Pursuing a Ph.D.

Daniel Trier has written a very helpful piece here related to whether a Ph.D. is worth pursuing.

Biblical Studies Resources for Undergraduate and Master's Students

I recently posted a list of New Testament resources created by Steve Walton for the academic study of the New Testament here. Now here is another list of biblical studies resources that focuses on undergraduates and master’s students.

HT: Steve Walton

Interview with Richard Hays

The Eerdword Blog has a brief interview with Richard Hays here. For those that may be unfamiliar with Hays, he is a fairly well-known and well-respected New Testament scholar. But what is most interesting about the interview are the personal insights that one gets concerning the man. For those who traffic in the academic world, so much of our focus and identity seems to be found in what we are teaching and writing. It is refreshing to see the richness that is found in just living life.

To Cite or Not

Recently a prominent biblical scholar was convicted of possessing child pornography. A number of years ago I was tasked with reviewing a book that was part of a major commentary series. As I was looking for material on the author to include in the review, I found that he had also been convicted of a similar crime. A decision was made not to include that as part of the review. I still wonder whether that was the right decision. The issue of whether to interact with and/or cite works from tainted authors was also part of an online conversation that I had a few days ago. For some, the issue is straightforward and clear-cut. But I for one, find it more complicated. The fact is, every human author has shortcomings of some kind, albeit some are considerably more serious than others. This editorial by Mary Beard raises some of the complexities of the issues involved. In the end, I feel that it is a judgment call involving a variety of factors that could go either way. One thing I am sure of though, sin always makes things more complicated.

John Monson on the Recent Shut Down Of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Archaeology Program

Here is a link to a podcast and a transcript to the talk with John Monson about the recent closure of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's archaeology program. The talk actually does not spend that much time on the program itself but is more general of where the state of evangelical academics might be.

Eight Pillars of Scholarly Excellence

Todd Scacewater has a nice interaction here with Andreas Köstenberger’s proposed eight pillars of scholarly excellence in the latest issue the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (63:1). I respond with a hearty, "Amen."

The Dangers of Academized Christianity

All those involved in theological education either as a professor or as a student should read this.

Steve Walton on Improving Your Academic Writing

Steve Walton has posted a link to a recent postgraduate research conference on improving your academic writing here.

Lessons for Evangelical Scholars in the Academy

Michael Kruger, interacting with Thomas Oden, offers seven lessons for evangelical scholars in the secular academy that are worth reading here.

Evangelicals and the Study of the Bible

"As evangelicals we do not pretend to study the Bible without presuppositions, We consciously, intentionally, and apologetically seek to be informed and motivated by explicitly biblical thinking as we study the Bible, Belief in God is foundational for all of life and should guide the way we understand the quest for truth. The Bible tells us that God exists and what he is like, how he has revealed himself, and how we are to relate to him as creatures made in his image. This understanding then determines the method, attitude, and purposes of biblical and theological studies. The God we find in the Bible determines how we approach the Bible. The way we study the Bible is based on certain functional attributes about God."

Michael J. Wilkins and Erik Thoennes, Biblical and Theological Studies: A Student’s Guide, Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 26

Are "Learning Styles" a Myth

This article in The Atlantic and a number of other studies say, "yes." I was first introduced to the concept that learners tend to be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, etc. in college. This was followed by some affirmation of the idea in seminary. And I must admit that I once bought into the concept. But I eventually backed away from it. Now, I vary my teaching methods to include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements not to aim at learning styles but to add variety and to keep things interesting. I also no longer advise students to discover their learning styles but to try out different learning strategies and figure out what works best for them.

A Master's-Level Reading List for Old Testament Students

You can see one here.

Grant Osborne on the Teacher as Pastor

Grant Osborne has some helpful advice or reminders about the role of the professor in the Bible college or seminary classroom here. Here is an excerpt.

"I have long felt that if all I was in the classroom was a disseminator of information, I would fail. The problem today is that the seminary (or college, or graduate school) classroom is often too academic, and too few students fall in love with the process of exegesis and feeding their flock—even looking upon the act of “feeding” in terms of delivering simple topical messages. We must show students the relevance of the biblical text for their lives, stimulating them spiritually as well as intellectually. The truth is that they can find everything we are going to say in commentaries and other sources. What we need to do is show them how practical and refreshing deep exegesis can be."

PhD Programs in Bible and Theology

Pete Enns posts here about what he sees as the moral irresponsibility of PhD programs in Bible and theology. He makes some points worth considering but I am not as jaded as Enns. Are the numerical odds stacked against a newly minted PhD, "yes," but the Lord is not daunted by the odds. One needs to be realistic, wise, and prudent but also trust in the Lord's calling and leading.

What Is a Professor?

Some of my academic friends might appreciate this post.

Check Your Primary Sources

I was reminding students the other day of the importance of checking primary sources that they find in secondary sources because secondary sources do not always get it right. A case in point can be found at Roger Pearse's blog here which addresses a recent Twitter posting.

Student Entitlement

Those involved in the academic world are usually familiar with the phenomenon of student entitlement. This post by Maryellen Weimar provides a brief but helpful discussion on the topic. I particularly appreciate Weimar's comment that, "telling them that’s wrong isn’t likely to change the attitude. It helps if teachers clarify their expectations with constructive positive language and even more importantly with discussions of the rationales on which those expectations rest."

Writing a Dissertation

How to Talk to Famous Professors

Robin Bernstein has some good advice here.

The Very Model of a Doctor of New Testament

Gary Manning provides a New Testament flavored parody of Gilbert and Sullivan's "I am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" from The Pirates of Penzance here.