Ten Objections to study Theology - 1

Itinerary for the Society for New Testament Studies in Perth, Australia

Seminars

1. Christliche Literatur des späten ersten Jahrhunderts und des zweiten Jahrhunderts / Christian Literature of the late first century and the second century

   Conveners: Prof. F. Prostmeier, Prof. W. Pratscher and Prof. J. Kelhoffer. Terminates in 2014
   Wed: Wilhelm Pratscher (Vienna), "Motive paulinischer Theologie im 2. Clemensbrief"
   Thu: Ferdinand R. Prostmeier (Freiburg): "Geistig-soziale Milieus des Diskurses über "Religion" in der frühen Kaiserzeit"
   Fri: Vicky Balabanski (Adelaide) "Cosmological categories and the writings of Ignatius of Antioch: Reflections on Trallians 5 and Ephesians 19"

2. The Dead Sea Scrolls in Relation to Early Judaism and Early Christianity (5*)

   Conveners: Prof. J.J. Collins and Prof. J. Frey. Terminates in 2013.
   This seminar will meet jointly with Seminar 5 (Johannine Writings) in 2013.
    
   Wed: Harry Attridge (Yale): “The Making of Disciples: Predestination in the
   Scrolls and the Fourth Gospel”
   Thu: Hermann Lichtenberger (Tübingen):”Tempel und Tempelmetaphorik
   in Texten vom Toten Meer und im Johannesevangelium”
   Fri: John J. Collins (Yale) and Jörg Frey (Zürich) will each present a review
   of the book by Mary L. Coloe / Tom Thatcher (eds.), John, Qumran, and the
   Dead Sea Scrolls. Sixty Years of Discovery and Debate, SBLEJL 32, Atlanta: SBL 2011

3. [The Greek of the New Testament]

   Conveners: Prof. C. C. Caragounis and Prof. J. W. Voelz. Terminates in 2014.
   This seminar will not meet in Perth.

4. Inhalte und Probleme einer neutestamentlichen Theologie

   Conveners: Prof. C. Landmesser and Prof. M. Seifrid. Terminates in 2014.
   
   Wed: Brendan Byrne, S.J. (Melbourne): "Jerusalems Above and Below: Revisiting the Hagar-Sarah Allegory (Gal 4:21—5:1) and Paul’s View of Non-Messianic Judaism"
   Thu: Dorothy Lee (Melbourne): "Law, Grace and Truth: The Symbolic Role of Moses in Johannine Christology"
   Fri: Brian Rosner (Melbourne): "Paul and the Law: A Hermeneutical Solution to the Puzzle"

5. The Johannine Writings (2*)

   Conveners: Prof. M. Gruber and Prof. Ch. Karakolis. Terminates in 2015.
   This seminar will meet jointly with Seminar 2 (Dead Sea Scrolls) in 2013. Sign up for Seminar 2.

6. The Jewish World in New Testament Times (11*)

   Conveners: Prof. S. Freyne, Prof. J.W. van Henten, Prof. W. Horbury. Terminates in 2013.
   This seminar will meet jointly with Seminar 11 (Jewish Theologies). Sign up for Seminar 11.

7. The Origins and Development of the Jesus Tradition

   Conveners: Prof. T. Holmén and Prof. S.E. Porter. Terminates in 2017.
   
   Wed: Michael F. Bird (Melbourne): “Why the 'Jesus Tradition'? Its Purpose and Preservation”
   Thu: Craig L. Blomberg (Littleton, Colorado): “When Occam's Razor Shaves Too Closely: A Necessarily Complex Model of the Development of the Jesus Tradition”
   Fri: Paul Foster (Edinburgh): “Memory, Orality, and the Fourth Gospel: Three Dead-Ends in Historical Jesus Research”

8. The Mission and Expansion of Earliest Christianity

   Conveners: Prof. Eugene Eung-Chun Park, Prof. Paul Trebilco, and Prof. Gosnell Yorke. Terminates in 2015.
    
   Wed: Eugene Eung-Chun Park (San Anselmo, CA): “The itinerant philosophers in the Cynic literature and the Galilean wandering missionaries in the Gospel of Matthew”; respondent: Manabu Tsuji (Hiroshima)
   Thu: Eric Wong (Hong Kong): “Mission – The Reception of Paul in the Synoptic Gospels”
   Fri: Mark Keown (Auckland): "Paul's Vision of Evangelisation and the Church: Taking the debate forward"

9. Christian Apocryphal Literature

   Conveners: Prof. T. Nicklas, Prof. C.M. Tuckett and Prof. J. Verheyden. Terminates in 2015.
   
   Wed: Francis Watson (Durham): “Harmony or Gospel: On the Genre of the Diatessaron”
   Thu: Majella Franzmann (Perth): “Johannine Material in the Manichaean Psalm Book”
   Fri: Claire Clivaz (Lausanne): “New Testament Apocrypha and the Emergence of the New Testament Canon. A Research Project by Tobias Nicklas and Claire Clivaz”

10. Social History and the New Testament

    Conveners: Prof. H. Löhr, Prof. M. Öhler, and Prof. A. Runessen. Terminates in 2014.
    
    Wed: Albert Harrill (Columbus OH):“Ethnic Fluidity in Ephesians”.
    Thu: Kathy Ehrensperger (Lampeter): “Shared Culture and Diverse Ethnic Identities: The Pauline Discourse of Israel and the Nations”
    Fri: Anders Runesson (Hamilton ON): “The Impact of Ethnic Identity on Theology and Salvation in Matthew’s Gospel”

11. Jewish Theologies and the New Testament (6*)

    Conveners: Prof. J. Herzer and Prof. G. Oegema. Terminates in 2014.
    This seminar will meet jointly with Seminar 6 (Jewish World).
     
    Wed: John J. Collins (Yale): "The Law of Moses and Jewish Identity in the Second Temple Period"
    Thu: Dieter Sänger (Kiel): "Man ist, was man isst. Speisegebote und jüdische Identität in Joseph und Aseneth"
    Fri: Roland Deines (Nottingham): "Righteousness in the Psalms of Solomon: Reading the Psalms of Solomon as a Book"

12. Reconsidering Literarkritik of the Pauline Letters and its Impact on their Interpretation

    Conveners: Prof E-M. Becker and Prof. R. Bieringer. Terminates in 2015.
    The seminar will focus on 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, and Philippians.
    
    Wed: Geoffrey Dunn (Brisbane): "The Letter 'Credebamus post' from Boniface I or Leo I?"
    Thu: Malou Ibita (Leuven/Manila): “The Story of Paul and the Corinthians’ Ongoing Reconciliation:
    A Narrative-Critical Reading of 2 Corinthians 1-7”
    Fri: Sean Winter (Melbourne): “Re-framing the Unity Debate: The Rhetorical Situation of Canonical 2 Corinthians”

13. Matthew in Context: an Exploration of Matthew in Relation to the Judaism and Christianity of its Time

    Conveners: Prof M. Konradt, Prof. W. Kraus and Prof. W. Loader. Terminates in 2015.
      
    Each paper addresses the issue: What light does Matthew’s use of Mark in relation to the topic throw on Matthew’s theological location?
    Wed: Boris Repschinski (Innsbruck): “Ethics and Law”; respondent: Roland Deines (Nottingham).
    Thu: Edwin Broadhead (Berea): “Discipleship and Ecclesiology”; respondent: Amy-Jill Levine (Vanderbilt).
    Fri: Wolfgang Kraus (Saarbrücken): “Matt 16:21 – 18:35”; respondent: David Sim (Melbourne).

14. Papyrology, Epigraphy and the New Testament

    Conveners: Prof P. Arzt-Grabner and Prof. J.S. Kloppenborg. Terminates in 2013.
     
    Wed: Peter Arzt-Grabner (Salzburg): “The Date of Jesus’ Birth and of His Death: a Contribution from Papyrology”; respondent: Helen Bond.
    Thu: Scott Charlesworth (Sydney): “A Thoroughly Literary Text: the Greek Papyri of the Gospel of Thomas”; respondent: James Harrison.
    Fri: Giovanni Bazzana (Harvard): “Legal Terminology and Violence in Q. The Contribution of Documentary Papyri”; respondent:Christina M. Kreinecker.

15. Reading Paul’s Letters in Context: Theological and Social-Scientific Approaches

    Conveners: Prof. William Campbell and Prof. Michael Bachmann. Terminates in 2013.
     
    Wed: William S Campbell (Lampeter) "Theological and Social-Scientific Perspectives on 'Being in Christ'"
    Thu: Kar Yong Lim (Malaysia): "Paul's 'Remembering the Poor' as Ritual in the Corinthian Letters"
    Fri: Andrew Clarke (Aberdeen): "The Locus and Scope of Paul's Apostolic Authority"

Top scholars including N.T. Wright headed to Australia in July

From Eternity Newspaper

NEWS | Sophie Timothy

Thursday 4 April 2013

Writer and popular New Testament theologian N.T. Wright will be among hundreds of scholars visiting Perth in July for the largest gathering of New Testament specialists ever to be held in the southern hemisphere.

It will be the first time the Society for New Testament Studies has met in Australasia, and a number of local scholars have been selected to present papers alongside their international counterparts.  Among them are Ridley Melbourne’s Principal Brian Rosner (formerly of Moore College, Sydney) and Theology Lecturer Mike Bird (previously of Queensland Theological College).

Mike is currently working on a New Testament Introduction co-authored with N.T. Wright and he’s organised for N.T. Wright to spend a week in Melbourne before heading to Perth.

N.T. Wright will speak at three public conferences in Melbourne during the week of July 16-20, the first of which will be held at Ridley, where he will speak on “Paul, Jesus, and the Mission of God’s People”, while the second conference is based on his new book: “Paul and the faithfulness of God”. He’ll then finish his visit to Melbourne with some filming and a two-day conference for the Uniting Church of Australia on “Wisdom’s Feasts” before leaving for Perth.

N.T. Wright is a Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and was the Bishop of Durham until 2010.  Not afraid to challenge the status quo, N.T. Wright has made ripples in evangelical circles in the last 20 years by questioning the reformed/traditional understanding of the relationship between salvation and the law in the Apostle Paul’s writings. This so-called “New Perspective” aims to take into account a more positive view of Jewish beliefs at the time of Christ. The traditional view is seen as oversimplifying their relationship to God, as based on keeping the law. The most outspoken critics of the New Perspective include John Piper and D.A. Carson. It is a topic which will no doubt be canvassed during Tom’s time in Melbourne.

For those who live in Los Angeles, a conference they can't miss

For those go to the Together for the Gospel, or the Wheaton Conference, this is a good opportunity for those of the West Coast to finally have a conference of their own.

Here are the details of the the conference, for those who may be interested in attending.

It is a topic that it is very close to me, Christology. The Conference is held by two of the most respected seminaries in the West Coast, Fuller Theological Seminary and Biola University.

CHRISTOLOGY, ANCIENT AND MODERN: EXPLORATIONS IN CONSTRUCTIVE THEOLOGY

Christology was the central doctrine articulated by the early councils, and it remains the subject of vigorous theological investigation today. The doctrine of Christ is a field of broad ecumenical convergence, inviting theologians from all denominational settings to fruitful collaborative exploration. In the contemporary setting, it is especially crucial for theologians to investigate the scriptural witness afresh, to retrieve classical criteria and categories from the tradition, and to consider the generative pressure of soteriology for Christology proper. This first annual Los Angeles Theology Conference seeks to make a positive contribution to contemporary dogmatics in intentional engagement with the Christian tradition. A panel of accomplished plenary speakers will survey the field and articulate the sources, norms, and criteria for constructive theological work.

Who would think that being a pastor would be bad for your health? Well, our saviour died!!

In my 14 yrs of ministry, I've had very bad moments when people really made my gut turn inside out. But now there's a study that shows how being a pastor affects the health of those of who su engage in ministry:

(RNS) Most members of the clergy are taught to put the physical and spiritual needs of others first, but that self-denial may be harmful to their own health, according to a new Duke University study.
Studies of United Methodist pastors in North Carolina found high rates of chronic disease and depression, and researchers worry it can be difficult to convince clergy to seek help.
To address these unique problems, Duke Divinity School's Clergy Health Initiative developed a program to provide preventative care in a spiritual context.

I belong to the Baptist Union of Victoria, in Victoria, Australia. They put a great emphasis on taking care of one's health. But this is not sometimes enough by the looks of it.

"Clergy recognize the importance of caring for themselves, but doing so takes a back seat to fulfilling their vocational responsibilities, which are tantamount to caring for an entire community," said Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, the initiative's research director and assistant research professor at the Duke Global Health Institute.
The institute's research found the 40 percent obesity rate among North Carolina United Methodist clergy eclipsed the state average of 29 percent. Pastors also suffered high rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, arthritis and hypertension. More than 10 percent showed symptoms of depression, about double the national rate.

Now I know why I am getting a belly!!!

Despite these health issues, clergy were also more likely to say their health did not negatively affect their work.
Proeschold-Bell said stress, which is tied to overeating and weight gain, comes in many forms for clergy.
Pastor's schedules are unpredictable and filled with diverse activities, resulting in what Proeschold-Bell called "role overload." She also points to an internal pressure to live faithfully and support the community.
"Pastors have lots of social ties, but the support goes only in one direction," she said. 

Yes, only one direction most of the time. If we want a bit of attention ourselves, we are usually put down right away as selfish, and not caring.

Read the whole entry. This is not a light issue, since it has to do with the ones called to serve the church. Hopefully, churches will take this study to heart, and be more supportive of their pastors.

German University sues student for graduating too fast!!!

I thought performance was rewarded. How wrong I was!!! Check this university!!

A private German economics and business university is suing one of its students for lost income after he finished his Bachelors and Masters degrees in about a quarter of the normal time.

Marcel Pohl completed 60 examinations in 20 months, gaining a grade of 2.3, and was officially ex-matriculated in August 2011. Such a course usually takes 11 semesters, but he only needed three.
Now the Essen-based School of Economics and Management (FOM) want the 22-year-old to pay his fees up the end of 2011 - an extra €3,000.
"When I got the lawsuit, I thought it couldn't be true," Pohl, who now works for a bank in Frankfurt, told the Bild newspaper. "Performance is supposed to be worth something." 

And how they devised how to finish their degree fast???

Pohl completed his turbo degree by dividing up all the simultaneous lectures with two friends and then swapping notes. At the same time, he completed an apprenticeship in a bank.
"We didn't get any freebies, and we agreed our plans in advance with the school," Pohl said.
"We're always against slow students," said his lawyer Bernhard Kraas. "But when someone hurries and finishes early, suddenly he has to pay. That can't be right." 

Good on them. They should commend him instead of taking him to court.

Greedy universities, they have lost their mission, of innovation, not just making money.

Francesca Stavrakopoulou, from atheist, to an apostate christian. Can such a thing be acceptable?

In case you didn't know Francesca Stavrakopolou (hey, she has Greek heritage, hence, the difficulty of pronouncing her last name), she is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion in the University of Exeter's department of Theology and Religion. She has featured on the BBC, and some other programs in the History Channel. I have blogged on her before, how she as an atheist, is a biblical scholar.


Well, now she seems to have accepted the Christian message, but I don't see much progress in her "supposedly" conversion. Why is it that I don't trust her new confession of faith? Well, read this retweet:

Some seem to be happy that at least she is saying she is a christian now. But what sort of Christian is willing to support gay marriage? 

Being an atheist, she wanted to rule her life. Being a "christian" who supports gay marriage, she still wants to rule her life. 

I don't buy it. I think that maybe she did the original retweet, or maybe she converted into a a liberal kind of Christianity, which is not christianity at all.

Anyway, lots of guys like her, because of her looks for sure. But if they get happy that she has 'converted' to christianity, or at least to the liberal type of christianity, sorry, but to me, that's not progress at all. 

U.S. starts to lose its academic reputation - Washington Times

U.S. starts to lose its academic reputation - Washington Times

It is about time the USA gets rid of the Diploma mills within its borders.

The English education system has really benefited the entire world. Let's not waste it.

Watching Don Carson speaking on John 3 at Liberty University

I am listening to Don Carson, direct live!!!

You can also catch him on this address

Enjoy sound and edifying biblical teaching.

The greatness of technology, that you can hear at someone at the other side of world, live!!!!

Is Vegetarianism a Heresy? It might be as well!!!

By Sebastian Moll
Theological Faculty of the University of Mainz
Germany
January 2012

Modern vegetarians often refer to theological terminology such as “reverence for life” or “respecting creation” when defending their position. Ironically, in the Early Church the situation is exactly the other way around. Abstaining from meat is considered a sign of heresy. In the Canons of the Council of Ancyra (314), it is stated: “It is decreed that among the clergy, presbyters and deacons who abstain from meat shall taste of it, and afterwards, if they shall so please, may abstain. But if they disdain it, and will not even eat herbs served with meat, but disobey the canon, let them be removed from their order.” While never included into Church Law, this anathema is confirmed by several later councils, such as the Council of Braga (Portugal, 561), at which the anathema is expanded to include clergy and lay people alike.

Many heretical groups in early Christianity indeed practiced vegetarianism, for example the Marcionites and the Manicheans. Traditional scholarship attributes this behavior to just another form of asceticism. But if the councils wanted to condemn radical asceticism, why is there no anathema for people who abstain from alcohol, for example? What is the reason for the special concern with the question of eating meat? Are vegetarians really a threat to Christian orthodoxy?

As a matter of fact, the issue is already raised within the New Testament. In 1. Timotheus 4:1-5, we read:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

The irony is conspicuous: whereas today respecting creation implies above all leaving it “untouched,” for the early Christians, it was a sign of disrespect towards God not to make use of his creation and thus a definite sign of heresy. Remember the careful distinction: according to the above mentioned council decree, it is perfectly all right to abstain from meat if you simply don’t like it. After all, de gustibus non est disputandum. However, if you abstain from it because you consider it somehow impure, you sin against the Creator.

How did this shift of perception happen? Perhaps the answer lies within a little nuance: the Bible speaks of thankfulness towards the Creator; today one tends to speak of respecting creation. Towards an abstract entity the most one can offer is respect; thankfulness, however, is a feeling one can only have towards a person – and the presentee will always consider refusing the gift as insulting.

Christianity often has been reproached for the fixation on man and his exalted position within creation. It was above all Charles Darwin who caused this worldview to alter. Christian belief always assumed that animals were created for man’s sake and thus allowed for the above mentioned perception of treating them as gifts. By pointing out that many of these animals existed long before man, this form of thankfulness was shattered to the core.

Far be it from me to question the theory of evolution at this point! However, there is something true and beautiful in the Christian concept of thankfulness. For thankfulness has a fascinating double effect: it promotes self-confidence and humility at the same time – self-confidence, because I feel valued by the gift; humility, because I feel the dependence on somebody else. Thus, thankfulness is by far not the worst basis for modern food ethics.

It is the tragedy of life that our food consists of annihilated life, no matter if you are a meat eater, vegetarian, or vegan. This very tragedy, this brokenness of human existence, the condition between paradise and damnation – this is the great topic of the book of books. Man lives in this tragedy like any other creature on this planet, but he is the only one aware of it. That is the burden which he once took from the tree of knowledge and which he has been carrying until this very day.

First Lady of the Philistines - Prof. Louise Hitchcock

Have you ever wanted to know more about the Philistines? Well, if you are a bible reader, you must engross your self in their history, since they had so many wars against Israel, and are mentioned a lot in the historical books of the Old Testament.

Profesor Louise Hitchcock, from the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, was interviewed by Israel Radio, and gives a lengthy background about the Philistines. You can also find the lecture on iTunes.

This type of study is very important to hear and digest. We understand so much about ancient Israel, and also, get over many "legends" that are present today among Christians, who see the present Palestinians as descendant of the Philistines, therefore, are fair game, a.k.a, is ok to kill them and dispossess them from their lands.

Anyway, this sort of lectures are good for all who are interested to hear. It is also good to be informed about the latest archeological findings and advancements, and not rely on Simcha Jacobonici for archeological info.

Apparently, it's not only the MIddle East that Muslims want to bring their Spring to.

Time and time again, we see how Muslims want to bully us in the West to conform to their ideology. Given, I also acknowledge that the West for a long time, has been trying to impose democracy and capitalism in their lands by force or plain subversion, but these people don't seem to have a problem by being so confrontational against Westerners, and Christians.

If you don't believe me, Newt Gingrich has responded to the lawsuit brought against the Catholic University of America by some muslims studying there. And the reason for the lawsuit? Because they don't feel comfortable studying with so many crosses around.

This is what Gingrich said in a speech in South Carolina:

"We now have a lawsuit apparently by some Muslim students at Catholic University who are offended being at a Catholic university. Now my first answer to them is 'Fine, don't go to a Catholic university.'"
His comments drew applause. Gingrich was referring to allegations that Catholic University of America is illegally discriminating against Muslim students by "denying them access to benefits that other student groups enjoy," and, in particular, not providing space for daily prayers so that they have to pray in classrooms or campus chapels where they are surrounded by Catholic symbols. The charges are currently being reviewed by the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights.

Couldn't they get a grip? If they don't want to see crosses, well, they should not go to the Catholic University of America. It's like going to the USA, yet, being offended by seeing the American flag all over the place.

He continues:

Gingrich challenged the "people who filed the lawsuit," asking rhetorically, "Are you prepared to sponsor a Christian missionary in Mecca? Because if you're not prepared to sponsor religious liberty in Saudi Arabia, don't come and nag us with some hypocritical baloney. So I think we need to be prepared to stand firm for genuine religious liberty, not for something that's anti-Christian."

Yes, I never thought I would agree with Gingrich in one thing, but I do on this. While American, British and Australian lives are being lost in Afghanistan for their "freedom" to practice Islam not the Taliban 's way, they don't show us the same courtesy. If not, look at this past post of mine.

The news item finishes with Gingrich's words:

"People say, well isn't this great, we're having an Arab Spring. Well I don't know, I think we may in fact be having an anti-Christian spring. I think people should actually be taking this pretty soberly."

There's still more news of this nature, how the Muslims, in their new found freedom, have tried to abolish Christianity, and Christians from their lands.

Gingrich words are sober, and also refer to a previous entry I have made on this blog:

 "What I would do is I would actively try to defend religious liberty across the planet, including in Egypt, in Iraq. Look, the number of Christians left in Iraq dropped from a million 200 thousand to five hundred thousand after we liberated the country."

May the West open its eyes, and see that if they support other people's freedoms, it may end up costing our own, since those people don't share our sense of justice, or our sense of freedom for all, not just for muslims.

Luis Alberto Jovel