Off to the Tyndale House for the Fellowship Conference

This is my second Tyndale Conference and I had a wonderful time last year.  This year boasts a longer conference and several well-known scholars giving papers including Howard Marshall, Richard Burridge, John Drane, John Nolland, John  Webster, and others.  I go on the last day (Thursday).  I am excited because, since it is such a small conference, the delegates don’t tend to skip sessions – you can bank on about a dozen or more people and hopefully get some decent feedback.

Having said that, I am a bit nervous.  My specialty is Paul and his Jewish background and context.  In the next phase of my career and research, I am shifting quite drastically towards Greco-Roman backgrounds as I am undertaking a project studying Paul’s use of military metaphors – undoubtedly there are Jewish elements (Isaianic imagery; apocalyptic characteristics).  But the overlap with especially Roman weapons, arts, and forms is almost undisputable.  So, I fear a bit that I am out of my league among the Tyndale scholars.

In the past, the Tyndale Fellowship has considered publishing the papers (I know of two or three times in recent years they did this).  I doubt they will do it this time as they have so few NT scholars giving papers versus us lowly students.  Oh well.

I am particularly excited to stop at my favorite discount bookstore for theology – Galloway and Porter.  I have some Loeb volumes I want to get my hands on (Xenophon, Tacitus, Plutarch, Valerius Maximus).

I will try and give a report when I return.

See some of you there!