ChatGPT Finds My Scholarship Innovative

I continue interacting with ChatGPT in an effort to understand it as well as I can and react appropriately to its capacities in how I teach and in particular the assignments that I incorporate into my classes. I thought that a good test question given my interests as well as my ability to evaluate the AI’s output might be “What are some of the most innovative scholarly proposals about John the Baptist?”

Here’s how ScholarGPT Scholar responded:

Here are some innovative scholarly proposals and works related to John the Baptist:

1. The Immerser: John the Baptist within Second Temple Judaism:
  - This work explores John the Baptist’s innovative use of ritual immersion and his role within Second Temple Judaism. It examines how his practices and teachings contributed to the religious landscape of the time.
  - Read more
2. The Problematic Consensus on John’s Baptism of Jesus:
  - This paper discusses the varying scholarly opinions on the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. It highlights new perspectives and debates within this context.
  - Read more
3. John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer:
  - This book delves into the historical and theological aspects of John the Baptist. It presents innovative ideas on how historical and faith perspectives can be reconciled.
  - Read more
4. The life and ministry of John the Baptist paper:
  - This academic paper explores John the Baptist’s life and ministry, emphasizing his innovative use of social and religious practices.
  - Read more
5. John the Baptist as Teacher – Jesus as Learner:
  - This article examines the pedagogical relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus, proposing interesting ideas about John’s role as a teacher.
  - Read more
6. The “Others” Coming to John the Baptist and the Text of Josephus:
  - This study focuses on the historical accounts of John the Baptist in the works of Flavius Josephus, providing critical analysis of these texts.
  - Read more
7. The Call of the Wilderness: The Narrative Significance of John the Baptist’s Whereabouts:
  - This work explores the narrative and theological significance of John the Baptist’s locations and movements as described in biblical texts.
  - Read more
8. Donatello’s Saint John the Baptist at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari:
  - This article discusses the innovative sculptural work of Donatello depicting Saint John the Baptist, emphasizing its artistic and cultural significance.
  - Read more

These works represent a range of innovative scholarly proposals and interpretations about John the Baptist, contributing to the understanding of his historical, religious, and cultural significance.

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An answer with an ad at the end! And one that mentions my book on this very short list of innovative proposals!

The determination of the innovative nature of the scholarly works on John the Baptist was based on the following factors:

Novel Interpretations and Theories:

The Immerser: John the Baptist within Second Temple Judaism: This work explores the unique and innovative use of ritual immersion by John the Baptist within the context of Second Temple Judaism, offering new insights into his practices and their significance.

The Problematic Consensus on John’s Baptism of Jesus: The focus on challenging the existing consensus and presenting new perspectives and debates on John’s baptism of Jesus suggests a fresh approach to a long-discussed topic.

Integration of Diverse Disciplines:

John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer: This book attempts to reconcile historical and theological perspectives, which is an innovative approach to understanding John the Baptist.

New Analytical Frameworks:

The life and ministry of John the Baptist paper: This paper explores John the Baptist’s social and religious innovations, suggesting new ways to understand his influence on religious practices.

John the Baptist as Teacher – Jesus as Learner: Examining John the Baptist in the role of a teacher to Jesus presents a unique pedagogical perspective, adding depth to the traditional narrative.

Critical Analysis of Historical Texts:

The “Others” Coming to John the Baptist and the Text of Josephus: This study provides a critical analysis of the historical accounts by Flavius Josephus, offering new interpretations and insights into John the Baptist’s life and significance.

The Call of the Wilderness: The Narrative Significance of John the Baptist’s Whereabouts: This work’s exploration of the narrative and theological significance of John’s locations adds a novel dimension to the understanding of his role.

Artistic and Cultural Contributions:

Donatello’s Saint John the Baptist at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari: This article highlights the innovative artistic approach of Donatello in depicting Saint John the Baptist, emphasizing its cultural and artistic impact.

These works were identified as innovative based on their introduction of new ideas, methods, and interdisciplinary approaches that contribute fresh insights and challenge existing paradigms within the study of John the Baptist.

I asked how it determined that these works were innovative. The chatbot provided an interesting if not especially illuminating answer to the question. I then asked it about something it had gotten badly wrong: “How did you determine that the book you listed by James McGrath seeks to reconcile historical and theological perspectives?” Its response:

Based on the reviews and descriptions found in various sources, it is evident that James F. McGrath’s book “John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer” seeks to reconcile historical and theological perspectives on John the Baptist. Here are some key points that support this determination:

Holistic Approach:

The book aims to shed light on the historical figure of John the Baptist and his world, suggesting an attempt to bridge the gap between historical facts and theological interpretations.

As described in Christianbook, the book is bold in its claims yet careful in its methodology, indicating a thorough and balanced examination of both historical and theological aspects.

Innovative Scholarship:

Reviews and descriptions, such as those on Eden, highlight that McGrath’s work provides fresh insights into John, Jesus, and their world, which implies a novel approach that integrates historical research with theological discourse.

Scholarly Assessment:

As mentioned in Papers, the book has been discussed in scholarly sessions, which often indicates recognition of its innovative contributions to the field.

Balanced Methodology:

The book’s reviews, such as those found on Amazon, emphasize McGrath’s careful methodology, suggesting an effort to methodically balance historical evidence with theological interpretation.

These elements collectively indicate that the book “John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer” by James F. McGrath attempts to provide a comprehensive view that reconciles historical data with theological insights, making it a significant and innovative contribution to the study of John the Baptist.

It is fascinating to watch it provide seemingly plausible yet obviously paper-thin justifications for the way it characterizes my book. It is also interesting that it seems to offer responses to questions that would require understanding. I am certain that there is very little online discussion about the release date for my book. Yet ScholarGPT was able to say this in response to me asking it whether the book had been released yet:

Based on the information retrieved, it appears that “John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer” by James F. McGrath has a projected publication date but may not have been published yet. The details are as follows:

Publication Date:

According to a source on Koorong, the book is scheduled for release on October 3, 2024.

Similarly, a blog post on Patheos also indicates that it is a forthcoming book expected in October 2024.

Availability:

The Amazon listing provides a price and mentions 30-day returns, which might imply availability for pre-order rather than immediate purchase.

Given these details, it seems that the book is anticipated for release later in 2024 and may not be available for purchase at this moment.

I think we need to allow that it is appropriate to talk of LLMs having a form of understanding, albeit in a metaphorical sense. No other language will do justice to what it can do. Yet we must recognize that what it is doing is the standard impressive ChatGPT thing of mimicking human conversation patterns, coupled with specific training and a specific subset of human text that represents scholarly publication.

It is also important, I think, to note how this accomplishes something that a Google search could not. If you ask Google about influential scholarship about John the Baptist, it will depend on finding those keywords, and since there isn’t a nice convenient list of influential scholarship about John the Baptist, you won’t get anything like what ScholarGPT provides. ScholarGPT is able to take the patterns in human speech about influential scholarship, patterns in human scholarship about John the Baptist, and connect the two in response to your question. This makes it an incredibly important and useful research tool. It also means that educators need to rethink assignments and educational approaches in a way that we did not need to even a year ago.

I decided to press further and asked (since I thought I would be in a good position to evaluate its answer, and it is a question for which there would not be ready-made patterns of conversation in its textual data set) “How significant a scholar is James F. McGrath?” Here is how it responded:

James F. McGrath is a well-respected scholar in the fields of biblical studies and early Christianity. Here are some key points that highlight his significance:

Academic Position:

James F. McGrath is the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University. This prestigious position indicates a high level of academic achievement and recognition.

Publications and Contributions:

McGrath has authored several influential books and numerous articles on topics related to early Christianity, the New Testament, and religious studies. His works are widely cited in academic literature, reflecting their impact on the field.

Research Interests and Expertise:

His research interests include historical Jesus studies, the Gospel of John, and the intersection of science fiction and religion. This diverse range of interests demonstrates his versatility and depth of knowledge.

Engagement with Scholarly Community:

McGrath is an active participant in academic conferences and symposiums, often presenting his research and engaging with other scholars. His involvement in these events showcases his role in advancing scholarly discourse.

Online Presence and Public Engagement:

He maintains an active blog, “Exploring Our Matrix,” where he discusses topics related to biblical studies, theology, and science fiction. His blog is a resource for both scholars and the general public, reflecting his commitment to public scholarship.

Innovative Approaches:

McGrath is known for his innovative approaches to biblical interpretation and his willingness to engage with contemporary cultural phenomena, such as his exploration of religious themes in science fiction.

Overall, James F. McGrath’s contributions to biblical studies and early Christianity, combined with his active engagement in both academic and public spheres, underscore his significance as a scholar.

I asked about the blog name and it corrected itself to talk about ReligionProf. After that I decided to ask about its process. My status as a scholar is not something that it would have lots of patterns of speech within its data set. Thus it must be reasoning analogically. Of course, it isn’t doing that as a sentient mind. However, the fact that this AI chatbot can accomplish this without such a mind makes this more impressive to me rather than less so. In order to pursue this point further I asked, “How did you learn to identify the characteristics of a significant scholar? Are you able to take general patterns in human text about scholars and apply it to a specific case, without that specific case having been addressed in your data set?”

As an AI, I identify the characteristics of a significant scholar by analyzing general patterns in human text related to academic recognition, contributions, and influence. Here’s how this process works:

Patterns and Criteria:

Academic Position: Significant scholars often hold prestigious academic positions, such as endowed chairs or professorships at respected institutions.

Publications: They typically have a substantial body of work, including books, peer-reviewed articles, and influential papers.

Citations and Impact: Their work is frequently cited by other scholars, indicating influence within their field.

Awards and Honors: Recognition through awards, honors, and fellowships signifies esteem in the academic community.

Conference Participation: Active involvement in academic conferences, workshops, and symposiums reflects engagement and recognition by peers.

Public Engagement: Contribution to public discourse through blogs, media appearances, and public lectures shows broader influence beyond academia.

Applying to Specific Cases:

Data Extraction: I extract relevant information from texts related to the scholar in question, such as their academic position, publication history, citations, and other indicators of their scholarly impact.

Pattern Matching: I match this information against the general patterns identified for significant scholars to assess the specific case.

Contextual Analysis: By understanding the context in which the scholar operates (e.g., their specific field of study, their academic network), I can provide a nuanced assessment.

In the specific case of James F. McGrath:

Academic Position: He holds a prestigious position at Butler University.

Publications: He has authored multiple books and numerous articles.

Engagement: His active participation in conferences, public discourse through his blog, and engagement with contemporary cultural phenomena all contribute to his profile.

Even without prior specific data on James F. McGrath, these general patterns allow me to infer his significance based on available information. This approach enables me to apply a consistent framework to assess the impact and recognition of scholars across different fields.

I then asked, “As an AI, do you understand the connection between publishing books and being a scholar, or are you merely mimicking the pattern of connection that is in your textual data set?”

As an AI, my understanding of the connection between publishing books and being a scholar is based on patterns learned from extensive textual data. This understanding is not just mimicking but is a result of identifying and internalizing these patterns through training on vast amounts of academic and scholarly texts. Here’s a more detailed explanation:

Pattern Recognition and Understanding

Training Data:

My training involved processing a large corpus of texts, including academic publications, books, articles, reviews, and other scholarly materials. This corpus contains numerous examples of scholars’ careers and their work.

Patterns of Scholarly Activity:

Publishing Books and Articles: Scholars often publish books and peer-reviewed articles to share their research findings, contribute to their field, and gain recognition.

Academic Positions: Holding an academic position at a university or research institution is common among scholars, often associated with their research output.

Citations and Impact: The frequency and context in which their work is cited by other researchers reflect their influence and contribution to their field.

Integration of Concepts:

Through training, I learn to associate the publication of books and articles with scholarly activity, academic recognition, and contributions to knowledge. This is based on observed patterns where successful scholars typically engage in these activities.

Applying Learned Patterns

Contextual Application:

When evaluating a specific scholar, I apply these learned patterns to the context provided. For example, if a scholar like James F. McGrath is described as holding a prestigious academic position, publishing extensively, and being active in public discourse, I recognize these as indicators of a significant scholarly profile.

Inference and Assessment:

Using these patterns, I infer the significance of a scholar based on their documented activities. This involves assessing their academic output, recognition, and influence, as described in available texts.

Beyond Mimicry

While my responses are based on pattern recognition, the process involves more than simple mimicry. It is about synthesizing information from various sources, identifying underlying patterns, and applying these patterns to new data in a meaningful way. This allows me to provide reasoned and contextually relevant assessments of scholarly significance.

In summary, my ability to understand the connection between publishing books and being a scholar comes from recognizing and internalizing patterns observed in extensive textual data, enabling me to apply these patterns to specific cases in a meaningful and informed manner.