Jim is not British, but that provides all the more motive. His sarcasm is grating because he is American. Why not deflect the ire of his blog’s readers by uttering his words of wit under a pseudonym with a British accent?
You also presumably noticed the “W” connection here too: Dr. West & Dr. Wrong. And as a Baptist, Jim has always secretly envied bishops. And who more than Jim West would delight in parodying the name N. T. Wright with “NT Wrong”? Can’t you just hear his maniacal laughter in the background every time Chris Tilling sees the blog’s title and cringes.
But the strongest evidence of all is this: Zwingli is never mentioned on NT Wrong’s blog. Not once. Any biblioblogger would be expected at some point to mention Zwingli, if only in passing, would they not? And so clearly this is evidence that NT Wrong is Jim West, trying a little too hard to conceal his identity by avoiding characteristic words and phrases. I’m surprised that that Stephen Carlson didn’t pich up on this.
The fact that Jim was not at ETS or SBL does not disprove this theory. His spies are everywhere, and surely must have provided him with regular reports.
Jim West has a motive as well, his blog having been deleted previously (by rampant raging Wrightians, according to one dominant theory). And so it would not be surprising if he were to deflect their schemes away from the blog that bears his name, or at least maximize his chances of having one of his blogs survive their attacks.
I rest my case (again). Jim West has the means, the motive, and the sarcasm to perpetrate this ingenious bit of pseudonymity. Certainly moreso than Steve Young. Jim also has the musical talent and the political experience.
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