><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string">This podcast is hosted by Ched Spellman (<a href="https://linktr.ee/chedspellman">https://linktr.ee/chedspellman</a>).</span></p>Thanks for listening!<div><br /><b>Notes: </b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>To subscribe to this podcast, <a href="https://linktr.ee/textualcommunity">see here</a>.</li><li>For related podcast episodes, <a href="https://www.chedspellman.com/search/label/Podcast">see here</a>.</li></ul></div><div> <br /><i>Clarifying Note: The views of special guests are their own & do not necessarily reflect my own or the organizations with which I am formally and informally affiliated.</i></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-24034864633351676692023-12-01T07:05:00.023-05:002023-12-30T11:50:21.178-05:00Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal, by Matthew Martens<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnETO85d4ZAL_MweaV3ctXlaJAFwdr4YfKCWd5vaRnv4uU7BwW0MoKrTa_b-JXcpSVSKyZByiohhe5llrsb5tbgd2qIHn9Fopj0vDdoz3-rQn3z_I_oJduDmsJQy8do4ZA_IvD5loC8hyphenhyphen1cmC57ndbvMkq7O_sbE1KhhbLEYfIIOUsMN3Z9a9/s640/SpellmanReformingCriminalJustice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnETO85d4ZAL_MweaV3ctXlaJAFwdr4YfKCWd5vaRnv4uU7BwW0MoKrTa_b-JXcpSVSKyZByiohhe5llrsb5tbgd2qIHn9Fopj0vDdoz3-rQn3z_I_oJduDmsJQy8do4ZA_IvD5loC8hyphenhyphen1cmC57ndbvMkq7O_sbE1KhhbLEYfIIOUsMN3Z9a9/s320/SpellmanReformingCriminalJustice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTjaQnl3IMF1w3lAdHEVWdt2JQXOSxxPinkFBAD5go8vzLPbpiSV8KfLaf-ukshOEV031Y4kCl1X2tTyUzt6uBr6vE397U9Lu5MScvvJXo1i_2ALwLX_3XOFJN2XrFU9F4M_eAx4TjQP5o2cFxs70jtMbKTTU59-I55xJzS-59QAMJsdkoiOx/s640/SpellmanReformingCriminalJustice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTjaQnl3IMF1w3lAdHEVWdt2JQXOSxxPinkFBAD5go8vzLPbpiSV8KfLaf-ukshOEV031Y4kCl1X2tTyUzt6uBr6vE397U9Lu5MScvvJXo1i_2ALwLX_3XOFJN2XrFU9F4M_eAx4TjQP5o2cFxs70jtMbKTTU59-I55xJzS-59QAMJsdkoiOx/s16000/SpellmanReformingCriminalJustice.jpg" /></a></div><i><div><i><br /></i></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433581825/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal</a></i> (<a href="https://www.crossway.org/books/reforming-criminal-justice-hcj/">Crossway</a>, 2023), by Matthew Martens.</div><div> <br />This is a <b>helpful </b>and <b>sobering </b>book.<br /><br />Helpful, because it provides an accessible and carefully structured orientation to both a Christian ethic of criminal justice alongside an introduction to the major dimensions of the criminal justice system in America.<br /><br />Sobering, because it describes & reflects upon the problematic aspects of this system that are in dire need of reform.<br /><br />Martens outlines what is good & true about criminal justice in America. He also unflinchingly examines the injustice that this same system perpetuates on a daily basis. As Martens clearly demonstrates, the decisions that our society makes on an individual & corporate scale in this domain are often matters of life & death.<br /><br /><b>Two major roadblocks</b> to deeper understanding of this issue are the fact that many people have an insufficient grasp of a comprehensive Christian ethic of social justice & are also to a large extent ignorant of how the criminal justice system in the US actually works.<br /><br />Discussion of criminal justice among most people is also highly partisan & linked to contentious political platforms & agendas. Martens shapes his prose & structures his book to address each of these areas.<br /><br />After establishing the relationship b/w the gospel & the concept of social justice, in Part 1 Marten tethers the notion of justice to the biblical command to love your neighbor as yourself. A Christian ethic of criminal justice would accordingly prioritize principles like accuracy, due process, accountability, impartiality, and proportionality.<br /><br />In Part 2, Martens discusses the history of criminal justice in America (including the way it is inextricably connected to the question of race) and then examines various components of the machinery of the legal process (e.g., plea bargaining, jury selection, sentencing, the death penalty, etc).<br /><br />Throughout the book, Martens seeks to show “that <b>the Bible does speak to the issue of criminal justice and that the root of the biblical concept of justice is love</b>” (2). This central insight has the power to reshape or reorient your approach to crime, punishment, and the host of issues that fall under the broad category of social justice.<br /><br />Personally, Martens’s book helped me realize how tentative my thinking has been on these issues & also some of the ways that my understanding of particular topics was informed more by the 20 years worth of Law and Order episodes I’ve watched rather than a grasp of how issues of criminal justice actually unfold in our cultural moment.<br /><br />I still have a lot to process about Martens’ claims & categories, but the framework he provides here will certainly inform how I think about these controversial & complex issues.<br /><br />Warmly recommended!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-35386837100000737452023-11-08T07:05:00.005-05:002023-12-30T11:59:36.388-05:00The Surprising Genius of Jesus: What the Gospels Reveal about the Greatest Teacher, by Peter J. Williams<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-ecEDLmKFN_o_KhW0DdRBtXbwIDdSo22qzY8PWNL979rDEyKMhMj6W8wwTUmGSf-sUCOOXDWHxrdvY4lDw0l60s3q1QME1lJoOGlhHB89tA7mgV25_JIhMA9KfRadb1gc8_dwF55Itemna6dgtAiBlClw44BRxAshnnNKZQNHSxW8O3ciKwk/s1440/SpellmanGeniusOfJesus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-ecEDLmKFN_o_KhW0DdRBtXbwIDdSo22qzY8PWNL979rDEyKMhMj6W8wwTUmGSf-sUCOOXDWHxrdvY4lDw0l60s3q1QME1lJoOGlhHB89tA7mgV25_JIhMA9KfRadb1gc8_dwF55Itemna6dgtAiBlClw44BRxAshnnNKZQNHSxW8O3ciKwk/s320/SpellmanGeniusOfJesus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWmnvfVvKBOAHvtlpj1bXrlpDXniKiiXYYMvA-UD2w9COC8g-PrTmHAhLkoNaM6HW4LH9QO3A3pPkxAC7lyuilyXfroIjuRax-gaeQldoUIRifWA84kYXCzSVh4zCSZy30qq1W_nwsBkjlYD0b1K0q-Rt4fo5vNcMHHL21ytXkOCcj01wMkUV/s1440/SpellmanGeniusOfJesus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWmnvfVvKBOAHvtlpj1bXrlpDXniKiiXYYMvA-UD2w9COC8g-PrTmHAhLkoNaM6HW4LH9QO3A3pPkxAC7lyuilyXfroIjuRax-gaeQldoUIRifWA84kYXCzSVh4zCSZy30qq1W_nwsBkjlYD0b1K0q-Rt4fo5vNcMHHL21ytXkOCcj01wMkUV/w640-h640/SpellmanGeniusOfJesus.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433588366/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">The Surprising Genius of Jesus: What the Gospels Reveal about the Greatest Teacher</a></i> (<a href="https://www.crossway.org/books/the-surprising-genius-of-jesus-tpb/">Crossway</a>, 2023), by Peter Williams.<br /><br /></div><div><b>This is an excellent reflection on the literary genius of Jesus with a focus on the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15.</b><br /><br />My favorite part is the first chapter where Williams slowly walks through the textual details of the story and the way that it functions in Luke's overall strategy. The parable is "clever" and "artful" in the way that it engages and confronts the immediate audience (the scribes & Jewish leaders) while also conveying a message of gospel hope to those with ears to hear. </div><div><br /></div><div>In this way, Williams shows how the parable is framed by "two sons" (not just one!). This allows us to see the fullness of the Father's response to both the son who was lost but now has been found (like the sheep who was rescued) & the son who never left but who has nevertheless "lost" his way (like the gold coin that was lost within the house).<br /><br />Williams next shows the way the entire parable draws upon the imagery and themes of the book of Genesis. Williams also surveys the many other parables that draw upon the OT in a variety of ways.<br /><br />The book concludes with an apologetic defense of the reliability of the witness of the Gospels. It is more than reasonable, Williams insists, that <b>the teaching and words of Jesus in the Gospels are reliable and that Jesus himself is the genius behind these stories.</b><br /><br />I would warmly recommend this little volume to anyone. </div><div><br /></div><div>It gives a brief but profound glimpse into the literary beauty and theological depth of the NT's witness to Jesus and his life-changing message.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-71112590307178941822023-11-01T19:30:00.000-04:002023-12-30T12:05:32.727-05:00Ezekiel: The Priest who became a ProphetFive years into the Babylonian exile, "the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest" (Ezek 1:3). For Ezekiel, his training as a priest must have prepared him to translate the vision that he sees by the river in Babylon.<br/><br/>Christopher Wright reflects on the "radical theocentricity" (God-centeredness) of Ezekiel's message:<br />
<blockquote>
We may, of course, trace this characteristic of Ezekiel to the impact of his phenomenal vision by the Kebar Canal, when he was overwhelmed by 'the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord' (1:28). <br/><br/>Even for a trained priest, familiar with the theophanic ambience of the temple, the experience left him shattered and virtually paralysed for a week (3:15). However, when God touched and summoned Ezekiel through that amazing vision, he was breaking powerfully into a life and an intellect already thoroughly shaped by the centrality of Yahweh that was intrinsic to Israel's covenant faith and the very <i>raison d'être</i> [reason for being] of Israel's priesthood.<br /><br/>
We may be sure that the encounter at the water's edge transformed what may have been for Ezekiel a matter of intellectual worldview and professional training into the most intensely personal and experiential core of his whole life and identity.</blockquote><br/>Recognizing his training as a priest, we now can consider the "theological shock" that he must have experienced by witnessing the fall of Judah, by being taken to Babylon, and finally by being called by the Lord to speak against the institution he had been trained his whole life to guard with his life, the Temple! <br/><br/>He must now convey "the Word of the Lord," a word with the Temple and its priesthood directly in the path of its bullseye.<blockquote>So while we can value all the positive contributions that Ezekiel's education and training as a priest brought to his prophetic ministry, we must also appreciate the immense personal, professional and theological shock it must have been to him when, in his thirtieth year, the year he ought to have entered on his ordained priestly career, God broke into his life, wrecked all such career prospects, and constrained him into a role he may himself have viewed with considerable suspicion—the lonely, friendless, unpopular role of being a prophet, the mouthpiece of Yahweh.<br/><br/>No wonder the anger and bitter rage to which he honestly confesses disoriented and overwhelmed him for a full week (3:14-15). God would use all that he had built into Ezekiel's life during his years of preparation, but he would use it in radically different ways from anything Ezekiel had ever imagined.<br/><br/>Such is sometimes the way of God with those whom he calls to his service.</blockquote>
—Christopher Wright, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830824251/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Message of Ezekiel</a></i>, 23, 27.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-44530588924397926382023-08-16T07:15:00.003-04:002023-08-16T09:08:44.334-04:00Who Cares about How the Bible Came to Be? A Reflection on Two Recent Books<img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6mZfwALRCZ96Skc_c7eGGRtlxpDpD79CXkWec5z58SJZpYIE9HivcIBgO7zJI_Qfn79usrr9hJ2o07In94QO-F8lcrivk6l1hyphenhyphenq97TSeYDZBzxLalw6un1MoZ0FTfqtufDQX/s320/WoodBackground.jpg" width="320" /><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhA-VXBsPrnEnOfrOJdS8L1GbFTtqoidcA7WH0zP-5VZoII__49CNtfqVoXWGi0T7MRyJBLAs3s_xSFo15Yl2FjCiCd5V5uHcNCY11owjWJhCWhnyRaQthQM4e9OSmQzWT-1iy4C40bXvAr95H50PwTCB9vSEAySot8sCqZ-B2tiWMZtaF27P/s640/ReviewGraphic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhA-VXBsPrnEnOfrOJdS8L1GbFTtqoidcA7WH0zP-5VZoII__49CNtfqVoXWGi0T7MRyJBLAs3s_xSFo15Yl2FjCiCd5V5uHcNCY11owjWJhCWhnyRaQthQM4e9OSmQzWT-1iy4C40bXvAr95H50PwTCB9vSEAySot8sCqZ-B2tiWMZtaF27P/s16000/ReviewGraphic.jpg" /></a></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">Who Cares about How the Bible Came to Be?</b><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">If someone is interested in talking about canon studies, I would wager that they may be much less engaged when you clarify that you’re not speaking about medieval era siege weapons (that would be cannon studies). While less explosive, the question of how the Bible came to be has enduring apologetic, pastoral, and personal significance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Many of the common objections to Christianity include arguments against the authority or coherence of the Bible. The way you think the Bible came to be will also impact the way you teach it to others and how you read it individually. Accordingly, there will always be both interest and urgency around this question of canon formation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Though this topic can often fall through the trapdoor of technical minutiae or stall in a quagmire of qualifications, two recent books on the biblical canon have provided some navigational assistance for those traversing this rich terrain of biblical studies. </div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">Telling an Untold Story</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Part of what complicates the task of telling the story of how the Bible came to be is that there is no detailed account of this process in the ancient world. In order to tell this untold story, a historian must piece together sometimes very different types of evidence.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One of the most effective ways to communicate these complex processes is to set them within a historical sequence. This is where John Meade and Peter Gurry excel in their recent book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433577895/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Scribes & Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible</a></i>. The three parts of their work track this story from the copying of the text (part 1), the reception and canonization of these biblical books among the believing community (part 2), and the many early and varied translations of the Bible from the ancient world up until the modern era (part 3).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Meade and Gurry are scholars of the Old and New Testament text and canon, respectively, and their discussion reflects this expertise. For example, they begin with the question, “Where did the alphabet come from?” and end with an exploration of the explosion of contemporary English translations. The result is an accessible and coherent origin story for the biblical canon. </div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">Pursuing Canonical Catechesis</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">While a historical account of how the Bible came to be has considerable explanatory power, there are still lingering questions about specific turns on the winding road of canon formation. In his book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1514001101/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Creating the Canon: Composition, Controversy, and the Authority of the New Testament</a></i>, New Testament scholar Ben Laird tackles several of these areas of inquiry. This volume is structured as an answer to a series of follow-up questions that are prompted by the orienting question, “Where did the New Testament come from?” </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Several of these issues relate to the story that Meade and Gurry tell, but many of them also ask pertinent prior questions. For example, Laird discusses the early manuscript evidence for biblical texts, but he also examines at length the meaning and coherence of the concept of an “original autograph” of a particular writing. In the opening and closing sections of his book, Laird also gives direct attention to the initial composition and theological authority of biblical texts (something included but not reflected upon extensively by Meade and Gurry).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Both volumes accomplish their own aims well, but together they complement each other’s distinctive areas of emphasis and omission. </div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">Historical Myth Busters</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One of the functions of a comprehensive account of the canon formation process is that it provides a starting point for countering problematic alternative versions of this history.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Meade and Gurry, for instance, argue against the commonly held notion that the biblical canon was decided by vote at the council of Nicea with the authority of the Roman emperor Constantine behind it in 325 AD. The primary means they use to demonstrate that this was not the case is to provide a succinct overview of the general consensus that developed centuries earlier among the churches apart from the mandate of any individual or group. By the time of the Nicene Council, the shape and content of the biblical canon among the churches was for the most part “old business.” </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">They also clarify misconceptions about later periods like the lead up to the Reformation era. One might think that the Roman Catholic Church had a settled stance on the Old Testament Apocrypha (books like 1–2 Maccabees). On the contrary, Gurry and Meade show that in the correspondence and statements of key theologians there were debates and disagreement among both Protestant and Roman Catholic communities leading up to the formal decisions at the Council of Trent (which pronounced the Apocrypha to be “deuterocanonical”).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b style="text-align: center;"><br /></b></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">Timely Updates to an Ancient Story</b></h2><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A vexing issue that plagues popular treatments of the biblical canon is the distance between a revised scholarly consensus on one hand and accessible articulations of this research on the other. This is one of the key culprits in misleading accounts and one that Meade, Gurry, and Laird are able to avoid. Both books by necessity simplify and summarize large swaths of data, but they do so with a careful method and within the parameters of the available evidence. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">An example of this is the widespread belief that biblical authors wrote their books or letters in the same way we might send a personal note or email today (a single individual composing a message in one sitting and sending it once to another person or group). In Laird’s discussion of NT writings, he clarifies each of these components of the writing process with recently established research. Biblical authors almost certainly utilized scribes, letter carriers, and co-authors as they composed their narratives and letters. There were also likely multiple physical versions of an author’s writing that may have been shared privately or with a smaller group before it was ready to be copied or sent to others. Most biblical authors, too, would have written with a broad audience in mind rather than a limited group of people. The initial and subsequent “readers” of these texts likely also heard them read aloud in small and large group settings. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The Bible is therefore not a haphazard collection of individual correspondence that has been intercepted by those who were never meant to overhear these words. Instead, the inspired biblical authors used a variety of textual tools as they wrote from within the community of faith to the community of faith. These social and literary realities can enhance our understanding of how written texts were produced and also inform our claims about how the biblical collections formed.</div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">The Church as a Textual Community</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">At this point, we can raise a practical question: Why would the Christian community need to study and rehearse this story of how the Bible came to be? How could this kind of hard work be relevant to churches facing pressing challenges in today’s world? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Perhaps the most direct answer to this question is that the Christian church is a textual community that has a vested interest in the shape and meaning of the Scriptures. Both of the works considered here equip readers to reflect on the significance of this social and theological reality. Meade and Gurry show the reliability of biblical texts and the profound historical continuity that the believing community has with the earliest recipients of the biblical writings. A complementary feature of Laird’s work is his strong concluding emphasis on the importance of apostolic authority for understanding the theological function of the NT canon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">No single treatment can cover the sprawling and interconnected web of topics that are required in order to tell the story of how the Bible came to be and why it matters. Written as they are with clear prose, updated research, and measured conclusions, these two works will serve the believing community well for a long time. <br /><br /><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-90465113642926646522023-07-24T16:36:00.001-04:002023-07-24T16:44:48.380-04:00Eusebius the Evangelist: Rewriting the Fourfold Gospel in Late Antiquity, Book Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KWK66JSJJJLQ87TG-_iN2cEYn65phtP4MbpUJzOZK9bmZ70sF1LYfdALS5awcCm-XKeSD6dQxBSLBoO-CRsKu29bX9vMA6X7Y3nbZpswLLnSlPqWkyPHRhh1INqrL6hIKKKA/s0/ViduInseparableOperationsHeader.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWbpGUkERyuNknISH5kYYg-K1P_qeLpn2DZcPTm32BaAYB7RNe628Dn7aNtw0eAztebmaw_rKFgAvI_LHDOPRorlcw3C7Xb75hl6M_9qzI1k33ozdeCeR3EkQWbkQ6BKq_uji/s1600/pexels-photo-296884.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<img border="0" imageanchor="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdONot0CQsTCxucYw1-Vs--kbO4TJOOr4YqUedlYm1sdDjzd9e8jw1pruJ6Zei4cfl0e8km9_WQ2uWQfrIzP4eIA5kklPvPyq95A0P8vdKy230oexOfInSVcdaLjjWlYk6rDZuTwa5szi-Aoiq_k99wlSF-4vVw_wRYtBbzmrzEjC2_YixJPix3Hs-RA/s320/CooganEusebius.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;" /><b>Title: </b><i>Eusebius the Evangelist: Rewriting the Fourfold Gospel in Late Antiquity </i><br />
<b>Author: </b>Jeremiah Coogan<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Oxford, 2023<br />
<b>Price:</b> $110 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0197580041/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">amz</a>) <br />
<b>Binding: </b>Hardback<br />
<b>Pages: </b>256<br />
<div style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">An interesting recent development in the study of early Gospel scholarship is a renewed focus on the cross-reference system that fourth-century historian Eusebius innovated. This paratextual apparatus was designed to enable the close study of Gospel parallels (“horizontal reading”) while maintaining the narrative coherence of each individual account (“vertical reading”). In past generations, the significance of Eusebius’s reading aid would have been relegated to studies of historical theology. However, several helpful works have recently been published that provide a thorough orientation to the significance and reception of Eusebius’s canon tables. </p><p class="MsoNormal">For example, in <i>The Fourfold Gospel</i> (Baker, 2017), Francis Watson briefly introduces the canon tables and shows their significance for navigating the unity and diversity of the canonical Gospels. In <i><a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/review/the-eusebian-canon-tables-ordering-textual-knowledge-in-late-antiquity/">The Eusebian Canon Tables</a></i> (Oxford, 2019), Matthew Crawford contextualizes Eusebius’s textual innovation and traces the reception history of the tables in several different manuscript traditions. In <i>Eusebius the Evangelist: Rewriting the Fourfold Gospel in Late Antiquity</i> (Oxford, 2023), Jeremiah Coogan works in this stream of research but also interrogates several assumptions in previous studies. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Noting that the Eusebian apparatus quickly became “a standard feature of Gospel manuscripts and transformed subsequent Gospel reading,” Coogan observes that this cross-reference system “offers an invaluable window into the emergence of a fourfold Gospel and the late ancient transformation of textuality” (3). Accordingly, Coogan structures his study around the publication technology that enabled the Eusebian apparatus (chapter 2, “Technology”), the social world of Gospel production in early Christianity (chapter 3, “Gospel Writing”), and the various readerly effects of this paratextual device (chapters 4–5, “Creative Juxtaposition” and “Reading Eusebius’ Gospels”). </p><p class="MsoNormal">A key strength of Coogan’s work is its careful attention to the experience of readers who encounter the fourfold Gospel that bears the marks of Eusebius’s system. As Coogan notes, the design of numbered sections of text with corresponding columns that mark out textual parallels effectively guides readers “to discover similarity and difference in the fourfold Gospel” (p. 21; cf. pp. 97–114). Codex manuscripts that employ the Gospel apparatus also usually included a paratextual preface that disclosed Eusebius’s primary purpose in constructing his system (see Eusebius’s <i>Epistle to Carpianus</i>, pp. xiii–xvi). In this preface, Eusebius conveys his aim to showcase parallels among Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John while also allowing a reader to maintain focus on an individual narrative at any given point. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Coogan thoroughly examines these features but also broadens the scope of his analysis to include the varied possibilities that the Eusebian system allowed. Drawing on the concept of “affordances,” Coogan notes that a material feature like the Gospel apparatus serves a particular purpose but is also open to further creative innovations among those who encounter and appropriate it in their reading of these biblical texts (see pp. 4–8; 28–42, 56–58). The possibilities that the canon tables afford can align with the original intention of the system but can also enable unanticipated functions (e.g., the use of the tables in artistic manuscript illuminations or as a general strategy of segmenting the text). </p><p class="MsoNormal">In this vein, Coogan considers some of the obvious connections that Eusebius makes in his tabular arrangement (e.g., the feeding of the five thousand account) but also some of the surprising readings that are generated by juxtaposition within the same grouping. Coogan shows that in Eusebius’s thinking these parallels are based on the notion of “similar things” (τὰ παραπλήσια) rather than “exact equivalence” or a perfect correspondence among the granular details of an event (pp. 100–102). This means that some of the parallels noted in the apparatus are based on conceptual resemblance or theological similarity in addition to verbal overlap. </p><p class="MsoNormal">For example, in Luke 22:32, Jesus tells Peter to strengthen his brothers after he returns from his betrayal of Jesus. In John 21, Jesus restores Peter and commands him to “feed [his] sheep” after his departure. Eusebius juxtaposes these passages and thus implicitly connects Peter’s threefold denial before the crucifixion in Luke’s account with Jesus’s threefold command after the resurrection. Interestingly, in this particular textual connection, Eusebius “shares an insight with modern scholars but articulates it differently” (p. 113n63). Moreover, because the apparatus omits any kind of commentary, much textual analysis is still required in order to discern the significance of the paralleled passages. In these entries, Eusebius “juxtaposes similar material and lets the reader take it from there” (p. 107). </p><p class="MsoNormal">In this volume, Coogan draws upon and advances prior scholarship on the Eusebian canon tables. In doing so, Coogan successfully refutes two related positions of previous generations of scholarship: 1) that the canon tables are an unsophisticated primitive reference system, and 2) that Eusebius devised them for the apologetic purpose of resolving historical contradictions in the Gospel narratives. Coogan’s work shows on the contrary that the Eusebian apparatus is a complex and coherent technological innovation and that Eusebius often prioritized thematic and theological correspondence in his textual groupings. Though his system did assist apologists defending the faith, it was primarily aimed at helping readers navigate the fourfold Gospel. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Some aspects of Coogan’s central thesis need further interrogation (primarily his contention that in developing his cross-reference system Eusebius is engaging in an act of Gospel <i>(re)writing </i>rather than Gospel <i>reception</i>). However, this pushback would entail considering further not the historical and interpretive value of this volume but rather the host of historiographical commitments currently being re-negotiated in the wake of the material turn in the study of early Christianity (which goes beyond the scope of this brief review!). </p><p class="MsoNormal">Overall, this is an interesting and instructive volume that confirms the continuing vitality of scholarship on the Eusebian canon tables. Coogan’s work demonstrates through meticulous analysis that Eusebius’s apparatus had a formative effect on the reading of the fourfold Gospel in the fourth century and can still inform Gospel studies for anyone willing to put it to use.<br /><br /><br /></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-50098096374031507882023-01-10T19:15:00.003-05:002023-01-10T21:50:42.088-05:00The Gospel and the Gospels: Christian Proclamation and Early Jesus Books, Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KWK66JSJJJLQ87TG-_iN2cEYn65phtP4MbpUJzOZK9bmZ70sF1LYfdALS5awcCm-XKeSD6dQxBSLBoO-CRsKu29bX9vMA6X7Y3nbZpswLLnSlPqWkyPHRhh1INqrL6hIKKKA/s0/ViduInseparableOperationsHeader.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWbpGUkERyuNknISH5kYYg-K1P_qeLpn2DZcPTm32BaAYB7RNe628Dn7aNtw0eAztebmaw_rKFgAvI_LHDOPRorlcw3C7Xb75hl6M_9qzI1k33ozdeCeR3EkQWbkQ6BKq_uji/s1600/pexels-photo-296884.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<img border="0" imageanchor="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4tI4XCZ-tyxki0FtI7TwEiqiB6V25JkNeyP4ISmzENJh4sJK4zIxyUG-9C2ZjoCWoxbfRaYvwfROP-Jx0_JcCZmqbPk_5MpLN9ZkvIulNupVbxtC9B12c3Yx_PRkCfdtSZIZ0TOuImu9cfSINYNTTiuRqlOZmGxHlFKDS8CkCfFCR6lJl3zIC6ZA0/s453/GathercoleGospels.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;" /><b>Title: </b><i>The Gospel and the Gospels: Christian Proclamation and Early Jesus Books</i><br />
<b>Author: </b>Simon Gathercole<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Eerdmans, 2022<br />
<b>Price:</b> $55.99 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802877591/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">amz</a>) <br />
<b>Binding: </b>Hardback<br />
<b>Pages: </b>600<br />
<div style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">Is there anything internal to the canonical Gospel
narratives that sets them apart from most other texts in early Christianity? </p><p class="MsoNormal">Much
current scholarship on the Gospels and the history of early Christianity argues
that only external factors in subsequent centuries can explain why Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John were received as the only authoritative accounts of
Jesus’s life and ministry. In this scenario, there were a host of texts that
appropriated elements of the Jesus tradition from a wide variety of theological
frameworks. Not until much later did the theological positions solidify that
were then used to select the nature and number of the church’s Gospel canon.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In this volume, Simon Gathercole makes a careful and
detailed case that there was indeed something about the canonical Gospels that
allowed readers to differentiate them from other gospel-like texts. His thesis
is twofold. He first argues that the four canonical Gospels “share key elements
of theological content that mark them out from most of the noncanonical
Gospels” (15). He argues further that the reason why these four Gospels “are
theologically similar to one another is that they—unlike most others—follow a
preexisting apostolic ‘creed’ or preached gospel” (15). Accordingly, the
theological coherence of the four New Testament Gospels was not an arbitrary
element of their reception history but rather a foundational feature of their
initial composition.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In his overall project, Gathercole emphasizes the point that
“there were theological criteria in operation, in the preached apostolic gospel
or kerygma, <i>even before the compositions of any Gospels</i>” (14). The
preaching of the apostles was shaped by these strands of theological confession
from the earliest days of the Christian church. “All written Gospels”
therefore, “emerged from a situation in which there were already established,
though also developing, norms of what constituted authentic apostolic
proclamation” (14). An implication of this textual and social reality is that
“in an important sense, a ‘canon’—in the sense of a widely held standard of
teaching—<i>preceded</i> the composition of the Gospels, and the authors of the
Gospels, deliberately or unconsciously, reflected this preaching or they did
not” (14). For Gathercole, because this theological standard was operative in
the first century, it should then directly inform the way the history of early
Christianity is understood (cf. 463–502).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Noting the difficulty of comparing every detail of any two works,
Gathercole selects the earliest form of the apostolic preaching (the “kerygma”)
as the comparator by which he will compare and contrast these texts (34–35). Taking
1 Cor 15:3–4 as a starting point, Gathercole identifies four essential
components of the kerygma (36–46). The apostolic preaching 1) identified Jesus
as the Christ, 2) affirmed Jesus’s saving vicarious death, 3) explained Jesus’s
resurrection on the third day, and 4) viewed each of these elements as a
prophetic fulfillment of the Scriptures. Gathercole also argues that the
kerygma is a justifiable comparator for this kind of study because this form of
the apostolic preaching likely pre-dates Paul’s letters, resonates with broader
New Testament theology, and was widely affirmed among diverse Christian
communities (see 47–70). The kerygma is thus uniquely and strategically
positioned to serve as a ruler by which to measure the texts of early
Christianity.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In the most substantive section of the book, Gathercole
systematically evaluates how each Gospel text does or does not address the key
features of the kerygma. For Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, all the elements of
the kerygma are present even with some distinctive features in their
presentation (chapters 4–7). In the rest of this section, Gathercole examines seven
of the best-preserved and most well-known apocryphal Gospels in early
Christianity: the <i>Gospel of Peter</i>, Marcion’s Gospel, the <i>Gospel of
Thomas</i>, the <i>Gospel of Truth</i>, the <i>Gospel of Philip</i>, the <i>Gospel
of Judas</i>, and the Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians (chapters 8–14). In these chapters,
Gathercole seeks to evaluate each text on its own terms and identify whether or
not a given aspect of the kerygma is present or absent. After this lengthy
targeted analysis of each text, Gathercole ends his volume with a concise
synthesis of what a comparison and contrast of the various Gospels in early
Christianity yields (chapters 15–16).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Gathercole’s concluding claim is not that “the canonical
Gospels are the only works to include <i>any</i> of the four principal elements
of the kerygma” (478). Rather, the New Testament Gospels are the only texts
that contain <i>all</i> of the distinct elements that mark apostolic preaching
in the earliest churches. For example, some extracanonical Gospels include the
death of Jesus but do not ascribe it any saving significance nor do they
include an account of his resurrection (e.g., the <i>Gospel of Judas</i>; see
438–43). Other texts include a detailed account of the resurrection but seem to
deny that the body is raised in this miraculous event (e.g., the <i>Gospel of
Phillip</i>; see 410–25).</p><p class="MsoNormal">In this vein, Gathercole observes that one of the profound
differences between canonical and noncanonical texts relates to the way
messianic concepts are used alongside of Scriptural intertexts. While they
include some of the accounts and varying details of these events, none of the
noncanonical Gospels directly identify both the death and resurrection of Jesus
as the prophetic fulfillment of Scripture. Accordingly, “this theme constitutes
a significant example of the distinctiveness of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John
vis-à-vis the others discussed here” (478). The canonical Gospels also always
associate the title “Christ” with Old Testament imagery and discernible messianic
themes (e.g., the “son of David” title or the imagery of Psalm 2). In contrast
to noncanonical texts, when the New Testament Gospels refer to Jesus as the
Christ, they consistently activate a “scripturally rooted discourse or body of
messianic tradition” that gives shape and definition to what is meant by
“Messiah” (see 36–42; 81–97; 480–88).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Taken as a whole, Gathercole’s work is a rigorous and
refreshing treatment of the distinctiveness of the canonical Gospels. Because
his central claims are straightforward and meticulously supported, Gathercole
has carved out a scholarly space in biblical studies for the assumption that
the preaching of the apostles is coherent and intricately connected to the texts
of the New Testament. For those who recognize the apocryphal Gospels are
significant in some way but are unsure how to approach them, Gathercole
provides a set of tools that will inform both the study of the canonical
Gospels and the history of early Christianity. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I am grateful for this work and
hope that it helps convince a new generation of students and scholars to value
and defend the theological distinctiveness of these four Gospel narratives that
have changed the world.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-4934983954136367982022-10-18T07:15:00.001-04:002022-10-18T08:12:36.538-04:00The Chalcedonian Box (theological boundaries for thinking about Jesus)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/31E1QA362bs" width="320" youtube-src-id="31E1QA362bs"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div>The "Definition of Chalcedon" is particularly helpful for summarizing the theological discussions of the earliest churches as they considered the person and work of Jesus Christ. <div><br /></div><div>This video summarizes the first four councils of the early church (Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon) and briefly considers how these theological formulations guard the "biblical idiom" about Jesus, guide further theological thinking in Christology, and aid the reading of biblical texts. <div><br /></div><div>Sources mentioned in the bibliography at the end of the video: <div><div>0. For the <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds2.iv.i.iii.html ">text of the Definition of Chalcedon </a>(Grk, Eng, Lat).</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Sanders, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080544422X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Chalcedonian Categories for the Gospel Narrative</a>," in <i>Jesus in Trinitarian Perspective</i>. See also Sanders' <a href="http://scriptoriumdaily.com/gratitude-for-the-council-of-chalcedon/ ">brief articulation</a> of the "Chalcedonian Box" concept. </div><div><br /></div><div>2. Sanders, "<a href="https://www.academia.edu/24914010/Biblical_Grounding_for_the_Christology_of_the_Councils_Criswell_Theological_Review_Fall_2015_">Biblical Grounding for the Christology of the Councils</a>"</div><div><br /></div><div>3. Holcomb, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310515092/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Know the Creeds and Councils</a></i>, 9-84.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. Ferguson, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310516560/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Church History (Volume 1)</a></i>, 191-226, 255-67.</div><div><br /></div><div>5. Ayres, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0198755058/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Nicaea and its Legacy</a></i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>6. Anatolios, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1540960692/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">Retrieving Nicaea</a></i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Produced as a part of an introductory course on theology at Cedarville University.</div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-9751464866139568302022-08-08T14:15:00.006-04:002022-08-08T15:25:24.937-04:00The Seminary as a Textual Community: Exploring John Sailhamer's Vision for Theological Education<img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8Y9XbUIlT9PGL9GWJeyW-OLBjpuxtVTMjDdw2OZsvN0phM2-gYLe2m0x-7las8ljPP9LNom99OPE3Vi7_t8e3IYr3-taZ9V1VbD53uM7Tc4vCrNGe9JLUqtcPY3SBZjJDA8a/s1600/StockSnap_CJDQEHTDJV.jpg" width="320" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNSfsVkBi00KXYtAXdSLktD8TejTSy3cPLY7AN3LWqqsr9ZZ1koGY5AI8H86oopW0PXWMKu55p4GoVr02BOxDqCbgRw8aSdhZMtm2lV_hZxYj5X4i_n2zL7m7PT3zHIFBiadEzquDcrYKLJU-RfuhJ567eFHvDC7E8Gs3TsSQ7CdHM6B7FUb_T_5p/s1600/SeminaryAsTextualCommunity.jpg" /></div></div><b style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">About the Book</b></h2>Title:</b><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><i style="text-align: left;">The Seminary as a Textual Community: Exploring John Sailhamer's Vision for Theological Education</i><div><b>Editors: </b>Ched Spellman and Jason K. Lee<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Fontes Press, 2021<br /><b>List Price: </b>$22.95 | $11.99<br />
<b>Binding:</b> paperback (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1948048604/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">amz</a>) & digital (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092RMKBQM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">kindle</a>)<br />
<b>Pages: </b>177</div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Overview (from the back cover): </b></h3>John Sailhamer (1946-2017) is known for his careful scholarship on the Hebrew Bible and his focus on the compositional strategies found in the text of Scripture. Perhaps less well-known is his comprehensive vision for theological education.<div><br /></div><div>In part one of this volume, editors Ched Spellman and Jason K. Lee present a previously unpublished address from Sailhamer on “The Nature, Purpose, and Tasks of a Theological Seminary” and offer a reflection on the setting, substance, and significance of this new work. Part two includes a collection of Sailhamer’s articles, essays, and reviews that are less-well known yet relate to some of the major topics he develops in his proposal for theological education. These writings focus on the use of history and hermeneutics with an eye toward the nature of biblical narratives.<div><br /></div><div>This section also includes some of Sailhamer’s interaction with works from several different disciplines (from biblical exegesis to systematic theology) as well as his reflections on the state of Old Testament studies. The volume ends with a comprehensive bibliography of Sailhamer’s writings and research.<h3 style="text-align: left;"> <br /><b>Table of Contents:</b></h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Preface<br />Foreword: Stephen G. Dempster<br /><br /><b>Part 1: Hermeneutics and Theological Education</b><br />1. The Nature, Purpose, and Tasks of a Theological Seminary, by John Sailhamer<br />2. The Seminary as a Textual Community: Reflections on John Sailhamer’s Vision for Theological Education, by Ched Spellman and Jason K. Lee<br /><br /><b>Part 2: Hermeneutics, History, and Disciplinary Dialogue</b><br />3. Hermeneutics, History, and Disciplinary Dialogue in Sailhamer’s Scholarship, by Ched Spellman<br />4. What Have They Done to My Genesis? by John H. Sailhamer<br />5. Reading the Bible as a Text, by John H. Sailhamer<br />6. Archaeology and the Reliability of the Old Testament, by John H. Sailhamer<br />7. Cosmic Maps, Prophecy Charts, and the Hollywood Movie: A Biblical Realist Looks at the Eclipse of Old Testament Narrative, by John H. Sailhamer<br />8. Johann August Ernesti: The Role of History in Biblical Interpretation, by John H. Sailhamer<br />9. Engaging the Disciplines: Selected Book Reviews, by John H. Sailhamer<br />10. Finding Meaning in the Pentateuch: An Interview with Collin Hansen<br />11. The Writings of John H. Sailhamer: A Comprehensive Bibliography<br /><br />Afterword: Steven A. McKinion<br />Acknowledgments<br />Scripture Index<br />Person Index<br /><br /><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.fontespress.com/product/the-seminary-as-a-textual-community-exploring-john-sailhamers-vision-for-theological-education/">See Endorsements at Fontes Book Page</a></p></div></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>How You Can Get Your Hands On It:</b></h3><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Order the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1948048604/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">paperback edition</a> (amz)</li><li>Order the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092RMKBQM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">digital edition</a> (kindle)</li><li><a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/seminary-as-a-textual-community-exploring-john-sailhamers-vision-for-theological-education/oclc/1252630735&referer=brief_results">Find or request</a> it from your academic or local library. <br /><br /></li></ul><div>Thanks for reading!<br /><br /></div><p></p></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-4726732776304962592022-08-04T09:15:00.002-04:002022-08-04T09:56:26.609-04:00The Concept of Canon in the Reception of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KWK66JSJJJLQ87TG-_iN2cEYn65phtP4MbpUJzOZK9bmZ70sF1LYfdALS5awcCm-XKeSD6dQxBSLBoO-CRsKu29bX9vMA6X7Y3nbZpswLLnSlPqWkyPHRhh1INqrL6hIKKKA/s0/ViduInseparableOperationsHeader.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWbpGUkERyuNknISH5kYYg-K1P_qeLpn2DZcPTm32BaAYB7RNe628Dn7aNtw0eAztebmaw_rKFgAvI_LHDOPRorlcw3C7Xb75hl6M_9qzI1k33ozdeCeR3EkQWbkQ6BKq_uji/s1600/pexels-photo-296884.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<img border="0" imageanchor="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2CKrdwG3Id-ekHOqei1uzFVULz1rVHhzgF9-6fhlT1dh9P4unPTYfIcBQ4fQSAOIEj-HHRIR73bZB0CMOTfPSmBZ6uXEddi9mj1tTuwdGAatIb-iY4QzblAH2b7crYbJMESxVi-8aFDQLmSfMOrxocdX7Kah6loTJ6RKVTWSJUiHak9bnDg0jT_I/s450/HebrewsReview.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;" /><b>Title: </b><i>The Concept of Canon in the Reception of the Epistle to the Hebrews</i><br />
<b>Author: </b>David Young<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: T&T Clark, 2021<br />
<b>Price:</b> $115.00 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0567701344/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">amz</a>) <br />
<b>Binding: </b>Hardback<br />
<b>Pages: </b>176<br />
<div style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal">In this detailed study, David Young seeks to answer the
following questions: How was the letter to the Hebrews received in early
Christianity? And further, What does this reception history say about the
concept of canon in this era? </p><p class="MsoNormal">In order to answer these questions, Young first
sets the parameters of his study and signals his approach to the reception of
biblical literature in the history of early Christianity. Mindful of the
methodological mistake of importing anachronistic categories developed in later
centuries onto the examination of earlier evidence, Young prioritizes social
and material explanations for the distinctive reception of Hebrews in early
Christianity. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Drawing on recent historical reconstructions, Young argues
that the typical model of the letter’s early acceptance in the East and a
gradual subsequent acceptance in the West is an argument from silence that does
not account for the ambiguity of the evidence (pp. 3–14). Hebrews is utilized
in various ways in both the East and the West, and the eventual assessment of
figures like Jerome and Augustine draws upon a well-established reception of
the letter: “an acceptance of Hebrews with questions about its authorship” (p. 13).</p><p class="MsoNormal">In the second and third centuries, Young insists, the
discussion of Hebrews did not include the notions of canonical status or
Scriptural authority (i.e., they did not focus on whether Hebrews was “in or
out” of the accepted canonical lists). Rather, “the utility of the text of
Hebrews to an author’s rhetorical aims appears to be the critical factor in
Hebrews’ reception among patristic authors prior to the fourth century” (p. 49).
Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen utilize Hebrews in
relatively divergent ways (pp. 55–72). These theologians do not “concern
themselves with the question of acceptance or rejection,” but rather exhibit
nuance and complexity in their selection of passages from Hebrews, their
interpretation of those passages, their opinions about Hebrews’ authorship,” as
well as the interrelationship of these inquiries (p. 55).</p><p class="MsoNormal">In perhaps the strongest part of his monograph, Young shifts
from the direct discussion of Hebrews by individuals to an examination of the
manuscripts of the letter and what they can tell us about their reception
(chapters four and five). Noting that “the vast majority of manuscripts that
include Hebrews attest to a close relationship between the epistle and the <i>corpus
Paulinum</i>,” Young argues that the key factor in the reception and
reproduction of Hebrews was not “canonical status” but rather the letter’s
relationship to a given edition of Paul’s letters (p. 77). Because editions of
ancient texts indicated at least some deliberation and intentional arrangement
by a given compiler (pp. 77–81), the position of Hebrews at the end of Paul’s
letter collection (i.e., after Philemon) in the manuscript tradition was most
likely due to the prevailing “hesitancy” about Pauline authorship.</p><p class="MsoNormal">For Young, the reason for this hesitancy is that early Latin
translations of the Pauline corpus likely omitted Hebrews. Consequently, it is
likely that “Latin-speaking Christians who encountered these early Latin
editions of Paul that did not include Hebrews had no reason to associate the
treatise with Paul” (p. 106). During the “wider push toward Latinity in the
imperial administration of the fourth century,” then, there was a move “to
systematize Latin editions of Paul in consultation with Greek editions” (p. 106).</p><p class="MsoNormal">There were several social factors that prompted the rise of
“Latinity” in the Greco-Roman world such as increased patronage for translation
projects (pp. 114–28), and these cultural forces created the impetus for the
production of editions of Paul’s letters that reflected both the Greek and
Latin manuscript traditions. In light of these factors, Young concludes that
“the editorial reconciliation of these different traditions provides a
plausible explanation for the placement of Hebrews at the end of the Pauline
corpus, an editorial decision consistent with Hebrews’ questionable Pauline
status and one that would determine its place in the vast majority of the
subsequent manuscript tradition as well as modern print editions of the Bible”
(p. 128).</p><p class="MsoNormal">This volume demonstrates that the reception of Hebrews is a kind
of open window into the complex use and non-linear circulation of Scriptural
texts in early Christianity. Young’s detailed interaction with figures in the
second through fourth centuries also helpfully shows the difficulty of
extrapolating a given historical writer’s comprehensive position on the concept
of canon.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Young’s broader argument about the status and role of
authoritative writings in the earliest churches will be most compelling to
those who share his understanding of the development of the concept of canon in
the first through third centuries (his central claim here is that there is <i>not
</i>a coherent concept of canon prior to the fourth century intellectual
debates among ecclesial theologians). However, I’m not sure he has demonstrated
that a stable or authoritative collection of texts was actually absent or
irrelevant for these theologians in earlier eras. For instance, the early circulation
of a “core collection” of apostolic writings, the phenomenon of widespread
liturgical usage, and the impact of Irenaeus’s categories for the shape and
status of biblical texts collectively represent a chapter in the story of early
Christianity that Young acknowledges but does not integrate into his study. </p><p class="MsoNormal">These alternate lines of inquiry, however, admittedly tap into a much more
complex debate in biblical studies that involves a host of critical historiographical
decisions. On balance, Young’s treatment of the reception of Hebrews along with
his careful methodological parameters make this volume an interesting and
substantive contribution to the field.<br /><br /><br /></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-13814859841625551192022-08-02T15:15:00.001-04:002022-08-02T15:42:44.717-04:00Sequencing the Hebrew Bible: The Order of the Books, Book Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGDIFKeuoItZNcYvQB8iz30Qy3zVrGPRJDFySgPCztSC06T7lNHyXV8uwTs1dXEJKEAt_8ZKPeIPylxaZypzBC7K5i7b4w-7NKmIi6aHfSOiZnZ7XSTQxfoxcvGpc7Zbyqd_m/s1600/ReviewBackground_2.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGDIFKeuoItZNcYvQB8iz30Qy3zVrGPRJDFySgPCztSC06T7lNHyXV8uwTs1dXEJKEAt_8ZKPeIPylxaZypzBC7K5i7b4w-7NKmIi6aHfSOiZnZ7XSTQxfoxcvGpc7Zbyqd_m/s1600/ReviewBackground_2.jpg" /></a>
<img border="0" imageanchor="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOILhz1umbIYZOh05erk8nt0fJ6h25r3qmqwdHTp8KbfjnlNzJRD7EEXEIMEfhDAHjJxg0VdlTa5pmwgzpI1i_ucrShk1MwNMQlEatV0qkUDs27l36KCPSLAqga0Q_zPUi2a59M-fp5iwSgByuTF04z3HLqrDdPGDCIxeFYG9FF-QYInBWefebRAcg/s476/CroySequencingHebrewBible.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;" /><b>Title: </b><i>Sequencing the Hebrew Bible: The Order of Books</i><br />
<b>Author: </b>Casey Croy<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Sheffield-Phoenix, 2021<br />
<b>Price:</b> $75.00 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1910928887/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">amz</a>)<br />
<b>Binding:</b> Hardback<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 247<br />
<div style="clear: both;"></div>
In this monograph, Casey Croy contributes to the field of canon studies by examining the sequence of books in the Hebrew Bible and developing criteria for how canonical compilation might relate to textual composition. Croy defines “compilation criticism” as an examination of the Hebrew Bible that seeks “to discern if the arrangement of its books is significant” (1). The goal of this analysis, then, is “to establish links between and among the Hebrew Bible’s books so that a cohesive whole emerges from the (sometimes disparate) parts” (1). <div><br /></div><div>One of the most common objections to the study of canonical contextuality is the presence of multiple arrangements in different manuscripts or reception traditions. Croy’s aim in this work is to address this particular challenge. As he poses, “Since multiple arrangements of the Hebrew Bible emerged in antiquity, is compilational criticism still a viable approach to understanding the Hebrew Bible?” (3). Croy argues that this variation does not render book ordering irrelevant but rather is actually a sign of its significance for authors and compilers of the various canonical collections. His thesis is that “multiple arrangements of the Hebrew Bible are needed to account for all the compilational features within the Hebrew Bible” (23). In other words, “compilational criticism must consider multiple arrangements of the Hebrew Bible because the composition of some of the Hebrew Bible’s books was influenced by more than one arrangement” (57; cf 23–43; 206–13). </div><div><br /></div><div>One of Croy’s key assumptions is that “the final forms of some books of the Hebrew Bible reveal an awareness of an emerging canon” (25). Those who produced some of these books “were aware of an emerging canon of Scripture and composed their books to fill a specific role within the arrangement of that emerging canon” (27). This claim further requires “the presence of an emerging canon of the Hebrew Scriptures” that would have “influenced the composition of some books” (57). In these instances, there would be textual features that can plausibly be understood as referring to a broader collection (i.e., canon-conscious composition). These literary features would be “understandable within the book itself” but could be better explained “by pointing to how the book in question was intended to form an intentional compilation with another book” (58). </div><div><br /></div><div>After describing the most important ancient witnesses to the Jewish arrangements of the Hebrew Bible and proposing methodological controls for “compilation criticism” (chapters 2–3), Croy discusses the compilation of Nahum in relation to Micah and Jonah (chapter 4), Ruth in relation to Judges, Proverbs, and Psalms (chapter 5), and Chronicles in relation to Kings and Ezra-Nehemiah (chapter 6). In addition to these local case studies, Croy also considers “macro-canonical structures” like an exile-return model in relation to the prophetic history that spans Genesis through Kings and the “messiah model” that notes strategic prophetic and poetic texts in relation to the anchoring position of the book of Moses (chapter 7). </div><div><br /></div><div>While the sharpness of the argument shifts depending on the evidence at hand, Croy sees in each of these compilational studies possible evidence that demonstrates his basic thesis: that “the text or wording of several books within the Hebrew Bible was influenced by more than one arrangement of the Hebrew Bible” (206). Accordingly, the study of the Hebrew Bible’s shape must include the analysis of multiple arrangements rather than a single linear sequence. For Croy, this necessity follows not only from the presence of multiple ordering traditions in the history of interpretation (which is recognized by many canonical interpreters) but also from the textual reality of compilation-conscious comments within select Old Testament books (which is the refinement Croy is proposing). </div><div><br /></div><div>By interacting with the relevant scholarship and providing several exegetical case studies, this work advances several strands of the current conversation about the nature of canon formation and canonical hermeneutics. Croy develops here some of the methodological parameters that can help navigate the relationship between composition and canonization in the canon formation process. I’m thankful for Croy’s work in this volume and hope many students of the biblical canon consider its claims carefully.
<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-4602739080301665582022-07-20T19:15:00.035-04:002022-07-20T19:38:42.728-04:00Essays on Prophecy and Canon: The Rise of a New Model of Interpretation, Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEkmuV-c1e2Umr7wHKvY0VpK__gJ1XTA-YVIcHJe5vzrhEpanyE3XWiSJN3H7ydan0hG7Qof_0ZK_wJPXl7Mo0sv1DyTA2boiV429Wv12wzPi44GGBhEhFPmNYLioLimwVQEF/s1600/ReviewBackground2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="799" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEkmuV-c1e2Umr7wHKvY0VpK__gJ1XTA-YVIcHJe5vzrhEpanyE3XWiSJN3H7ydan0hG7Qof_0ZK_wJPXl7Mo0sv1DyTA2boiV429Wv12wzPi44GGBhEhFPmNYLioLimwVQEF/s1600/ReviewBackground2.jpeg" /></a></div>
<img border="0" imageanchor="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlr4VMtszaKq26wut7CPhkpq3u5B4CVRoiDBhK52msp0lLHL_eBI3ZL9eHhRc8LXqqItTExgHc81sqI17ZQA1eKN9jVvP33finjeIKSFkPcgUh_7dF7CwE0jY3v2VTi-bcox35luQX-VA_ShHvbO39Npbm-l-O1knkth8URjFfuYlN0_c5vXTF8BKA/s448/SeitzEssaysProphecyCanon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;" /><b>Title: </b><i>Essays on Prophecy and Canon: The Rise of a New Model of Interpretation</i><br />
<b>Author: </b>Christopher R. Seitz<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Mohr Siebeck, 2021<br />
<b>Price:</b> 149 € (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3161608437/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">amz</a>)<br />
<b>Binding:</b> Hardback<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 412<br />
<div style="clear: both;">
</div>In this volume, Christopher Seitz gathers twenty articles and essays from across his career that examine the nature of the biblical canon and the shape of the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible. <br /><br />This material is a fitting follow-up to several of his most recent monographs. In <i>The Elder Testament: Canon, Theology, Trinity</i> (Baylor, 2018), Seitz provided a mature statement of a canonical and theological approach to the Old Testament Scriptures. In <i>Convergences: Canon and Catholicity</i> (Baylor, 2020), Seitz supplemented this work by arguing that a canonical approach to biblical studies is distinctive, but not idiosyncratic. In both books, Seitz argues that this focus on the final form’s shape and theological witness is something anticipated in certain strands of historical-critical study and also a project that finds sympathetic dialogue partners across ecclesial and intellectual traditions. This collection of smaller works, then, explores similar themes with a focus on the exegesis of the prophetic books and developments in the field of Old Testament studies over the course of the last forty years.<br /><br />Seitz begins with an autobiographical introduction that situates the flow of the selections and explains the inner logic of the topics covered (pp. 1–32). Prior to formal education, Seitz notes that he had only encountered the Old and New Testaments through lectionary readings that “did not give one much sense of the serial movement of the text, or the Bible as a whole work” (p. 1). He then recounts his orienting study in a university setting that emphasized historical context and critical accounts of the Bible’s development. His doctoral study with Brevard Childs at Yale and in Germany, then, both gave him expertise in historical-critical methods and also prompted a reconsideration of this approach in light of a commitment to final form exegesis. In Childs he finds a biblical theologian who was “not sundering the work of historical-criticism but bending it to a different purpose” (p. 3). <br /><br />As he began to teach in academic and congregational settings, Seitz further honed his appreciation of the shape of biblical books as a way to navigate the endless possibilities that historical reconstruction offers. He reflects, “The practical matter of holding myself accountable to the biblical canon, in its wide Old Testament form, guided how I brokered the findings of historical-critical methods—which I knew well and which I appreciated for what they were able to explain” (p. 6). Grappling with the relationship between a given work’s canonical presentation and its possible historical background will then feature prominently in Seitz’s teaching and scholarship through his early career (see pp. 9–22) up to his present work (see pp. 23–32).<br /><br />The major sections of the book contain essays that trace developments within the field of Old Testament studies and in Seitz’s own scholarship. The three areas include treatments of the book of Isaiah (“Beyond the Three-Isaiah Model for Interpretation”), the book of the Twelve and the Prophets section of the Hebrew Bible (“Beyond the Chronological Model for Interpretation”), and the book of Jeremiah and issues of method and hermeneutics (“Canonical Interpretation: Rethinking Author, Setting, Audience”). The final section includes two brief essays on the reception of the Prophets in the modern and pre-modern era (“Prophecy in the History of Interpretation”).<br /><br />One of the unique benefits of this volume is the way it charts the organic development of Seitz’s thinking on central issues in exegesis and biblical theology throughout his career. The case studies themselves illumine the nature of Old Testament studies and track the academic conversation on critical issues like the shape of Isaiah, the compilation of the book of the Twelve, the notion of authorial intention, and the broader relevance of reception history. These essays do not provide extended commentary on the prophetic books but rather focus on some of the critical exegetical decisions that inform Seitz’s commentary treatments and dedicated monographs on Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the Twelve (e.g., the strategic significance of Isa 40:1–8 for the shape of the book or the function of Hosea as the opening of the Twelve). One drawback of this type of collection would be inevitable points of repetition. However, most of the overlap in this volume involves Seitz’s own rehearsal of previous arguments along with extension and further development (e.g., his unfolding discussion of the structure of Isaiah in the series of six essays in section 1, pp. 35–127).<br /><br />Alongside these focused studies in the prophetic books, Seitz also reflects at length on some of the key methodological issues involved in a canonical approach to biblical studies. Resisting both an exclusive diachronic study of prior sources and an overly synchronic account of single authorship, Seitz consistently argues that “the final canonical form is a mature and seasoned commentary on a series of historical moments, now taken up and crafted in service of the project of setting forth a divine word which speaks of the past in order to address the future” (p. 296). Given his understanding and prioritizing of the canonical context, Seitz articulates the concept of authorship and intention in a way that is not tied to a historical-critical recovery of an original mental state of an individual author and remains open to the dynamic of the canonical process (see esp, pp. 113–27; pp. 302–314).<br /><br />Like a nerve running through his major contributions, Seitz consistently reckons with the enduring relevance of the “depth dimension” provided by historical-critical investigation even while allowing the final form of the canon to assign relative proportion to this mode of analysis (see esp, “Provenance as a Factor in Interpretation,” pp. 315–25). At several points, Seitz also lingers on the legacy of Brevard Childs, noting strong areas of continuity with his overall approach and also specific examples of divergence (e.g., their different takes on the referent of the servant in the “servant songs” of latter Isaiah, pp. 291–92).<br /><br />This collection of essays ably demonstrates the breadth and depth of Seitz’s scholarly contribution to the study of the Old Testament throughout his career. Students of the prophets and the canonical approach will find much here that is worth consulting and carefully considering. Full of substantive arguments and inter-connected scholarly discussions, this volume is a fine complement to and commentary on Seitz’s major commentaries and monographs.<br /><div style="text-align: right;">Also in <i>Trinity Journal</i> 43.1 (Spring 2022): 96–97.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-90085396324527818472022-07-19T08:15:00.005-04:002022-07-19T08:45:24.490-04:00The Epistles for All Christians, Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmLO_hKH2vo1kfIhXW6FbtQcdokXh_VSc3Y4Z5Qgyv-iFMTXOCnxnCvCxCcFcfMelL_r6qUqXpI6i2LEZ_nzJy0oKGrRdpcCc3bIktX7zyWl_bCPnbxkjQo6JRzhlrnd5JQ_8/s1600/ReviewBackground.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmLO_hKH2vo1kfIhXW6FbtQcdokXh_VSc3Y4Z5Qgyv-iFMTXOCnxnCvCxCcFcfMelL_r6qUqXpI6i2LEZ_nzJy0oKGrRdpcCc3bIktX7zyWl_bCPnbxkjQo6JRzhlrnd5JQ_8/s1600/ReviewBackground.jpg" /></a></div>
<img border="0" imageanchor="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3fXWDbDU_1trsDt_Ruc3DILkGkwhXYUc6-QnTTHfYXb_nn8ZP-S9s1Ufd6UHeluBkSlNJj-kFXXkp3k0VKhusjJZZp5h1NE-d6o_kGh8aVRwYHvUXZerZi4-3f5A88boqCpNUqeIGEbHJSB27Oon2oEOiP_Ez-ItfsxkR0unoQpmZZu3-pAugiA8/s451/EpistlesForAllChristiansReview.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;" /><b>Title: </b><i>The Epistles for All Christians: Epistolary Literature, Circulation, and the Gospels for All Christians</i><br />
<b>Author: </b>David A. Smith<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Brill, 2020<br />
<b>Price:</b> $117 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9004440208/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">amz</a>)<br />
<b>Binding:</b> Hardback<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 172<br />
<div style="clear: both;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal"><br />For whom were the Gospels written? <br /><br />In 1997, Richard Bauckham
edited a volume of essays titled <i>The Gospels for All Christians: Rethinking
the Gospel Audiences </i>(Eerdmans). In this work, Bauckham and the other
contributors challenged the widely held notion that each of the four Gospels
were originally written to individual and isolated communities. In <i>The
Epistles for All Christians</i>, David Smith affirms this general thesis and
presents further evidence for the central claims of <i>The Gospels for All
Christians.</i> Whereas for many, the letters of the New Testament should have
no bearing on the question of Gospel circulation, Smith argues that there is
more overlap here than sometimes presumed.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Smith’s basic argument has four straightforward steps.
First, the authors of the New Testament epistles most likely expected their
letters to circulate widely. Second, regardless of the intention of the authors,
the earliest recipients of these epistles did in fact circulate them broadly.
Moreover, the earliest readers of New Testament literature did not make a distinction
between genres (i.e., a Gospel vs. an epistle) when it came to the reception
and dissemination of these texts. Accordingly, the evidence for a wide
circulation of the epistolary literature is corroborating evidence that the
distribution of the Gospels had a similar scope.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In the orientation to his study, Smith summarizes and
synthesizes both Bauckham’s central argument and also various critical responses
to his thesis. Smith notes that much of the discussion has focused on issues of
interpretation rather than on the social dynamics of reception and circulation.
Further, many proponents of an “open community” model for the Gospels contrast
this with an “isolated community” model for the epistles (5–18). One of the
critical tools that Smith utilizes in order to correct and clarify these two
issues is “social network theory” (19–27). This theoretical model provides a
tool for the analysis of information flow between various members of a given community
(“to illuminate the connections between nodes,” 20). Smith applies this to the
circulation of letters (and Gospels) among the network of the earliest readers
in the early church.</p><p class="MsoNormal">One of the benefits of the model of social network theory is
the way that it helps explain how an individual (an author) might be influenced
and shaped by a broader community of people. For Smith’s purpose, the Gospel
authors would have known and been shaped by the prevailing patterns and
practices of authors within their social network (i.e., early Christianity). Thus,
if the authors in the social network wrote for a broad audience and texts did
in fact circulate in this manner in practice, then it is reasonable to assume
that the Gospel writers also adopted this basic expectation. The payoff of
these observations is that the burden of proof shifts to those making the
argument that the New Testament authors expected the circulation of their
writing to remain local and relatively isolated from the larger Christian
community (see 31–36; 134–39).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Smith’s study also suggests an adjustment to the way the
concept of “community” is sometimes defined and employed in biblical studies.
Smith concludes that “the overwhelming evidence suggests that early Christian
communities were <i>connected</i>, as revealed in the circulation and in the
structure of the early Christian clusters, and that many early Christian
epistolary authors assumed that interconnectedness when they wrote to one or
more of those communities” (139). The presence of theological diversity or
disagreement does not speak against this observation, because virtually all
communities represented a variety of viewpoints. Consequently, “the objection
that early Christian authors of letters or Gospels wrote to those who shared
their distinct theological viewpoints <i>alone</i> would need to be
demonstrated in order to constitute a legitimate objection” (36).</p><p class="MsoNormal">In addition to the extrabiblical literature that Smith
utilizes to support his basic thesis (e.g., the apostolic fathers and the
Oxyrhynchus papyri), he also leans heavily on internal evidence from the New
Testament collection. These biblical texts present the reader with quite an extensive
window into quite an extensive early Christian social network. For example,
when examining “Paul’s social network,” a numerically extensive and
geographically expansive set of connections is immediately apparent (see
108–118). From Peter and James, to Timothy and Titus, to Priscilla, Aquilla,
and Apollos, to Andronicus and Junia, Paul’s named social connections in his
letters and the book of Acts reveal a “dense network” (118). </p><p class="MsoNormal">Along with other
examples (e.g., the Johannine network or the network of Jewish Christianity),
this evidence reveals the “sub-networks within the early church that help
explain the expectation of circulation found in early Christian letters and in
the actual practice of circulation” (103). Once the scope and depth of these
connections is recognized, it appears not only possible but plausible that the
earliest churches shared not only consistent physical fellowship but also frequent
textual correspondence.</p><p class="MsoNormal">A further area of interest might be the connections to canon
studies. Though Smith’s argument is focused on the social issue of audience, he
does mention several implications throughout his study that have bearing on the
formation of the New Testament canon. For example, Smith establishes the
plausibility that individual authors composed their texts with a general
expectation of broad circulation. This would represent an organic link between
the composition and canonization phases of canon formation (a connection that
is sometimes downplayed or denied). That this social situation was a generally
known reality means that an author could work with this possibility in mind
even as he writes to a particular community. In other words, this study
provides a fresh angle on the possibility that biblical authors wrote with a
form of “canon-consciousness.”</p><p class="MsoNormal">Concerning the community that was receiving these texts, the
question is often asked, what is the canonical principle by which they gathered
and ordered these writings? Especially in light of the “problem of
particularity,” what could justify the inclusion of a letter intended for a
single locale to be gathered into a collection that circulates much more
broadly? Rather than this set of assumptions, Smith’s work offers an
alternative starting point for this question. If the New Testament authors
expected a broad audience and a wide circulation, and if they composed their
texts with this reality in mind (Smith draws on “social network theory” to
establish this possibility), then the subsequent inclusion of those individual
texts into a gathered collection of writings with a wider audience would not be
wildly antithetical to the “original” scope and intention of the initial
writing.</p><p class="MsoNormal">As Smith observes, “in spite of the letters’ particularity,
it is precisely through the lens of catholicity that the early church came to
view Paul’s epistles in and because of their circulation” (72). Further, “the
act of circulating the letters shows that early Christians saw these particular
texts to have a wider relevance than their initial audiences” (73). From this
scenario, what <i>effect</i> this practice had on the disseminated texts is
worth considering. The context of the public reading of Scripture (e.g., 1 Tim
4:13) and the expectation that Paul’s letters were to be read in the presence
of the gathered community (e.g., 1 Thess 5:27; Col 4:16) prepared the way for
the acceptance of a burgeoning New Testament collection.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Smith’s suggestion at this juncture is that the common
circulation of texts in the Christian community was a feature of this process
as well. “As texts from other communities began to be circulated,” he explains,
“the most opportune time for everyone to hear them would have been in communal
gatherings” (133). These communal reading events that involved circulated texts
in worship gatherings likely “gave rise to their later, authoritative status”
as these writings were “read alongside texts that were already considered
authoritative” (133). These circulated Christian texts, then, likely “took a
share of that authority due to their being read together” (133).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Overall, this monograph features a clear thesis and careful
argumentation. Because the scope of Smith’s modest argument is tightly focused,
many will find the basic conclusion offered here compelling. There are also
several avenues that Smith does not pursue that might build upon his
straightforward analysis of the relevant primary sources. As a further support
for the important reminder that the Gospels <i>and</i> the epistles of the New
Testament circulated broadly by both design and by social circumstance, this
volume too deserves a wide and sympathetic readership.</p><p class="MsoNormal" dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">.Also in <i>JETS</i> 64.3 (September 2021): 620–22.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-82725151896782469592022-07-17T19:15:00.001-04:002022-07-17T20:12:25.839-04:00Gaming and the Divine: A New Systematic Theology of Video Games, Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KWK66JSJJJLQ87TG-_iN2cEYn65phtP4MbpUJzOZK9bmZ70sF1LYfdALS5awcCm-XKeSD6dQxBSLBoO-CRsKu29bX9vMA6X7Y3nbZpswLLnSlPqWkyPHRhh1INqrL6hIKKKA/s0/ViduInseparableOperationsHeader.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWbpGUkERyuNknISH5kYYg-K1P_qeLpn2DZcPTm32BaAYB7RNe628Dn7aNtw0eAztebmaw_rKFgAvI_LHDOPRorlcw3C7Xb75hl6M_9qzI1k33ozdeCeR3EkQWbkQ6BKq_uji/s1600/pexels-photo-296884.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<img border="0" imageanchor="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj95VlivNzL39BhPQCe-Dyero0Q0i30vYnt0OPzrfh-nKQmMXuOv5cFFn-2QAwX_2qoD2Qkky7u1w6_3u8ed9rs_SvoAcV6tbuCIgFvmstkfNQBEghQr67tFIM17K7CI-JZnFFw4Rf6oSvw9XyQ4b6U-x2QEhTVVYPpJrJrPOlFHnJcWe6WbkCv99/s475/BosmanGamingAndTheDivine.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;" /><b>Title: </b><i>Gaming and the Divine: A New Systematic Theology of Video Games</i><br />
<b>Author: </b>Frank G. Bosman<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Routledge, 2019<br />
<b>Price:</b> $49.99 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0367786737/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165">amz</a>) <br />
<b>Binding:</b> Paperback<br />
<b>Pages: </b>265<br />
<div style="clear: both;">Should you play video games? <br /><br />This question has been debated for
as long as video games have existed. For millions of people, the answer is a
resounding, yes! Video games are now widely played and represent an
entertainment industry that rivals or dwarfs many comparable mediums such as
music, movies, and spectator sports. </div><div style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both;">But, should you <i>study</i> video games? Because of the pervasive popularity and increasing
sophistication of modern video games, they have been studied from a variety of scholarly
disciplines. Would it make sense, in this scenario, to analyze games from a
theological perspective? Because the story and gameplay of many video games
treat theological topics either directly or indirectly, theological analysis on
some level is actually required to understand them fully. However, by and
large, theological engagement with video games has been lacking. Religion is
not a popular topic to research within games studies, and theologians rarely
study video games in the same way they might consider literature, music, or
film.</div><div style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In <i>Gaming and the
Divine: A New Systematic Theology of Video Games</i>, Frank Bosman seeks to
remedy this scholarly lacuna. Noting that “video games have become one of the
most important cultural artifacts of modern society” (i), Bosman aims to
demonstrate the value of theology to the academic study of these games. In the
opening chapters, Bosman provides a theology of culture that guides his
theological reflection (chapter one) and also a method for studying digital
games (chapter two). </p><p class="MsoNormal">Here Bosman argues that both a proper understanding of the
discipline of theology and also a working knowledge and experience of games
themselves is required for this type of study. He also lays out the variegated
ways that religion might appear in a video game (see 46-51). The game could explicitly
include religion in its story or environment (material religion). A game could
make reference in some way to religious traditions and practices (referential
religion). A game could develop themes that are usually associated with
religion (reflective religion). A game could ask players to enact or
participate in rituals that have religious connotations (ritual religion).
Finally, the playing of a game itself might be understood to be a religious act
(gaming as religion).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With this broad framework for religion in video games,
Bosman examines seven theological topics and provides several case studies for
each theme (chapters three through eight). Some games position the player to
function like a divine figure within the game’s world (theomorphism: creational
theology). Other games involve self-sacrificial heroes that echo the actions
and movement of Jesus Christ (Christophorism: christology). A common feature of
games involve artificial intelligence and robots. These storylines prompt
questions about what it means to be human (<i>Homo
roboticus</i>: theological anthropology). The presence of violence and evil in
the world is a frequent theme in many genres. If God exists, these games pose,
how does he relate to the suffering and violence that also exist in the world (<i>Kyrie eleison: </i>theodicy and the problem
of evil)? Moreover, within the story and gameplay of many games, there is a
morality system and a series of ethical choices of various stripes that the
player must navigate (The wicked problem of being alive: ethics). Finally, the
theme of death itself is treated in several different ways both as a feature of
the story and also of the player experience (Game over: thanatology). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bosman ends his book with a chapter examining the spectrum
of ways religion is critiqued within video games. In most of the case studies
mentioned above, Bosman highlights instances where “inspiration from religious
traditions, especially Christianity is used to create believable worlds and to
inspire game narratives.” However, he also shows the way games “shed a much
darker light on organized and institutional religions” (205). Religion is
variously depicted as 1) a fraud or illusion; 2) a system that requires blind
obedience; 3) an institution that incites violence; 4) an indication of
intellectual madness or chaos; or 5) a form of intolerance and suppression.
Bosman develops these categories in order to demonstrate that video games are cultural
artifacts that embody these types of theological critiques of religion. They
participate in a kind of “digital iconoclasm” that illustrates or assumes
social discourse about the effects of religious practices and beliefs (see
240-43). Rather than simply reject these critiques of religion, Bosman argues
that religion criticism in games “can have great theological value if the
faithful let themselves be inspired to critically examine their own collective
and individual behavior and history” (243). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These chapters represent the bulk of the book and also one
of the substantive contributions of this work. Through his detailed and
thorough analysis of a wide range of games, Bosman demonstrates that
theological training enhances our understanding of the message and experience
of many video games. Moreover, video games themselves warrant careful study for
their theological message, their engaging narratives, and their implicit and
explicit interaction with religion (whether this be appropriation or repudiation).
For example, the game <i>BioShock Infinite</i>
begins and ends with baptismal scenes that require theological analysis to
unpack. At the heart of the game’s narrative, too, is an embedded critique of
American exceptionalism, the damage of racism on a society, and a Christianity
compromised by partisan politics (see 234-40 for Bosman’s analysis). This kind
of in-depth analysis and engagement with both the theological disciplines and
the intricate workings of the games themselves is a clear strength of this
volume. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bookending these chapters is Bosman’s articulation of two
hypotheses that guide his approach to engaging video games theologically. His
first major assertion is that “video games are genuine <i>loci theologici</i>” (6). By this Bosman means that video games can be “sources
of God’s self-revelation” alongside of Scripture, tradition, creation, and
culture (7). This assertion is expanded in Bosman’s development of a cultural
theology that involves “the academic-theological search for God’s
self-revelation in our cultural artifacts” (7; cf. 15-32). His second major
assertion is that “the act of playing particular games can, in some specific
cases, be interpreted as a religious act in itself” (8). Defining a religious act
as in part a “repeatable symbolic action involving God,” Bosman defends the
idea that “certain gamers, when playing certain games, can interpret—and be
interpreted—as acting religiously” in a similar fashion to “more traditional
acts like praying, fasting or celebrating” (9). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For Bosman, these two assertions are integrally linked. In
his concluding remarks, Bosman extends these claims. Because God’s
self-revelation can be found in cultural objects like video games, Bosman
contends, playing them can be a genuinely religious act. As he states directly,
“God reveals Himself to us as Creator, Savior and Whole-Maker” (250). In this
scenario, the player is “not only a witness to God’s self-revelation but also
an actualization of this revelation” (253). Because games are participatory by
nature, this action involves “contributing to God’s self-revelation” (253). In
the end, Bosman sees video games and the playing of them as “semi-sacramental”
acts that convey grace, reveal God, and participate in the divine economy
(255-56). In this sacramental understanding, video games are “new vehicles of
God’s self-revelation and grace” (256). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While Bosman clearly articulates and forcefully argues these
two contentions, many Protestant or evangelical theologians will disagree at
just this point of his approach. From this vantage point, cultural texts like
video games could be a <i>source of theology</i>
but never a <i>locus of divine revelation</i>.
Video games can contain theological content, make theological arguments, and
enter a discourse about God and the world. However, they would not in and of
themselves reveal previously undisclosed meaning about who God is and how he
works in the world. </p><p class="MsoNormal">As influential works of art, quality video games merit
theological analysis and often directly or implicitly engage theological areas
(making the bulk of Bosman’s work here a major contribution to this area).
However, the further claims about video games having the sacramental capability
of conveying grace and revelation are much more controversial from an
evangelical perspective. Benefiting from the careful development of theological
categories throughout the volume and their intersection with the detailed examination
of a wide spectrum of games does not require acceptance of these aspects particular
of Bosman’s overarching approach.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In summary, this work helpfully highlights the quality and
depth of many video games. They are worthy of analysis because of the
achievement of their form and also the real effect that they have on players of
all ages. Bosman successfully demonstrates that a serious study of video games
from a theological perspective is possible and profitable. Because of its
comprehensive framework, further work in this area can both build upon and
extend Bosman’s work and also dialogue with it as new directions are forged. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32439216.post-88643931533338632242022-03-20T11:22:00.002-04:002022-03-29T11:28:46.303-04:00A Spacious Life & the Goodness of Limits w/ Ashley Hales<span style="font-family: inherit;">In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ashley Hales about her recent book <i>A Spacious Life</i> (IVP, 2021). In our discussion, Ashley shares some of her insights into the theological design of human limitations and also some tangible ways we can see our limits as an invitation rather than a burden.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-size: 16px;">Ashley is an </span><a href="https://aahales.com/" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; font-size: 16px;">author and speaker</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-size: 16px;">who lives with her family in Colorado. She also hosts the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-size: 16px;"> </span><a href="https://aahales.com/podcast" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; font-size: 16px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Finding Holy Podcast</em></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-size: 16px;">.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">Read her most recent book:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830847383/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=chedsp-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0199246165" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d6efd; font-size: 16px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">A Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits</em></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-size: 16px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(IVP, 2021)<br /></span><br /></span>
<iframe allowtransparency="true" data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="150" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=hdwhh-11d8ab2-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=7" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" title="A Spacious Life & the Goodness of Limits w/ Ashley Hales" width="100%"></iframe>
<p> <br />Thanks for listening!</p><div><div><b>Notes: </b></div><div><ul><li>To subscribe to this podcast, <a href="https://linktr.ee/lolpodcast">see here</a>. </li><li>For further information on this podcast, <a href="https://www.chedspellman.com/2022/01/podcast.html">see here</a>. </li><li>For related podcast episodes, <a href="https://www.chedspellman.com/search/label/Podcast">see here</a>. </li></ul><br /><i>Clarifying Note: The views of special guests are their own & do not necessarily reflect my own or the organizations with which I am formally and informally affiliated.</i></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/><br/>Thanks for Subscribing!</div>Chedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04008363735281618528noreply@blogger.com