Right now, in Jesus studies and Gospels scholarship, there is a volley over whether the Gospels should be read from a narrative-canonical perspective (without scratching under the surface for the “historical Jesus”), or if we should try to use the Gospels as “sources” for the ongoing study of the man Jesus. Recently, Chris Keith and Larry Hurtado edited a collection of essays that tries to relate the two sides in Jesus Among Friends and Enemies: A Historical and Literary Introduction... Read more

At SBL, the journal that Mike Bird and I edit, Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters, had a two-volume debut. Eisenbrauns has done a fine job working with us and producing a “handsome” periodical. It has been a particular blessing for  me to work with a fantastic editorial board and great contributors. Why not give yourself, this Christmas, the gift of a new subscription – the gift that keeps on giving all year long?! (Cue cheesy smile)... Read more

The subject of God and violence in the Bible and the modern world is very controversial and any theologian would (and should!) find it a daunting task to answer student questions on this matter. Because I have been teaching lately on Joshua and Judges, I felt the need to talk about violence in the Bible and how we are meant to reflect on that issue today (both in terms of theodicy and Christian ethics). So, I dared to write a... Read more

This is not “new” news, but I just took some time to browse the latest issue of New Testament Studies (58.1). Some very attractive pieces! Alan Kirk writes on “Orality, Writing, and Phantom Sources: Appeals to Ancient Media in Some Recent Challenges to the Two Document Hypothesis.” Apparently, Kirk is taking on Dunn, Mournet, Baum, and Burkett when it comes to orality vs. literary approaches to the Synoptic problem. James Crossley writes on the reference to “with the hand in the... Read more

This quarter, for my Christian Scriptures undergraduate course, I used one book (other than the Bible) as a textbook: David Lamb’s God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist, and Racist? (IVP, 2011). I am happy to report that it has been very well received and I plan on using it every time I teach this course. What is the book about? In a nutshell, it addresses some of the most common problematic stereotypes of the OT... Read more

When I arrived home (Saturday, after some travelling), I was greeted by some new books in the mail that were showcased at SBL – it was nice not to have to lug them home in my suitcase. Here are some of the books I am excited to dig into over the next few months. C. Keith and L. Hurtado, Jesus Among Friends and Enemies (Baker) – looks like a narrative-critical approach to the study of Jesus that focuses on how “friends... Read more

Undoubtedly like many of you, I just finished a great weekend at SBL SF! Great to catch up with friends, old and new, like Durham friends Ben Blackwell, John Goodrich, and Kristian Bendoraitis. Ben’s brand new dissertation was available at the Mohr Siebeck stall: Christosis. Congrats Ben! I felt that the Institute for Biblical Research put on a very good program on Friday night and Saturday morning on the theme of “Global Readings of Scripture,” featuring a special lecture and... Read more

Discussion of Acts 7:58, the Shema in 1 Samuel 1-15, and lots of reviews. Check it out. Read more

Eerdmans just announced that Joel B. Green has become the fourth general editor for the New International Commentary on the New Testament, following Ned Stonehouse, F.F. Bruce, and Gordon Fee. Joel is a great choice and I am sure he will lead the series well. Congrats Joel! He makes some comments here. Read more

You may have heard the news that Kevin Vanhoozer is returning to Trinity next year. Probably in order to cut off rumors before they spread, the wheatonblog offers some reflection on this move. Check it out. Too bad for Wheaton, but it sounds like the right thing to do. Read more