8 Dec 09

Picking up the Tab for Your Boss, and Jesus’ Dying Prayer

I was told a story recently of a group of coworkers that went out to lunch as a work function, a training. At the end of the meal, this one very sweet and well-meaning employee (someone quite low on the totem pole in this office) turned to the department manager and told her that she would cover the boss’s meal. The group of workers had already pitched in about ten bucks each for the boss, but this coworker just felt like getting a little something extra for her. But . . . the boss got irate at this gesture. She thought it was totally inappropriate and the well-meaning employee was left crushed by the experience.

There are two primary reasons for the inappropriateness of this gift. First, this is a work function and one employee (out of about a dozen others who were there) should not be paying for the boss (looks like brown-nosing). Second, and at a deeper level of social code, there is perhaps an embedded power expectation. This employee is several ranks below her boss. I’m willing to guess that the boss had such a strong reaction to the gift because the employee had no business offering such a gift (bruising her pride). It’s as if one of a lower social and economic status must never take the initiative of picking up the tab for one of higher social status (I know there are many exceptions, but go with me here . . .).

When I heard this story recounted, it reminded me of a provocative article I read over the summer for the book I indexed (Amazon link). The article is called, “Clemency as Cruelty: Forgiveness and Force in the Dying Prayers of Jesus and Stephen,” by Shelly Matthews. Matthews’ basic point is that the dying forgiveness prayers of Jesus and Stephen in Luke-Acts (Lk 23:34; Acts 7:60) should be understood as demonstrating the “heroic clemency” of the speaker. She relates it to the Roman discourse on clemency, “in which imperial domination is figured as beneficence toward the conquered.” She offers this point of reflection upon the comparison:

First, the power dynamics of clemency make clear that the prayers for mercy need not signal passivity, humility, submission or deference on the part of the one who so prays. Instead, the prayers for forgiveness can be understood as an assertion of power over those inscribed as persecutors. (143)

It strikes me that forgiveness as such an assertion of power by the persecuted is a bit like a low level employee picking up the tab for the department manager. Not that this particular employee was intentionally asserting her power or even trying to brown-nose, but it highlights the social code nonetheless. I suppose that raises the intentionality of Luke in his use of forgiveness prayers (an intentional assertion of power?). A topic for another post, perhaps.

5 Comments Posted in Luke-Acts, Power Dynamics, clemency, forgiveness, imperialism by Patrick George McCullough
7 Dec 09

New Look and New Host

Last night and this morning, my blog made the transition from WordPress.com to WordPress.org (self-hosted) with no small thanks to Brandon who guided me through the process. Along the way, I have selected a new theme/look for the blog, updated some of my links, and started considering what to do with my newly earned freedom.

WordPress.com accounts are heavily restricted in what they can accomplish, but WordPress.org accounts have the freedom to adjust coding and add all kinds of plugins. For example, I have added RefTagger, the plugin created by Logos Bible Software. So, now, you can simply hover over something like Matt 9:17 and see the Bible verse pop up. They don’t have NRSV, so I chose TNIV as my default.

So, what are your favorite WordPress.org plugins? Anything I should add to enjoy the benefits of my new location?

5 Comments Posted in Uncategorized by Patrick George McCullough
5 Dec 09

Dallas Seminary students speak out: "It's not so bad."

On my last post, I responded to Dan Wallace’s provocative entry on the Parchment and Pen blog. I admitted that I do indeed have this impression of Dallas Seminary that they are prohibited from engaging fully in honest academic inquiry because they are not allowed to “offend” the school’s doctrinal base with their research. I was pleased with the response from some students and alumni from Dallas Seminary.

One commenter remained anonymous as “JBR” because, he said, “It’s probably unwise of me posting this in the first place.” About the DTS prof who I heard describe Dallas in such a rigid way, JBR explained: “Regarding Bingham, I’m sure he made it sound more rigid than what it is. He thinks he’s the theological police anyways (I call him “the dictator of all things ‘orthodox’”).” His impression is that such rigidity was characteristic of the school 20-30 years ago (which I believe was Wallace’s original point), but not any more. What I gather from his comment, though, is that there still exist some stalwarts of the old uber-fundy guard, while there are also others who are a bit looser with their understanding of inerrancy and dispensationalism. They still feel like they need to use those words to remain in their conservative evangelical community, but they have vastly reinterpreted them. As Rob Kashow notes, “this loose definition is why many profs and students are able to remain at DTS.”

At the same time, though, just because the institution uses those words doesn’t necessarily mean that the students are accurately represented by them. This is Rob Reid’s point: “I think what should be kept in mind is that a student’s ability and/or ideological framework should not be equated with their institution.” That is a huge favor to ask of the guild, because that’s pretty much a foundational principle of our profession. Conventional wisdom tells us that a Harvard grad is more intelligent and skillful than a Fuller Seminary grad, for example (picking on my own seminary alma mater). Or for that matter, the Harvard Div School grad is more “liberal” than the Fuller Seminary grad. But these things are not necessarily true.

Another issue for me is the role of women in ministry. For some reason, I had this impression of Dallas Seminary that it was one of the places that wouldn’t allow women to take ministry courses, or if so, they wouldn’t allow them degrees for ministry. Turns out, they starting allowing women in courses in 1980 and several degrees within the following decade or so. From my googling around the DTS website, it appears they emphasize the “complementary” roles of men and women in ministry and have a concentration for “Women’s Ministry.” But I think they probably allow women to do other sorts of ministries too (after all, their first woman Ph.D. student studied the Old Testament and then taught OT at DTS). Apparently, according to a D.Min. dissertation by Joye Baker, the more recent women graduates (1991-2003) reported that during their time at DTS, they felt more accepted and respected by the DTS faculty and male students than those women who graduated before 1991.

Okay, so maybe DTS isn’t as rigid as I thought it might be, particularly in practice, even if the “party line” is still quite conservative in writing. Students are supposed to affirm inerrancy, among six other “essentials.” And the professors have to agree with a rather elaborate 21 article doctrinal statement, which includes articles on “ANGELS, FALLEN AND UNFALLEN” (article 2) and “THE DISPENSATIONS” (article 5). Check out Doug Chaplin’s take on these.

I’m not crazy that they still have these doctrinal remnants of a more rigid era, and a few folks trying to uphold them, but it sounds like there’s a little more academic freedom at DTS than I had previously thought. Even if people feel they have to discuss that freedom via anonymous blog comments.

13 Comments Posted in academic freedom, dallas seminary, dispensationalism, inerrancy by Patrick George McCullough
3 Dec 09

I Confess. I'm Biased Against Dallas Seminary.

But I’m open to being surprised! I am responding here to Dan Wallace and his challenge that the academy of biblical scholars are hostile towards his kind. That is, the conservative evangelical kind as represented at Dallas Seminary.

A few years ago, I went to a session at SBL which reviewed the inner workings of a number of Ph.D. programs. It was great because I was on the market as an M.Div. student at the time, looking for a good program. I wasn’t considering Dallas Seminary as a prospective doctoral program, to say the least, but I was interested to see what they would say in this diverse group. D. Jeffrey Bingham, Department Chair, was representing DTS. Bingham came out and said explicitly that Dallas students must agree with the school’s doctrinal positions and research cannot “offend” their doctrinal base. I find that bothersome, from the perspective of scholarship. (See also this comment in response to James’ post, quoting this link at the DTS website.)

Another confession. I have a difficult time understanding how one can affirm inerrancy of the Bible while also being a biblical scholar. To me, the two seem mutually exclusive.

On both counts, however, I have been surprised. I have a good friend who is a solid scholar of Christian origins, with a very nuanced and complex understanding of the New Testament and other early Christian documents. He says that he could sign a document with an inerrancy statement if required by his place of employment. That blows me away. My interpretation of what he has told me, though, is that he doesn’t really believe in inerrancy. “Inerrancy” is so watered down that it’s something else entirely and is only used as a way to remain within the conservative evangelical community. Power to him. That community needs him!

I have interacted online and in person with a number of DTS students who have also shocked me in their complexity of perspective and sophistication of argument. I wonder how these students avoid “offending” the doctrinal base of the school. I heard about the story Wallace cites in his recent post while at SBL, talking with another DTS master’s student there. In fact, I even know the scholar in question who walked away at the mention of Dallas Seminary. I personally wouldn’t have taken the same action as this scholar (walking away), but I too would have been a bit surprised at a sophisticated student coming from a place like Dallas, which I view as rigid. This was a scholar of texts outside of the NT canon, though, and perhaps he had just been approached by too many conservatives who were trying to “hide out” from the difficult questions posed by biblical scholarship. Perhaps he should have asked some more probing questions rather than giving up on the student.

I don’t think Wallace helps his case, though, when he falsely states: “As remarkable as it may sound, most biblical scholars are not Christians.” [Doug also pointed this out in his carnival.] It is “remarkable” how incorrect Wallace’s statement is. Perhaps there are many who are not the same sort of Christian that he is. Actually, my experience is that SBL is wonderfully diverse. We also, of course, have many people calling out SBL as being too influenced by confessional stances. I have a number of friends who are on the job market and are having a very difficult time simply because they are not religious. The fact that it is more difficult for a person without faith commitments to get a job than someone with faith commitments should tell us something.

Others have weighed in. See James, Doug, James again, Rob, Mike, Nick. I like Doug’s post the most thus far: “It’s unclear to me, however, how ‘going where the evidence leads’ would work at a conservative evangelical college or seminary.” My feeling too.

26 Comments Posted in SBL, evangelicalism, inerrancy by Patrick George McCullough
2 Dec 09

The Top Fifty Goes Biannual!

And apparently no longer based solely on Alexa ratings. The ranking criteria go like this: “The Biblioblog Top 50 is a listing of the top 50 Biblical Studies blogs, chosen according to the utterly subjective criteria of sexy style, stimulating content, timely dissemination, regularity, discernment, scholarly depth, innovation, and pazang.”

I came in at #20! I’m glad my blog has enough pazang to make it that far. Thanks, y’all. I’m honored.

And just as I was starting to get the song “Sexy Bitch” out of my head. Now, I believe it is an appropriate anthem for Jim West’s blog. All this time, I have been trying to find the words to describe your blog, Jim, without being disrespectful. And there it is.

4 Comments Posted in biblioblog top 50 by Patrick George McCullough
2 Dec 09

The Future of the Biblical Studies Carnival

Doug, author of the most recent carnival, asks the question about whether we might consider a different approach to carnivals. Good question. On the one hand, the approach we have is so established that it may be difficult to get another one off the ground. On the other hand, there may be other approaches that would be more sustainable as our “community” of bloggers of academic biblical studies grows.

I have recently given this some thought, actually, as my wife has begun blogging in the past couple months. She is now part of the breastfeeding blogging community. When I was “coaching” her on how to establish her blog, I suggested she find out if they had a carnival like the biblical studies carnival.

Turns out, they have a monthly carnival, but it is run much differently. A small team of the most experienced breastfeeding bloggers determine a question/topic for breastfeeding bloggers to address. Breastfeeding bloggers produce one post dedicated to the topic of the carnival and submit it by email to one of this team of three or so who run the carnival by a particular date. If their post is accepted as a part of the carnival, they will told to publish the post on the predetermined day of the carnival. Everybody in the carnival posts their carnival post on the communal topic on the same day. They then all send their links to each other by email and post a list of links to the other carnival posts. So, every carnival blogger has a list of the links to all the other carnival bloggers.

What I like about this is that it lends itself more to discussion with other bloggers. Such has been my wife’s experience (see her own carnival posts). If we all have a common theme or question (one that can span the wide array of biblical studies specialties), then we are probably going to be interested in what others have said about that same theme. Not every blogger will be interested in the chosen theme of every month. That’s okay. It just allows for a slimmer list. Themes could include a wide range of topics and/or approaches:

  • What is the meaning of “biblical history”?
  • The desert in biblical and related literature. Discuss.
  • What is the most neglected passage in biblical and related literature?
  • What is the most misinterpreted passage in biblical and related literature?
  • Discuss the importance of material evidence for work in biblical studies.
  • What are the implications of so-called “ideological criticisms” in the field?
  • What has been the role of non-canonical literature in your own work?
  • What did you wish you had known before you started your academic career?
  • Name one pedagogical approach that you have found helpful in the classroom.

What I don’t like about the approach is the process of the linking business. I think what ends up being easiest is for someone to go ahead and copy the list that someone else went through the effort to create for all of these blogs. Perhaps if we did a carnival like this, we could add an additional role for the person(s) in charge of organizing the carnival topic for that month. They would create the list of links and everyone in the carnival would copy the “canonical” list. But these are just the little details.

We could still keep the process of rotating the carnival author, but that person (or persons) would then become more of a gatekeeper than an author of the carnival.

Also, I’m not sure how useful our current carnivals really are. When I had much less traffic than I do now, I was desperate to get onto the carnival to get more traffic. I don’t know what your experience is with carnival links, but they have rarely given me more than a few extra hits. The good thing about our approach is that we have this catalog of biblioblogging for each month. And it’s archived! It’s very academic, in a way. And it falls on th carnival author to write this research project. But it is worth rethinking. Thanks, Doug.

1 Comment Posted in biblical studies carnival by Patrick George McCullough
1 Dec 09

Biblioblog Top 50 Goes for Some Shock Value

Did Mark Goodacre touch a nerve? Did “Jim’s Minions” get bored? Depressed at the state of biblioblogging? Whatever the case, they are now only displaying a cheeky post about the Top Fifty Ancient Jewish and Christian Books “for your perusal and betterment.” I’m a little disappointed that the Apocalypse of Eve didn’t make it on there. They tell us: “We hope you will enjoy reading these works as much as we have enjoyed selecting them.” And even give a word of the day: “WOTD: trivialize v. to make trivial: reduce to triviality.” Well said.

Oh, and they are no longer “Jim’s Minions,” but are rather “The Council for the Top Fifty Ancient Jewish and Christian Books.”

Thanks for shaking things up a little, Tom.

3 Comments Posted in biblioblog top 50 by Patrick George McCullough
30 Nov 09

Ranking in at #18 . . . L'Chaim!

The lucky Jewish number eighteen, which is the gematria number for chai or “life.” Jews often give in multiples of $18 as gifts for major events or for Jewish charities. I take my #18 November ranking for the Biblioblog Top 50 to mean that this blog is clearly chosen by God.

In the United States, my blog has now “come of age” into adulthood. It can now own property, buy its own cigarettes and pornography, vote, serve on a jury, and go to war (or in the case of this blog, register for conscientious objector status). So, in addition to being chosen by God, this blog is now officially ready to engage in citizenship.

By the way, you really should check out Douglas Chaplin’s outstanding carnival. One of the best carnivals I have seen yet. Go and see what you missed in this important biblioblogging month of November.

1 Comment Posted in biblical studies carnival, biblioblog top 50 by Patrick George McCullough
30 Nov 09

Wanna Be a Student Representative for SBL?

The Student Advisory Group (SAG) for the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) has this position called the On-campus Student Representative (OSR). It doesn’t require too much time commitment. Basically, you would try to promote SBL on your campus and get the relevant information out to the people on your campus. I have served as an OSR for two institutions, Fuller Seminary and UCLA (briefly). It is an excellent way to network with the scholars at your institution and get involved with the guild.

One of Kevin’s bits of advice at the Things I Wish I Knew about a Ph.D. session was “prepare for your career early.” If you take a look at listings on the job market, you’ll find phrases like this one from the recent University of South Carolina position: “You should be prepared to share in the administrative work of the Department/Faculty.” If you have experience as an OSR with SBL, that not only shows your interest in the guild of biblical studies, but also your willingness to work collaboratively on administrative sorts of tasks.

If you are a student or a professor at an institution with a biblical studies program, I would love to get your help to get SAG connected with your campus. If you’re in the Pacific Coast Region (Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada), are a student member of SBL, and interested in being involved more, contact me (your new Pacific Coast Regional Representative for SAG). Or if you know someone who would be good for the spot at your school. Some of the schools from which I’ll be looking to recruit include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Arizona: Northern Arizona University; Southwestern College
  • California: Azusa Pacific University/Haggard School of Theology; Biola University/Talbot School of Theology; California Baptist University; Chapman University; CSU Long Beach; CSU Northridge; CSU Sacramento; CSU San Diego; Fresno Pacific University/Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary; Hope International University; La Sierra University; Loyola Marymount University; Occidental College; Pacific Union College; Patten College; Pepperdine University; Point Loma Nazarene; Santa Clara University; The Masters College and Seminary; UC Berkeley; UC Irvine; UC Riverside; UC San Diego; UC Santa Barbara; University of Judaism; University of San Diego; University of San Francisco; University of Southern California; University of the Pacific; Vanguard University of Southern California; Westminster Seminary; Westmont College; Whittier College
  • Hawaii: Brigham Young University, Hawaii; Chaminade University of Honolulu; Hawaii Pacific University; Hawaii Theological Seminary; Pacific Rim Bible College; University of Hawaii (any campus)
  • Nevada: College of Southern Nevada; University of Nevada (any campus)

So, if you are at any of these schools or some other unmentioned school, and are interested (or know someone who might be), there’s a good chance I could use your help! Leave a comment on this post or contact me (pgmccullough [AT] ucla [DOT] edu) for more information. Don’t forget to check out the job description.

0 Comments Posted in society of biblical literature, student advisory group by Patrick George McCullough
29 Nov 09

Logos for iPhone/iPod: Not Quite the Dream Yet

When I heard about the Logos 4 app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, I imagined that it was my dream fulfilled. The full realization of my dream is yet deferred, however, as both Chris and Danny pointed out on my previous post. Chris says:

Also, I can use all of my Accordance modules and Bible Reader (for iPhone) modules without an Internet connection—that’s not true for the Logos iPhone application (I don’t have direct personal experience with the desktop version of Logos 4).

Danny chimes in:

Chris made the point I wanted to make about the iPhone version. I think the Logos iPhone app is a great thing- but you are not going to be syncing your library to your iPhone. You will be syncing your library to a cloud, and your iPhone will be able to use and access anything in your cloud. If you can’t connect to the cloud (internet connection) then you got nothing.

I verified on the Logos website in response to FAQ’s:

Do I need to be connected to internet for the app to work?

Yes. The Logos Bible Software app does not store any Bibles or books on your device. You will need to be connected to the internet via your cell phone service provider or Wi-Fi.

Bob Pritchett responds by saying “But did we mention it’s free? :-) ”. Okay, it’s free, but it’s also being cited as a reason that Logos is better than other programs and thus should be purchased. If I’m making a decision to upgrade based in part upon this feature, then I want to make sure this is a feature that is worth the extra cash.

So, Bob also gives us a little glimmer of hope:

No rest for the weary… :-)

Yes, we did realize this would be the first question. And offline access is in our plans.

But a combination of issues — the amount of content, the desire to not have to charge you twice (at the behest of either the publisher or Apple), and some technical concerns — caused us to put this off.

(It’s not hard to store your books on the iPhone. It’s hard to implement our search engine, data type comparison system, data type parsing/rendering, cross-library searching for Guides, text comparison algorithm, etc. on the iPhone. We’ll get there, but we thought you’d be happy to get some basic reading and searching going first. By offloading to the server — where we can share code we built for the desktop app — we can offer a lot more power.)

Also, keep in mind that some users have literally gigabytes of content, and this Internet-based solution allows you to work with every bit of it that publishers allow (we’re still securing rights — the list will change constantly) without having to explicitly download or manage the resources.

I’m glad my actual dream (though it was originally about the Kindle) is in the works.

5 Comments Posted in iPhone, iPod Touch, logos bible software by Patrick George McCullough

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